MODES AKD I'llIXCIPLES OF PHOPAGATION. 41 



over a large portion of west and east Europe. After the 

 extended oliservations of four months the decision was 

 reached that the sections where trees on their own roots 

 were used in connection with top-working on hardy in- 

 digenous stocks, could show longer- lived, thriftier, and 

 more fruitful orchards of given varieties than the sections 

 near cities where modern budded and root grafted trees 

 were used. 



46. Some European Criticisms. — Since the writer's visit 

 to Europe many adverse opinions have been given by 

 eminent horticulturists of Europe on modern root-grafting 

 and stock-budding. As instances, F. W. Burbidge, a 

 practical propagator and fruit-grower and the author 

 of "The Propagation and Improvement of Cultivated 

 Fruits " and other standard works on European horticult- 

 ure, said, as early as 1888, editorially: "We doubt if 

 there is a greater nuisance in the whole practice of gar- 

 dening than the art of grafting. It is clever, it is very 

 interesting, but it will be no great loss if it is abolished 

 altogether. It is for the convenience of nurserymen that 

 it is done in nine cases out of ten, and in nearly all cases 

 it is not only needless but harmful. If we made the 

 nurserymen give us things on their own roots they would 

 find some quicker means of doing so." 



In a later number of The Field he said in reply to 

 criticism: " If in certain cases grafting as a convenience 

 has to be resorted to, then let it be root -grafting, a system 

 that eventually affords the scion a chance of rooting on its 

 own account in a natural way." 



The editor of the London Oarden, in his comments on 

 the subject, said : '.' We should not plant any grafted tree 

 or shrub, so far as ornamental trees or shrubs are con- 

 cerned. There may be reason for the universal grafting 

 of fruit-trees, but we doubt it." As usual, in this noted 



