426 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
the land. As they pass you get a vivid illustration of what Wemarrj^ a gentle scion to the wildest stock; 
budding and grafting does for them. To the great see^Uing This is an art which does mend nature. 
world this introduction of bud or graft from improved varie¬ 
ties reminds us of a grander truth spread abroad on heathen, The‘ nurseryman is ever impressed with the wonderful 
or uncmlized man: “The ingrafted word, which is able to growing effect produced by the introduction of this bud or 
save your soul.” St. James, who uses this expression, must graft of improved type. Left alone, or as it appears in the 
have been a good grafter and well acquainted with the art of nursery row, the young seedling is often, or nearly always 
converting seedlings from their natural wildness and the as full of little or great ailments as human life. The baby 
error of their way 
to perfect fruit 
trees. St. Paul was 
another up-to-date 
graf ter . In his 
epistle to the Ro¬ 
mans, he shows his 
perfect knowledge 
of the art when he 
makes reference to 
grafting the wild 
olive into^the good, 
which he says, was 
“Contrary to na¬ 
ture.” He also 
knew his hearers, 
or rather the read¬ 
ers of his instruc¬ 
tions, would appre¬ 
ciate so familiar an 
illustration. 
Let me now call 
your attention to 
the inserted bud or 
graft in its develop¬ 
ment to a tree'. 
The first operation 
is to cut off the 
seedling growth 
close to the bud, 
then the inserted 
bud is forced into 
growth, and with it 
many adventitious 
buds that lie unseen 
in the seedling 
stock. These 
sprouts require to 
be removed and 
kept under till the 
desirable bud has 
got a complete hold of the situation and is able to take 
care of all the root power. Here again we have a remark¬ 
able illustration of the struggle that goes on in the lives of 
those who make up their minds to turn over a new leaf; 
making the decision to reform is easy, but it takes careful 
watching to repress all the old habits that lie in the stock. 
They require careful rubbing off, or the good is drowned out 
and the whole goes to the brush pile. Of grafting Shakspere 
says: 
NORWAY MAPLES RUNNING FROM IK to IK" CALIPER. 
Note the root system at Maple Farm of Union Nurseries, Oudenbosch, Holland. 
leaf-growth is es¬ 
pecially tender and 
liable to rust, mil¬ 
dew, insect attack 
and a host of evils, 
but once over the 
baby stage, there is 
a change of foliage 
in nearly all trees: 
a putting away of 
childish things. 
With age, the tree 
perfects its foliage 
and probably the 
leaves adapt them- 
selves to greater 
effort for promoting 
growth and perfect¬ 
ing fruit. No doubt 
all of you have 
noted this leaf 
change. In the 
pecan it is specially 
marked. The leaf 
of the bearing pe¬ 
can stands out in 
m.arked contrast to 
the undeveloped 
seedling. Here the 
nurseryman in his 
art of grafting 
gains a march on 
creation by taking 
branches from trees 
of fully developed 
foliage and fruit 
and uniting them 
with strong, thrifty 
seedling stocks of 
double value. Prac¬ 
tically he places an 
old head on young shoulders. At short notice he has 
converted the worthless weedy element into a tree of 
known and certain value. 
What is true of one tree is a fair guide to others. Per¬ 
sonally I come from the great adopted land of the pecan, 
and will for a few minutes direct your attention to its prop¬ 
agation from seed. There is not a doubt but that we 
obtained our present superior nuts without effort on our part. 
We have no great government agent or scientist cris-crossing 
