HISTORY OF THE APPLE. 31 



Among the early writers upon the subject of pomology, 

 we find some very crude notions, particularly in regard 

 to the wonderful powers of the grafter, for this art of im- 

 j>roving the Wilding by inserting buds or scions of better 

 sorts, and thus multiplying trees of good kinds, was a 

 very ancient invention. Pliny, the naturalist, certainly 

 di'serves our praise for his wonderful and comprehensive 

 industry in all branches of natural history.. In i-cgard to 

 grafting, which seems to have been well understood in his 

 day, ho says, that he had seen near Thnlioe a tree bearing 

 ail manner of fruits, nuts and berries, figs and grapes, 

 ])cars and pomegranates ; no kind of apple or other fruit 

 that was not to be found on this tree. It is quaintly noted, 

 Iiowever, that "this tree did not live long," — ^is it to 

 be wondered that such should have been the case ? "Now 

 some persons may object to the testimony of this remark- 

 able man, and feel disposed to disci-edit the statement of 

 what appears so incredible to those who are at all ac- 

 quainted with the well-known necessity for a congenial 

 stock into which the graft shoidd be inserted. But a 

 more extended knowledge of the subject, would explain 

 what Pliny has recorded as a marvel of the art. The 

 same thing has been done in our own times, it is a trick, 

 and one which would very soon be detected now-a-days 

 by tiie merest tyro in horticulture, though it may have 

 escaped the scrutiny of Pliny, whose business it was to 

 note and record the results of his observations, ratiier 

 than to examine the modus of the experiment. By tlic 

 French, the method is called Charlatan grafting, and is 

 dune by taking a stock of suitable size, hollowing it out, 

 and introducing through its cavity several stocks of dif- 



