OBSERVATIONS ON THE GRAFTING OF TREES. 83 



it be too old, it will immediately produce fruit, but will never make a 

 healthy tree, and consequently never answer the intention of the planter. 

 The root, however, and the part of the stock adjoining it, are greatly 

 more durable than the bearing branches ; and I have no doubt but that 

 scions obtained from either would grow with vigour, when those taken from 

 the bearing branches would not. The following experiment will, at least, 

 evince the probability of this in the pear-tree : I took cuttings from the 

 extremities of the bearing branches of some old ungrafted pear-trees, 

 and others from scions which sprung out of the trunks near the ground, 

 and inserted some of each on the same stocks. The former grew without 

 thorns, as in the cultivated varieties, and produced blossoms the second 

 year ; whilst the latter assumed the appearance of stocks just raised from 

 seeds, were covered with thorns, and have not yet produced any blossoms. 



The extremities of those branches, which produce seeds in every tree, 

 probably show the first indication of decay ; and we frequently see 

 (particularly in the oak) young branches produced from the trunk, when 

 the old ones have been dead. The same tree when cropped will produce 

 an almost eternal succession of branches. The durability of the apple and 

 pear I have long suspected to be different in different varieties ; but that 

 none of either would vegetate with vigour much, if at all, beyond the life of 

 the parent stock, provided that died from mere old age. I am confirmed 

 in this opinion by the books you did me the honour to send me : of the 

 apples mentioned and described by Parkinson, the names only remain ; 

 but many of Evelyn's are still well known, particularly the red-streak. 

 This apple, he informs me, was raised from seed by Lord Scudamore in 

 the beginning of the last century*. We have many trees of it, but they 

 appear to have been in a state of decay during the last forty years. 

 Some others mentioned by him are in a much better state of vegetation, 

 but they have all ceased to deserve the attention of the planter. The 

 durability of the pear is probably something more than double that of 

 the apple. 



It has been remarked by Evelyn, and by almost every writer since, on 

 the subject of planting, that the growth of plants raised from seeds was 

 more rapid, and that they produced better trees than those obtained 

 from layers or cuttings. This seems to point out some kind of decay 

 attending the latter modes of propagation ; though the custom in the 

 public nurseries of taking layers from stools (trees cropped annually 

 close to the ground) probably retards its effects, as each plant rises 

 immediately from the root of the parent stock. 



* Probably about the year 1634. 



