Ontario Fruit Explorers

["Thomas Olenio" <tolenio@sentex.net>]

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 18:46:11 -0500, joe calico <jcalico@sympatico.ca>  
wrote:

>  Who ever heard of grafting plums onto apple rootstock?

Hi,

The author was Pliny the Elder and it comes from his encyclopedia "The  
History of the World" which documented knowledge of the time.  Hed died in  
Pompeii, his curiosity getting the better of him.  While others fled from  
the area, he travelled towards it.

Pliny also wrote; "But there is a peculiar braverie and a shamelesse,  
which those Plums have by themselves that are graffed in Nut-tree stocks;  
they retaine the face and forme still of the mother graffe, but they get  
the tast of the stocke wherein they are set, as it were by way of  
adoption: of them both they carrie the name, and are called Nut-plums."

In know that "compatabiltiy" is the issue.  The same issue that dwarfs  
apple trees.  I also know my great grandmother grafted pear onto apple,  
and it survived many years.  She was the wonder of the neighborhood.  The  
graft broke off during the hurricane of 1938 I believe.

Regarding Pliny...  Maybe something is lost in translation, but as  
translated it sounds pretty matter of fact, how they accomplished it, or  
if they were "nut" stocks as we understand them I do not know.

During Pliny's time "nut-stocks" may have been common knowledge and not a  
nut at all.  However, it makes a person wonder.

I have written in the past about Cato who gives detailed instructions for  
grafting, and he is specific about wrapping the graft in Greek Willow.   
Willow is now known to contain hormones that inspire callousing, and  
rooting.

They had no research centers then, just trial and error, and observation.

Later,
Tom


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