EFFECTS OF THE GRAFTING AND BUDDING OF TKEES. QQ*f 



II. 



On the Effects produced by the grafting and budding of 

 Trees. In a Letter from Mrs. Agnes Ibbetson. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



SIR, 



VV HEN I first began the study of grafting and budding Design of the 



by dissection, in order to judge of the effect produced i n author ' 



trees by such an operation, it was my design to collect all 



the knowledge disseminated in every author on the subject, 



and by joining it with what I should attain by dissection 



myself, offer to the public a treatise, that might at least 



serve as a sort of standard of our knowledge in this art. 



After dissecting therefore an innumerable number of grafts 



and buds of every different tree, commonly grafted and 



budded, and at different distances of time, making drawings 



as exact as possible, and committing my own observations to 



paper ; I was anxious to see what other botanists had said 



on the subject. But great was my astonishment to find, that The subject 



scarce any author had really investigated the matter. Even " ot in . vest, g ated 

 »,.. ' by writers. 



Miller gives only a few common rules for practice, without 



observations. The scientific Mirbel (in whose work I 



hoped to find important information) gives only a short 



note, and a reference to Duhamel ; Malpighi and Grew are 



totally silent; and Dr. Smith and Willdenouw are equally 



neglectful of the subject: yet it appeared to me to be in Yet highly ira- 



every respect that which promised the most important in- P orUnt - 



struction with regard to the manner in which trees are 



formed, to show the process of each different part, and 



produce evidence which no other situation of the vegetable 



world is capable of giving. Nor >was I deceived, I think;" 



for by this sort of dissection I have learnt more of the real 



nature of the different parts, than any other investigation 



of plants ever taught me; since they arc brought forward 



in a state, that obliges them to exert their powers, and 



much may be drawn from the curious struggle for life, 



which points out to notice every important part. 



Finding that from Duhamel alone I was to expect any Duhamel's 

 information, that was not merely practical : I with great b ook 



Vol. XXIV.— Supplement. Z trouble 



