344 



EFFECTS OF THE GRAFTING AND BUDDING CF TREES. 



Wood. 



that new grafting an old tree, and cutting it down, may 

 make it bear fruit, when it would not before, I believe ; 

 because to cut and pare a tree always infuses fresh vigour 

 into it; for the momentary flow is more hasty, it has the 

 power therefore of clearing away all intervening objects, 

 that might prevent the more perfect flow of the sap ; but all 

 this is very different from allying two objects of a distinct 

 nature. Resolved, however, not to trust any thing to rea- 

 soning alone, I grafted many of these trees myself, and 

 got an excellent gardener to graft and bud a number. Most 

 of them died before the year came round to cut them ; but 

 a chesnut on a palm lived much longer, though it was de- 

 caying. Some died because the juices of the circle of life 

 coagulated with the juices of the pith on meeting; at least 

 there was a strange substance, that had much this appear- 

 ance : others died from the irregular size of the Avood. But 

 I have a number now, that I mean to give a more exact 

 account of than I am at present prepared to do ; which will 

 illustrate this subject in a manner to leave, I hope, no 

 doubts concerning the impossibity of joining these heteroge- 

 neous mixtures, which nature never intended should meet. 



I shall now close my letter with some observations con- 

 cerning the wood. The newly inflating the dead wood is not 

 peculiar to grafts ; for it is seen in the spring in many 

 plants, as was exemplified in one of my letters, in which I 

 showed how the graft was revived. The dissecting of grafts 

 has at least this advantage, it adduces fresh proof "of the 

 simplicity of the formation of the wood, and showing it to 

 consist entirely of cylindrical passages for the current of 

 sap. These can not only be inflated with other juices as 

 well as their own, but the wood will remain for many 

 months in perfect form, without decay, though they are 

 empty. 



The hydrangia exemplifies this each year in a way so cu- 

 rious, that it is worth laying before the public. The whole 

 of the stalk dies away, except the cylinders of wood, the rows 

 of pith, and the rind, so that there remains a total vacancy 

 between the rind and wood. The bark and inner bark 

 decay, and fall away to powder. The life dies down to the 

 earth, and there remains in a torpid state, till a few fine days 



in 



