ih4 ©arkner's JtloiitWi. 79 



vigor of the graft. But the most extraordinary 

 effect produced, is a healthy graft will make a diseas- 

 ed stock healthy, and a diseased graft will make a 

 healthy stock diseased. 



As remarkable as this may appear to be, it is nev- 

 ertheless true and susceptible of demonstration. 

 In illustration of this fact, if we take a healthy and 

 diseased grape vine, for instance the Concord and 

 Catawba, graft the Concord on the Catawba and we 

 will have a healthy Concord vine with all of its 

 good qualities; but if we graft the Catawba on the 

 Concord, we will have a diseased Catawba vine 

 with all of its diseased tendencies. 



The same rule holds good with different species 

 and become a general law. If we graft a variegated 

 variety (which is in a diseased condition) on a plain 

 leaved variety, the result will be a diseased tenden- 

 cy, which may produce a variegation in the stock, 

 but not of the variety of the graft. We have seen 

 several instances of variegation being produced, but 

 always of the same variety. 



Likewise if we graft the Mountain Ash with a Pear 

 it will influence the stock for health, disease or 

 growth depending upon the condition of the graft, 

 but it cannot produce a '"''Fear shoot^^ from the^ls^ 

 stock, neither has any other species the power or 

 influence to change the stock; and when such cases 

 are given they should be throughly investigated. 

 We are all Hable to be mistaken and may become 

 the victims of the curious and wondering. We have 

 heard of numerous instances of unnatural phenom- 

 ena, but were always too unfortunate to be able to 

 find them. 



CRITICISM OF ORCHIS. 



BY ROSA. 



As one of those who cultivate Roses on their own 

 roots only, and having after long experience dis- 

 carded the culture by budding or grafting, I feel 

 inclined to question the assertion of Orchis, that 

 soft wood cuttings produce only weak and spindling 

 plants. The mode of striking from soft wood which 

 he describes may very possibly produce such, but he 

 should remember that there maybe several ways of 

 growing from soft wood. There is one mode which 

 is practiced by only one or two establishments, but 

 which is simple and at once accepted by any one to 

 whom it is explained. 



If Orchis had desired it, I could have shown him 

 in the autumn forty thousand or more of Remontant 

 and Moss Roses all grown from soft wood, and pre- 

 senting each several branches two or three feet long 

 of strong wood throughly ripe. The roots of these 

 are also strong and abundant. 



Some twenty years ago being in the trade, I de- 

 cided that the country needed a large quantity of 

 Roses at a cheap rate, and determined to supply 

 them. 



I procured many thousands of Manetti stor-ks, 

 budded them and grew beautiful plants. I sent 

 them out, and then came the rub. 



Professed gardeners liked them because they 

 knew how to keep down the suckers ivhich grew up 

 strong and defiant from the stock. But the masses 

 in this country do not keep gardeners and they wish 

 something that will go without pruning at least one 

 summer and give bloom desired. 



From all sides came the cry, "your roses are no- 

 thing but single ones." The suckers had grown up, 

 drowned out the finer variety, and produced an abun- 

 dant crop of worthless flowers. I tried it again next 

 year, and with the same result. 



I then discarded it forever, as all growers for the 

 people in this country must always discard it; a plant 

 which requiring the care of a professional gardener 

 will never meet the requirements of the mass of pur- 

 chasers. 



What next was to be done. Layering was to slow 

 and uncertain for my purposes. My aim was 100.000 

 plants per year. About that time i obtained the ser- 

 vices of one of the most skilful propagators, whose 

 long experience with our climate, gave him addition- 

 al value. 



We then hit upon root grafting, and after the first 

 year were ready to shout "Eureka." Our mode was 

 the identical one described by Orchis, and our plants 

 were vigorous and healthy. We put in use all our 

 appliances of houses and material and thought that 

 we should now be able to reach our goal and furnish 

 vigorous roses at European prices. 



The next autumn came and we realized that ' 'Man 

 never is but always to be blest. ' ' Our roses had died, 

 some in the grafting, some in the planting, and some 

 in the growing. 



The plants which lived, grew strong, luxuriant, 

 and like the poor man's children gave the beholder 

 a reahzing sense of the excellence of this mode of 

 rearing. A stranger did not realize how many of 

 them, like the poor man's children had died in the 

 rearing. 



We could hit on nothing better however, and so 

 we struggled on for ten yeg.rs, growing good plants 

 for our customers, but never being able to grow them 

 in sufficient quantities to sell at 10 or 15 cents each. 

 0 1 hers were still more unsuccessful than we, and the 

 result was a limited quantity of roses every where 

 at high prices. 



This I felt would never answer ; I was certain that 



