Root-grafted versus Stock-grafted Fruit Trees. 247 



grafted ; or pieces of roots of old trees are just as good. It is 

 done to save time and expense. To take up a whole root, 

 then graft it, and set it out again, would be the most expensive 

 way of getting a tree, for nothing would be gained and much 

 lost, as there would be the cost of resetting, and the loss of 

 time in reestablishing the plant. 



Our theory therefore is, that a great many varieties of 

 apples, as well as other fruits, are so different in habit from 

 the original species, that they do not grow freely on their 

 own roots, and that root-grafting, from not imparting a rapid 

 growth to the young scion, induces a weakness in the young 

 tree, from which it will not quickly recover ; just as a tree, 

 grown on a poor and stinted soil, makes its first sap-vessels 

 so small and contracted, that no after treatment will enable it 

 to acquire a vigorous condition. 



Such is our explanation of the superiority of stock-budded 

 or grafted trees ; and whether our theory is the correct one 

 or not, of the facts there is no doubt. If we are wrong, it 

 will give us pleasure to be set right. Our friend Barry is 

 "very confident" we don't speak from experience. If he 

 means by this, that we have not root-grafted one apple tree 

 to his thousand, he is quite right. We own up. But if he 

 means experience in observing the effects of his own root- 

 grafted trees, as well as those of other cultivators, we "are 

 very confident " he is entirely mistaken. 



We will mention one particular case. We had some Melon 

 apple trees of Messrs. Elwanger & Barry, in the spring of 

 1849 or 60. When we received them, we cut off a few 

 scions. The trees were set out carefully, in a good situation, 

 and the scions were grafted into stocks, set in the nursery 

 rows one year. The latter are now more than twice as large 

 as the former, with the promise of being ten times as large in 

 two years more. 



What Mr. Barry says about the western nurserymen using 

 "spongy, pithy wood" for scions, and "abusing root-graft- 

 ing," we shall turn over to our agreeable friend, Dr. Warder, 

 the champion of all clever fellows. 



