APPENDIX. 
709 
stock. We allude to the fact repeatedly verified, that healthy 
young shoots taken from the roots of an old variety in apparent 
decline, produce trees which are vigorous and healthy. “ The 
decay,” says he, “ of the powers of life in the roots of seedling 
trees is exceeding slow comparatively with that in the branches. 
Scions (or shoots) obtained from the roots of pear trees two hum 
dred years old, afford grafts which grow with great vigour, and 
which are often covered with thorns like young seedling stocks; 
whilst other grafts taken at the same time from the extremities 
of the branches of such trees present a totally different charac- 
ter, and a very slow and unhealthy growth. I do not conceive 
that such shoots possess all the powers of a young seedling, 
but they certainly possess no inconsiderable portion of such 
powers.” 
This is nothing more, in fact, than going back to the roots, 
the portion of the tree least exhausted, for the renewal of the 
health of a variety when the branches of the tree have been ex- 
hausted by overbearing, &c. It is a simple and easy mode of 
increasing the vigour of a sort of delicate habit, to take scions 
from young root suckers for grafting anew. This can of course 
only be done with trees that grow on their own roots, or have 
not been grafted. And we suggest it, as worth the attention of 
those interested in gardening, to graft feeble sorts on pieces of 
roots, with a view to establishing them finally on their own roots, 
or to raise them from layers , a more simple mode of attaining 
the object. 
Mr. Knight’s idea, that old varieties first decay in the north, 
while they yet remain comparatively good in warmer and more 
southern districts, is by no means borne out by the existing facts 
in America. On the contrary, the decline here, as we have al- 
ready stated, is almost entirely along the sea-board, and to the 
southward. In the interior, and to the north, the same sorts 
are universally fair and excellent, except in cases where a dis- 
eased stock has been obtained from the sea-board, and has not 
recovered its health by removal. The whole middle and west- 
ern sections of the country abound, more or less, with the finest 
pears, of sorts that are in a state of decline on Long Island, in 
portions of New Jersey, or near Boston. But the influence of 
the soil, so far as our own observations extend, is, after a certain 
time, always the same. In this light soil the pear and the 
apple soon become feeble, because the sustenance afforded by 
it is, after a time, insufficient to keep the tree in a continual 
healthy, bearing state. The moisture afforded by it is not great 
enough to answer the demand made upon the leaves by our 
hot summer sun. Unless this is remedied by skilful culture, 
these fruits must more speedily fail in health in such districts, 
while in more favourable ones they will remain as sound and 
healthy as ever. 
