216 Advantages of Grafting Pears upon Quince stocks, 



or loamy soil is generally unfavourable to Pear trees ; but 

 that Quinces and Pears grafted on Quince stocks thrive 

 exceedingly in it. Soils of this nature being prevalent in a 

 great many parts of this country, the means are thus afforded 

 by the use of Quince stocks, to persons in such situations, of 

 cultivating to advantage many varieties of Pears, which would 

 never bear fruit in sufficient quantities, if grafted on their 

 own species. On the other hand I have observed that in a 

 light gravelly soil, with a gravelly or sandy bottom, Pear trees 

 succeed better than Quinces ; and in such situations the Pear 

 stocks will of course be preferable. This if I mistake not, was 

 experienced by the Society itself a few years ago, in the tem- 

 porary experimental garden which it had at Kensington, and 

 which consisted of a soil of the latter nature; where the 

 Pears grafted on Quince stocks did not succeed so well as 

 the others. 



There is another point which deserves more attention than 

 is usually bestowed on it, not only in the choice of Quince 

 stocks, but in that of all other stocks for fruit trees ; namely, 

 the seminal varieties. It is well known, that, as all plants vary 

 in their characters when raised from the seeds, so among 

 their peculiarities, there is a great diversity in their vigour, 

 and power of retaining health and luxuriance in various soils 

 and situations. To this may often be rightly ascribed, the 

 difference which is to be met with in the health and produc- 

 tiveness of grafted trees of the same variety, in the same 

 situations. As in many cases the same variety cannot advan- 

 tageously be propagated for stocks, the best course to pursue 

 is to mark the most healthy individuals among the seedling 

 plants. But there are other cases in which it is extremely 



