THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 14, 1857. 
228 
this subject I am almost inclined to think that Flora 
would carry the majority. Now, thero is no fighting with 
tastes either individually or collectively, but surely we 
may be permitted to reason with. them. It must be 
admitted that while Flora reigns in all her pride from 
May to October, and our splendid exhibitions are 
crowded with floral beauties and redolent of sweets, we 
are taken captive, as it were, with what may be termed 
dazzling beauty; but come the late autumn and dreary 
winter months, when our mass flowers look draggled and 
frost-bitten, and all thoughts are turned on wintering—a 
season of what may be called, perhaps, negative beauty— 
we very naturally turn our eyes to the fruit room, or to 
the late Grapes dangling triumphantly from the rafters of 
the vinery. From this period until April Pomona should 
certainly be allowed to show her importance. 
As to fruits as a national affair they certainly hold a 
tolerably important position, whether imported or of home 
production. It is with the latter, however, chiefly that 
our present business lies; and here I would respectfully 
ask why it is that such a supineness exists as measured 
by the advance in flowers? The fact is, we want some 
establishment in this country devoted to progress in 
the fruit way ; not merely how to preserve a Bibston 
Pippin from canker, but how to advance the character 
of fruits in general, both as to the raising of seedlings 
and the management of them as regards stocks. The 
latter will one day become a question for grave con¬ 
sideration, for it is indeed astonishing that we have 
plodded on with so little care in this matter for so many 
years. That many of our present stocks for grafting 
or budding are of very doubtful utility is confessed by 
most practical men; but how to remedy them is the 
question. It is evident that any real advance in this 
way must be the result of experiments, and that such 
to be conclusive must occupy considerable time; and 
herein, I suppose, lies the difficulty. It is tolerably 
plain that whilst the affair is left to private individuals 
the progress will be slow and uncertain. Surely an 
experimental fruit garden in connection with a Pomo- 
logical Society would not be too much to expect in 
these advancing times. 
I will here take a glance at the stocks of some of our 
fruits, and offer such opinions as may present them¬ 
selves. Let us begin with the Apple, which is, perhaps, 
better suited in the stock way than many other fruits. 
The Paradise has long been used both in this country 
and on the Continent for a dwarfing and early-bearing 
system; but it is plain that some of our choice Apples 
are not well pleased with this stock. But then the 
“wearing-out” question comes in view, and an idea 
may naturally rise in the mind that possibly some other 
stock or mode might be discovered to avert this evil. It 
is tolerably certain, judging from facts, that all the 
compost-yard contains will not reclaim some of our fine 
oM Apples; and if I be correct in this opinion their 
reclamation may not be sought for in composts, but 
rather in the mode of working and rearing the trees. 
Since it is found that the canker in Apples has the effect 
of accelerating bearing habits; that ringing, root pruning, 
and the use of delicate stocks have a similar tendency, 
it would appear that we should look for shoots with 
a somewhat contrary habit to avoid canker. I am 
decidedly of opinion that as much care should be 
exercised over the selection of pips for raising stocks 
as is used by our florists over some of their flowers. 
And what shall we say as to the selection of pip3 or 
Apple seeds for stocks, setting aside the idea of real 
Crabs or wildings for a moment? I am still of opinion 
that seedlings raised from our best bearing and con- 
stitutioned Apples would prove eminently serviceable in 
this respect; and here I would name such as the 
Kerry Pippin, the Keswiclc Codling, the Wellington or 
Dumelow, Boss's Nonpareil, King of the Pippins, &c., 
choosing them for their short-jointed, close spurring, 
and great bearing properties, as also for their sound 
constitution, and an avoidance of that roughness of 
bark which so much facilitates the devastations of the 
American blight. Now, it would be as easy to obtain 
stocks from these as by other means, and this I should 
call a step in the right direction. 
Let me now pass on to Pears. Here I would urge a 
similar course of proceeding. It is quite probable that 
seedlings from the old Swan's-egg or Moorfowl’s-egg, the 
Louis Bonne of Jersey, the Beurre d'Amanlis, and, 
above all, the Beurre de Capiaumont, and some others 
of similar habits, would possess desirable properties 
as stocks, and there would be another advantage in 
this course; it is not improbable that some very useful 
seedlings might be originated, independently of the idea 
of grafting or budding. 
Let us now examine the Apricot question. This 
appears more difficult on the face of it. The stocks 
used for this delicate fruit, whether the Muscle Plum or 
the “ commoner stock,” which, whatever it may be, was 
used some forty years since, are constantly suspected 
by practical men to be not particularly adapted to 
Apricots, but that something more might be done for 
them. And here I may be 2 3erm itted to name a 
favourite idea of mine long cherished, and which is 
that Apricot seeds or stones of wildings might be 
imported from their native climes, and might make 
excellent stocks. I really do not see any reason why 
such a plan might not be tried. The dying off of whole 
branches of the Apricot in this country we all are but too 
familiar with, and when once it commences it points to 
a premature breaking up of the constitution of the tree 
beyond all doubt. Now, this cannot be caused by the 
soil; the trees would not thrive so well whilst young if 
the soil did not agree with them. The evil must lay 
between the stock and the climate ; but if the latter, 
why so partial in its operation? why one branch die 
and another beside it be in the highest luxuriance ? 
These are puzzling affairs, and, whatever the cause be, 
there is room enough for jealousy as to the stocks. It 
would be a curious experiment to try what the Apricot 
would do on its own bottom or as a cutting. I daresay 
it has been tried, but I am not aware of having seen 
any record of it. I should like to try propagation from 
cuttings of the young growth, with the idea of coming 
as close to the seedling habit as possible. I should 
strongly suspect the cuttings from the old shoots of 
proving shy rooters. Indeed, I do not think the 
cultivation of fruit trees on their own bottoms or roots 
has ever yet had a fair trial. It is a pity but we could 
obtain the history of the origin and adoption of stocks 
by our ancestors; but I fear our oldest works on 
gardening can scarcely inform us. Perhaps old “John 
Rea, gentleman,” in his “ Flora, Ceres, and Pomona,” 
has something that would throw light on the matter, or 
even older works. I once had Rea’s work, but, being in 
my earlier teens, I thought it too old-fashioned, and 
sillily gave it away. 
In trying experiments with stocks a few maxims, 
according to my opinion, should be kept steadily in 
view, and which I here offer, but not as aphorisms 
of an infallible character. I am well aware that the 
hands of the operator should not be tethered, or if 
they are it should be simply by some packthread 
sort of material. In the first place I should say, 
the closer the affinity the better. For my part I can 
see no sound reason to go so far from home for a 
stock for the Cherry as the Mahaleb, or to put Apples 
on the Mountain Ash or the Thorn. Whatever 
may be said in a scientific point of view about the 
stock exercising little influence on the scion, I feel per¬ 
suaded that Nature does not prefer such extravagances 
unless it be in some of her mad frolics. To glance 
