66 OBSERVATIONS ON THE 



or graft : many persons (for want of sufficient 

 practice) to this day, suppose the stock will 

 affect the scion, and consequently the fruit pro- 

 duced from the tree grafted on a stock whose 

 fruit is different ; but during my practice I 

 never have known in any instance, the fruit to 

 become altered through the stock it was grafted 

 on : in order to . illustrate this fact as clearly as 

 possible, I will give my general opinion on the 

 subject. 



It is necessary sometimes to convey our ideas 

 (particularly in writing, where it is subject 

 to every criticism) as plainly as possible ; I 

 shall therefore commence from the seed of the 

 stock. 



In the first place, when the seed first spears, 

 (say the Crab,) its spear grows downwards, (the 

 same by a common bean or pea,) perhaps two 

 inches before we see the green seed leaf above 

 ground, this shews that the fund of vegetable 

 matter above ground, must be filtered through 

 the root, for without the root the tree cannot 

 grow, but the root might exist for some time, 

 although the head was cut down ; I am there- 



