Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-04
The Influence Of Stock upon Scion.

This is question very much misunder-
stood, even among fruit-growers. One of
them, Mr.. Farrant, of Newport, recently
produced rosebush upon which three roses
of different colors had been grated, and Of
fered the plant in full bloom as conclusive
evidence that the stock has no influence Oh
the scion.
Neitl err rose-bush with several varieties
of rose budded upon it, nor an apple tree
with several varieties of apple budded OF
grated upon it, is any novelty. Thes'
things have been done for more than two
thousand years.
A scion or bud inserted upon a stock OF
root will always come true to kind. The
whole art of budding and grating is founded
upon this fact If it were not fact, NJ
nurseryman or florist could guarantee, a,
every honest one is willing to do, that the
young plant he sells is true to name" A
red rose, a white rose and yellow rose,
all budded upon one stock, will each produce
flowers true to the color of the originals.
The same is true of a Baldwin, a Fameuse
and Red Astrachan apple. You may have
as many varieties of rose or apple upon the
same bush or tree as there are branches. No
one disputes this, as Mr.. Farrant seems to
suppose.
But while the general fact is as above
stated, nurserymen and orchardists and
florists have found, by experience, that the
Il, Al i
Of entire inditference-that in short, some
stocks are better than others, according to
the purpose for which the tree is designed.
Thus, it is found that certain stocks have
the property of producing dwarfed growth
from the bud or scion, which, with fruit
trees, adapts them to gardens. To effect
this, the common apple is grated upon a
small wild stock known as the Paradise ap-
pie, while the pear is grated upon the ounce.
Besides causing dwarfed growth, in most
cases these stocks cause early fruiting in the
graft. 1t is sometimes found that there is
even a choice between different dwarfing
stocks of the same species, and the Anglers
ounce is much preferred to any other, for
dwarfng the pear.
When these dwarfed trees came into gen.
eral cultivation, it was discovered that be-
sides dwarfing, the ounce stocks had an eff
feet upon the character of the fruit. They
did not change it TO some other kind but they
modified the quality aud size in some cases
making them better than when on their own
roots in other cases not so good. Conse-
quently in every work on pear culture we
have lists of varieties that do we'll on the
ounce" and vice uersd.
Budding and grating between different
trees and plants cannot be practiced inds.
criminately, but only between kinds nearly
related. Thus the pear the ounce, the
common apple, the Siberian crab, the thorn,
the mountain ash or 80 moose-missi and the
shadberry or June Plum all belong to the
same botanical family, and may be, with
more or less success, grated the one upon
the other, The pear, as we have said, grows
well upon the ounce, in many cases. II
also grows, with varying degrees of success
upon the apple, the thorn, the mountain ash
and the shadberry, but not so well that they
are used for stocks, except as a matter OF
curiosity or experiment.
So of the apple. 1t will grow upon the
pear and the thorn and the Siberian crab, but
with varying degrees of success. Most va
rieties of apple grow perfectly well upon the
Siberian stock, though some 0he Duchess
of Odenburgh or New Brunswicker is q
particular instance) cannot be grown sue
cessfully on the crab. We say they will
grow on the crab stock, and make handsom,
trees, but Gas with the pear on the ounce,
the apple on the Siberian stock varies, &c
that it may be said, some do well and som,
do not. So far as the quality OF the fruit II
concerned, the Peach apple, for instance
does remarkably well on the crab. An ap
pie Of strong natural peculiarties and vigor
Gus growth sometimes seems TO be able I,