1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
53 
trees of this variety usually liable to be broken off by 
wind at the juncture of the quince and pear. Of the 
Wilkinson, Manning remarks, “ If grafted on the 
quince, it is smaller, more prolific, higher flavored, and 
a brighter red cheek, than if grafted on the pear stock.” 
A remarkable change for the better was found by T. 
Rivers to take place in the Fortunes, which was “ a 
perfect crab ” from trees on the pear stock, but very 
melting and juicy, and a good pear on the quince. The 
Jargonelle and Passe Colmar were both found by this 
distinguished cultivator, to be greatly improved in qua¬ 
lity. No variety however, appears to be more at home 
on the quince than the Louise Bonne of Jersey, whe¬ 
ther in this country or in England. “ This,” says 
Rivers, 11 of all the pears I know, is most benefitted 
by working on the quince. My specimen tree, on a 
pear stock, now twelve years old, has scarcely borne 
a dozen good clear fruit, and some standards of nearly 
twenty years growth canker at the tips of their shoots, 
and their fruit is, in most seasons, spotted and mis¬ 
shapen. On the quince how different! I have trees 
from three to five years old; full of fruit, and these 
have hitherto every season been large, remarkably high 
colored, beautiful, and of the highest flavor.” Chee- 
ver Newhall, of Dorchester, Mass, states, that while 
the White Doyenne succeeds well at that place on 
quince, it is worthless on pear stock; the Madeleine 
is fine on its own roots, but cracks, and is astringent 
and worthless on the quince. The Golden Beurre of 
Bilboa, according to J. M. Ives, of Salem, succeeds 
well on a quince stock, growing {l large and beautiful.” 
Besides these varieties already named on the autho¬ 
rity of T. Rivers, as being improved on the quince, he 
gives the names of the following in his article on this 
subject in the Gardener’s Chronicle, from which the 
preceding remarks have been quoted:— 
Beurre d’ Amalis, 
“ Ananas, 
u de Capiaumont, 
Bonchretien, Williams’, 
Chaumontelle, 
Citron des Carmes, 
Colmar, 
Colmar d’Aremberg, 
Comte de Lamy, 
Crassane, 
Doyenne Gris, 
“ White, 
Duchesse d’Orleans, 
Forelle, or Trout Pear, 
Franc Real, Summer, 
Gratioli of Jersey, 
King Edwards’. 
In the same article, the following are given as not 
succeeding well on the quince; unless double w T orked, 
which is done by budding or grafting some freely grow¬ 
ing variety on the quince, and then re-grafting the 
ic refractory sort ” into the pear-shoot thus obtained. 
Bergamot, Autumn, 
“ Gansel’s, 
Beurre Bose, 
“ Ranz, 
Broom Park, 
Brougham, 
Crassane, Al thorp, 
Winter, 
Dunmore, 
Hacon’s Incomparable, 
Inconnue, Van Mons, 175. 
Jean de Witte, 
Marie Louise, 
Monarch. Knights’, 
Nelis, Winter, 
Ne plus Meuris, 
Saint Marc, 
Seckel, 
Suffolk Thorn, 
Thompson’s, 
Urbaniste. 
The object of this double working is to enable al^ 
these varieties to partake of the improvement wrought 
in their quality by working on quince. 
There are a few varieties, in which, we perceive 
le doctors disagree,” probably from a difference in cli¬ 
mate and other influences, and which would seem to 
indicate that a successful trial on quince in one country 
or region, may not certainly prove its fitness for another. 
For instance,—the Citron des Carmes (or Madeleine) 
is named in the first list, as among pears improved on 
the quince, although Cheever Newhall of Mass, found 
it u astringent and worthless ” when so treated.— 
Again,—Williams’ Bonchretien (or Bartlett) is named 
in the same favorable list; but in Manning’s Fruit 
Book, (p. 43,) this variety is cited as an example of 
pears which do not thrive well directly upon the quince. 
On the other hand the Winter Nelis is placed in the 
second or unfavorable list; M. P. Wilder however, re¬ 
marks that its growth is stronger on the quince to which 
it seems well adapted. The Beurre Bose is widely 
known to be of difficult growth on the quince; Rivers 
says it is “ exceedingly refractory,”—and that he 
doubts its success when double-worked. J. M. Ives of 
Salem, states, however, in the Horticulturist, that he 
has grown this pear directly on quince for many years, 
and that it grows luxuriantly, but bears poorly; but 
that when double-worked it does admirably. 
It is hardly necessary in this article, to remark that 
the common quince is of too slow growth for pear 
stocks; the variety known as the Portugal Quince,' or 
some other equally vigorous, being necessary. 
To insure safety from the borer, S. G. Perkins had 
his quince-rooted pears examined regularly twice a 
year, once early in summer, and once at mid-autumn; 
his gardener going over six or seven hundred trees in 
a day—a comparatively light task. 
Grafting. 
Since root-grafting has been so generally adopted for 
the propagation of the apple, a saving of valuable time 
is effected by performing the work within doors during 
the latter part of winter. It is hardly necessary here 
to repeat the directions so often given for this opera¬ 
tion, yet a few hints may be of use to some. After 
many years trial, we are satisfied that the application 
of small wax plasters, closely bound, is far more cer¬ 
tainly followed by success, than their omission, or the 
mere use of tow ligatures. In some seasons, the dif¬ 
ference may not be strikingly apparent; but in others, 
the losses from the neglect of the wax, will more than 
triple those with its use. Whip grafting, with tongues, 
being usually adopted, the tongues should be of suffi¬ 
cient size and thickness to interlock with firmness, re¬ 
quiring considerable force to separate them. Hence 
large roots, and thrifty, well ripened scions, are indis¬ 
pensable. From repeated observation, it also appears, 
that grafted roots succeed decidedly better in soils with 
a considerable portion of clay, or in strong loams, than 
in lighter soils, and especially those of a gravelly na¬ 
ture. Where portions of the root six inches long, or 
nearly the whole roet of a single tree are used, the 
growth is better or more certain than when cut into 
smaller parts. In packing them away in boxes, after 
having been grafted, wet saw-dust will be found most 
convenient, being much lighter and more portable than 
sand, and quite equal in other respects. 
Grafting the cherry can hardly be done too early. 
The writer has never succeeded better, (losing scarce¬ 
ly a graft in a hundred,) than when the work has been 
done while the snow yet remained on the ground, using 
a furnace or chafing dish to soften the wax. It is im¬ 
portant also that the plum be grafted before the 
swelling of the buds. 
In all kinds of grafting, it is very essential that the 
freshly cut faces of the graft and stock be brought into 
as close and perfect contact as possible, that the sap 
and juices may uninterruptedly pass from one to the 
other. Hence a'sharp knife, to make a smooth, clear 
face on each, becomes indispensable. In cleft-grafting, 
however, (a mode which has some advantages over all 
others,) as it has been usually performed, the rough, 
split surface of the stock comes in contact with the 
graft, and the union is imperfect. We notice in the 
last number of the Horticulturist, a description of a 
newly invented implement, called the Stock-Splitter, to 
obviate this difficulty. It makes a smooth, clear cut, 
through the bark and wood together, without splitting 
the surface, and besides being more expeditious, forms 
a more perfect fit between the two united parts. This 
implement is highly commended by the editor of the 
