203 
on the Grafting of Trees. 
either would grow with vigour, when those taken from the 
bearing branches would not. The following experiment will 
at least evince the probability of this in the pear-tree. I 
took cuttings from thb extremities of the bearing branches of 
sofne old ungrafted pear-trees, and others from scions which 
sprang out of the trunks near the ground, and inserted some of 
each on the same stocks. The former grew without thorns, as 
in the cultivated varieties, and produced blossoms the second 
year; whilst the latter assumed the appearance of stocks just 
raised from seeds, were covered with thorns, and have not yet 
produced any blossoms. 
The extremities of those branches, which produce seeds in 
every tree, probably shew the first indication of decay; and we 
frequently see (particularly in the oak) young branches pro- 
duced from the trunk, when the ends of the old ones have 
long been dead. The same tree when cropped will produce 
an almost eternal succession of. branches. The durability of 
the apple and pear, I have long suspected to be different in 
different varieties, but that none of either would vegetate 
with vigour much, if at all, beyond the life of the parent stock, 
provided that died from mere old age. I am confirmed in 
this opinion by the books you did me the honour to send me : 
of the apples mentioned and described by Parkinson, the 
names only remain, and those since applied to other kinds 
now also worn out ; but many of Evelyn's are still well 
known, particularly the red- streak. This apple, he informs us, 
was raised from seed by Lord Scudamore in the beginning 
of the last century.* We have many trees of it, but they ap- 
pear to have been in a state of decay during the last forty 
* Probably about the year 1634. 
Qq 
MDCCXCV. 
