ON PROLONGING THE DURATION OF VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 325 



decay of the powers of life in the roots of seedling trees is exceeding 

 slow comparatively with the bearing branches. Scions, obtained from 

 the roots of pear-trees of two hundred years old, afford grafts which grow 

 with great vigour ; and which in many cases are covered with thorns 

 like young seedling stocks, whilst other grafts taken at the same time 

 from the extremities of the branches of such trees present a totally 

 different character, and a very slow and unhealthy growth. I do not, 

 however, conceive that any scion which thus springs from the root of an 

 old tree possesses all the powers of a young seedling tree, but it certainly 

 possesses no inconsiderable portion of such powers ; and I have proved 

 such scions to be capable of affording healthy trees of a considerable size. 



If grafts or buds were taken from such scions, on their first emission, 

 much time would elapse before any blossom would be produced : but if 

 buds were not taken from such scions till the branches attained the age 

 of puberty, no loss of time whatever would subsequently occur. 



The branches of the plum-tree, in the experiment above-mentioned, 

 emitted roots just at the period when they had attained the age of 

 puberty ; and I do not doubt, but that scions from the roots of these will 

 spring from the soil in full possession of all the powers attached to the 

 branches from which they derived their existence. My own experience 

 leads me to think that trees of the pear, the apple, and the plum, might 

 be better raised by layers and cuttings of the roots, than by the methods 

 usually practised, and at less expense. 



The garden of the Society contains many varieties of fruits, which I 

 believe to be extremely valuable as well as new ; and the preservation of 

 these permanently in their pristine and present state of health and 

 vigour, appears to be an object of great importance. And the decay of 

 many varieties (such as the Cornish gilliflower-apple, which in my 

 estimation is and always was without a rival in the climate of England) 

 might be greatly retarded by propagating it from scions which have 

 recently sprung from the trunks of old trees, in obedience to the instruc- 

 tions of Virgil (whose authority is however generally of little value), 

 and probably of Hyginus, " summa ne pete flagella." 



