160 AGRICULTURAL BOTANY 



teristics by this union. If a Northern Spy scion is 

 grafted on the stem of a Jonathan apple tree, the 

 branches that grow from it will always bear Northern 

 Spy apples, although the nourishment comes through 

 the Jonathan roots and stem, and the branches of the 

 stock will continue to bear Jonathan apples. 



It is thus apparent that one of the things grafting 

 will accomplish is to make a plant of inferior variety 

 bear fruit of a superior variety. 



Another useful result of the process is to multiply 

 plants that do not multiply well from seed, for example, 

 our common fruits. Trees may be made smaller by 

 grafting from a smaller variety. 



It is a well-known fact that seedlings take many 

 years to come to the flowering and fruiting stage. If it 

 is desired to improve the variety of any certain fruit, 

 grafting on a seedling grown for this purpose will 

 hasten the formation of flower and fruit. 



The symmetry of a tree that has broken branches 

 may be restored, and defective branches be replaced 

 by grafting. 



Some fruit trees are liable to be injured in the root 

 or trunk by special insects which do not infest other 

 fruit trees. By grafting, for instance, a peach scion 

 on a plum stock, peaches may be grown without injury 

 from the insect that infests peach trees. 



To summarize, grafting makes it possible : 



1. To change the variety of a plant, substituting 

 a desirable plant for an undesirable ; 



2. To hasten the fruiting of seedlings ; 



3. To multiply plants that do not multiply well 

 from seeds ; 



4. To render defective trees symmetrical; 



