The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1877-09-28
"CrafrtinE aud Its Effects"

In the common course of things the
grating of AN apple upon any other stock
will change in no very perceptible degree
any of the principal characteristics OF
the fruit grated, and yet we have in
mind many instances of grating the
| Baldwin into a mature tree of the variety
known as "Holten Sweet" which is an
exceedingly rich, sweet apple, and also
| into another stock where natural fruit
| characteristics was a poor, sour apple.
The result was that, when coming to
bearing, the fruit from the two trees
| would scarcely be recognized as being
the same variety of fruit, either in form,
color or external quality; for while the
former was an excellent, mild acid of
unusual richness, the latter was a hard,
harsh acid that was not agreeable to the
Taste. If the stock into which these
scions were introduced had no influence
upon their growth and productions, we
would like to be informed why the diver
sity in the character of the fruit pro-
duced. Another case of a different
nature: We had a strong, healthy tree
of natural fruit that would not mature
its fruit fully before it commenced to
decay, which would be upon the tree.
This was grated to Baldwins and al
though the branches grew vigorously,
and produced in due time an abundance
of fruit it would commence to decay
upon the trees before maturity, precisely
as the original fruit had done. If there
was no influence of the original stock
upon the growth and productions of the
inserted %scions, why was this fruit so
affected?
Other cases of a similar character
could be mentioned of variation in the
russell apple occasioned by being grated
upon sweet or sour stocks.
We have no doubt but that the eating
qualities Of apples may be considerably
modified by careful selection at the
time of grating.
If we wish to diminish the acidity of
any sour apple, we should graft into a
tree known to produce a sweet apple of
good quality, and in SO doing, should ex-
pect to secure the desired result and so,
too, vice versa. 1t is certain that the
same variety of apples appear very I'M
like as to size, color, shape and manner
of growth, which we attribute to the
influence of the stock upon which they
are grated. If it is not SO why is it the
case that the same variety of apple, from
the same nursery, apepars differently
upon different stocks? We have a case at
hand. Two trees of Tallman Sweet were
set from the nursery of l. G.. Yeomans,
Walworth, N. Y; one bears a good sized
fruit, possessing the average qualities of
that apple, while the other, although it
possesses outward marks, is very hard in
flesh, which is also filled with black spots
that render it unfit for use.
We believe that perfection in fruit
culture will yet necessitate a practice
that requires a knowledge OF the natural
characteristics of the stock upon which
scions are in~serted-.if such a thing is
possible, which we..feel confident it is to
a certain extent and until such time,
so long as scions are inserted in Seeding
stocks where fruit qualities are unknown,
we may expect variation in the same
varieties OF apples William III. Keomans,
in Practical Former.