GKAFTING; ITS CONSEQUENCES AND EFFECTS. 
149 
Among conifers corresponding alterations of habit have been 
frequently noted. One of the most curious is that recorded by 
M. Carriere, in which a species of Libocedrus (Cupressineae) 
grafted on Scixe-Gothcea (Podocarpeae) became entirely altered 
in appearance. The branches, instead of forming an elongated 
pyramidal mass, were directed nearly at right angles, so as to 
form a depressed spherical head. 
Very curious also are the phenomena exhibited by what is 
called double-grafting in England, or greffe sur greffe by the 
French. We mention them in this place as illustrative of the 
effect of the stock on the scion. It has already been men- 
tioned incidentally that some pears will not graft readily on 
the quince, and, consequently, that mode of enhancing fer- 
tility could not be adopted were it not for the ingenious 
process of double-grafting, which is thus effected : — In the 
first place some free-growing pear is grafted on to the quince 
in the usual manner, and then the scion so obtained is, in its 
turn, grafted with a variety that will not unite readily with 
the quince in the first instance. In this indirect manner 
the quince stock is made to affect the scion, throw it into 
bloom more quickly, and enhance its fertility. 
It is needless after this to say one word more as to the 
reasons which lead gardeners to employ grafting ; the only 
wonder is that they do not avail themselves of it more freely. 
Adverting now to the effect produced by the scion on the stock, 
it may be said that we have here an operation something akin 
to vaccination ; and it is not wonderful that curious results 
sometimes accrue, though in this case, also, many gardeners 
deny that any visible effect is perceptible, at least in the 
majority of cases. Some, however, more in the habit of making 
good use of their eyes, have recorded instances showing the 
effect of the scion on the stock, and to some of these we now 
propose to allude. The first case is that where an unhealthy 
or feeble stock has been restored to health by the imposition 
of a healthy graft. This fact is vouched for on the authority 
of the veteran fruit-grower and practical physiologist of Saw- 
bridgeworth, Mr. Thomas Rivers. Again, it has been stated 
that if two quince stocks of equal strength and vigour be 
grown under the same conditions, and on the one be placed 
a graft of some vigorous growing pear, and on the other a 
scion of some weak variety, the stock in the first case will 
grow much more quickly than in the second ; and, indeed, a 
quince stock on which a strong growing pear has been grafted 
may thus be made to produce within a given time a larger 
amount of wood than any ungrafted quince would do in the 
same time. Again, cases have been observed where from the 
stock below the graft fruits and flowers of the same appearance 
VOL. X. — NO. XXXIX. M 
