68 
THE FLORAL "WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE, 
But what I wish particularly to point out is that in every in- 
stance the inner part of the applied surfaces where the union has 
not taken place, both of the scion and the stock, is in a more or less 
advanced state of decay. In no instance is this absent ; it is an 
inherent necessity in the very process of grafting that the seeds of 
decay be shut up along with it. In fact, one inevitable ingredient 
in the manufacture of grafts, concomitant, co-existent, and inse- 
parable from it, is the simultaneous manufacture of an ulcer in its 
heart. Exactly the same thing takes place in budding, although on 
a smaller scale — the larger the extent of the cut surfaces applied to 
each other, the greater being the extent of future decay ; and of 
course in budding this space is small in comparison with that in 
grafting ; and, of course, too, the smaller the amount of exposed 
surface or cut wood, the less will be the amount of ulcer or decay 
subsequently manifested in the heart of the branch. I was about to 
say that the smaller the amount of this surface, the greater would 
be the skill of the operator ; hut this would imply that the decay in 
the heart of the branch was injurious to the plant, and was, if pos- 
sible, to be avoided ; and I am not sure that we are to take this for 
granted. Of course, if we want a perfect tree complete of its kind, 
doing all its functions in the best manner for itself, and the general 
purpose it is to serve in organic nature, we must say that it would 
be better without the decay in the heart of the graft, and that that 
decay must be looked upon as a blemish. But tliat is not what we 
want in every case of grafting : in fruit-trees, we do not want a 
normal amount of fruit, we want an excessive amount; in rose-trees 
our demand for flowers is not limited to nature’s natural bounty ; 
like Oliver, we come back for more, not once, but many times. Isow 
it is well known that one of the surest means of inducing an 
excessive production of flo-wer and fruit, is to weaken the vitality 
of the plant. It is no uncommon thing to hear people say that a 
plant had killed itself by its excessive flourish tlie previous year, 
whereas it was not the flourish that killed it, but the plant, 
knowing that it was going to die, made a desperate efi’ort to pro- 
pagate its species before its life was extinct. Now, if the implanting 
of decay in the heart of a tree is injurious to the health of that 
tree, it may have the eflect of inducing something of this excessive 
efi’ort at propagation. I have heard it said that grafted trees always 
bear better than ungrafted ; but as to that we have plenty of prac- 
tical men who can speak with authorily. It is to be observed, too, 
that the decay of which I speak is limited in its extent and slow in 
its progress. It is shut up and almost hermetically sealed in by the 
deposits of wood which have taken place subsequently to the union 
of the graft ; and although I have called it an ulcer, it is only so in 
the sense of being a source of decay ; there is no active or malignant 
principle at work ; it is merely the gradual decay of a jjerishable 
body whicli is situated in the heart of the timber. 
It may be asked, too, whether this decay in the heart really does 
any damage other than weakening the branch or stem at the point 
where it exists ; for it cannot be disputed that to that extent at 
least it must be injurious. Is the heart of the stem of a tree of auy 
