There is no need to apologize for using a secular subject to teach sacred lessons, for our Lord adopted the method again and again, and even used the fruit trees, for the purpose. Both the common fruits of Palestine, the vine and fig tree were used, and, if apples were grown then as commonly as they are here. I think it is most probable He would have used them also. And I sincerely trust that our little talk tonight will be both interesting and helpful to us all. And if, I fail to make my points clear to you both from the natural, and[3] the spiritual standpoint. I hope you will not hesitate to ask for further explanation.
Now the first point I want to raise is the need of grafting. And the question is sometimes asked “why is grafting necessary?” Let me say straight away. Apples can be grown from seed and it is the only method by which new varieties are raised. But not more than one in a thousand would be equal to those already in general use, and so it would not be a profitable method to adopt. It would take longer to produce a tree of fruiting size, and it would be very uncertain, what kind of fruit he would obtain. The most choice kinds do not reproduce themselves and so, grafting is adopted because we always know what kind of apple we shall get and again by a wise choice of the kind of stock that is used, we can decide to a very great extent what kind of tree we shall get.. Whether it will produce a large orchard tree or a small garden tree that can be trained as a cordon, with just a straight main stem with fruiting spurs, all close to the main stem. Now for our purpose tonight I shall speak of that kind of stock as a dwarfing stock, and that for a large orchard tree as a free stock, but one thing remains the same, whatever kind of tree is desired, the grafting remains the same, and there is no other means of producing apples of a special variety but by grafting, and our Lord Jesus once said, Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so, (and I would like to write that little word in flaming letters) so that we shall never forget it, SO, shall ye be my disciples[4]. Now just one word about the stocks that we should use. Those that are used most are just, little ones, grown from seed and are, about the size of an ordinary walking stick or even smaller, and these are cut down quite near to the ground, in a slanting way, and a piece of good apple tree of a choice and desirable variety is cut in the same way, and they are then placed together, and firmly tied together so that the using sap (sic) from the stock is taken up by the graft, and is kept alive thereby and then the whole cut is covered by grafting wax to exclude all air.. and very soon it will be seen that the graft is growing away almost as fast as it would have done on the tree from which it was taken. Now I want to say, that in the same gospel of John that we read our Lord’s words about fruit bearing we also hear His words to Nicodemus.. Ye must be born again[5]. Now that is exactly what has happened to the stock. It commenced life as a seedling crabapple, and nothing on earth but grafting could cause it to produce anything but crabapples, as sour as sour and good for nothing, but by boiling & boiling and the addition of lots of sugar to make a crabapple jelly of them but now, all is changed, and apples of tiptop quality are seen upon its branches, and not only so are gathered, and eaten, and enjoyed by hungry fruit loving boys and girls. Now let me call your attention to a verse of Scripture in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians 1. 21. For me to live is Christ. I think if that crabapple stock could speak it would say. For me to live is a Cox’s Orange Pippin, but you say, nonsense you are only an old crabapple.. and he would reply.. I was once I know, but, I was cut down, and, now I am crucified and I live, yet not I, but a nice juicy, well flavored apple lives in me and this is the meaning, of the new birth. The nature of the crab is still there but it is not allowed to assert itself. At the first sign of life the careful gardener uses the knife, and all the old crab nature is cut completely away and not allowed to grow and then the gardener uses the knife for another purpose. The new graft is not allowed to go its own sweet way.. but is trained according to the purpose the gardener has in view, and, now what is the purpose. It may be a bush tree, and be kept dwarf, and, very soon the main central stem is cut back to within a few inches of the ground, and it will break and throw up a number of branches, and these are chosen[6] for shape and others cut back quite near to their base to produce fruit spurs, and then the next year the resultant growth is pruned to an eye pointing outwards, and all in growing branches are removed, for these cannot bear good fruit. Neither can self-centered Christians bear good fruit. Then sometimes a tree will throw up very strong, strong growth on one side only.. and these must be cut back to give the tree balance. Much harm is done to the church by unbalanced Christians. And then we also see some trees fail to crop because of the lack of pollen from other varieties we need one another for fellowship.
[1] Presumably Kings Own
Bible Class. This was a Bible class for boys, not unlike Crusaders but
preferred by Lloyd because it took any class of boy – rather than just the
grammar school boys to whom Crusaders was limited
[2] Lloyd was a gardener
and planted an orchard in Witley for his employer RTT Waring, director of JB
Jeffries and Sons Limited, Coal Merchants which still survives in the grounds
of a prep school
[3] or is inserted above the and
[4] John 15:8
[5] John 3:7
[6] This word is not clear