LUTHER BURBANK 



Nevertheless, the question has more than once 

 arisen as to whether cion and stock may not exert 

 upon each other an influence of a profoundly 

 modifying character. 



That such may be the case, to the extent 

 of producing a poisonous influence, has been 

 observed in the case of grafts between species 

 somewhat distantly related. It has been observed, 

 for example, that some of the English plums unite 

 with the peach, and do fairly well for a time, 

 while others refuse to unite under any circum- 

 stances, and still others when budded or grafted 

 on a peach stock seem to poison the peach tree, 

 even causing its death. Yet, on the other hand, 

 the French prune will often grow better on the 

 roots of the almond or the peach than on its own 

 roots. 



In each of these cases, it would seem, there 

 must be an influence, in one case harmful, in the 

 other beneficial, transmitted between cion and 

 stock. 



It will be observed that such influences as these 

 merely extend to the life or vigor of the plant, 

 and have nothing to do with the question of 

 transferring its inherent characteristics. And it 

 is universally admitted, that, as a rule, the influ- 

 ence of stock on cion, or of cion on stock, is 

 thus limited. A cion of tender race may thrive 



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