352 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and do not bear •^ell, what is called root pruning, that of 

 cutting off a portion of the roots of the tree by which its 

 supply of nutriment is lessened, and the check given to the 

 expansion of leaves and the production of wood, that is 

 needed for the change of the leaves and woody growth into 

 flowers and fruit. 



The double transplanting is essentially but a sort of root 

 pruning, as in the way in which it is usually, even when 

 carefully and properly, done, many of tlie longer fibres of 

 the roots must necessarily be broken and lost. The plant 

 is thus checked in its supply of nutriment, and put into a 

 situation more favorable for the changes essential to fructi- 

 fication, which, in the cabbage tribe, such as I have men- 

 tioned, shows itself in the formation of heads, so called. 

 Such, also, is the case with lettuce. Now it does not seem 

 absolutely necessary that actual transplanting should be 

 performed. It may probably be done potentially, by grasp- 

 ing the stem, after the plant has got well to growing, sub- 

 sequently to its first transplantation, and drawing it up 

 gentry and firmly, till it is lifted almost out of the ground, 

 and then gently putting it back again, by relaxing the lift- 

 ing force, and pressing down the earth around the stem with 

 the foot. This way is said to be useful, also, in forwarding 

 the fruiting of tomatoes, and checking too much luxuriance 

 of growtli. Proljaldy the same effect might be produced by 

 a real root pruning, by forcing a spade or shovel deep into 

 the ground a little distance from the stem, so as to cut off 

 the lateral roots, performing the cutting on one or two 

 sides, or all around, as circumstances may seem to require- 

 My intention was to try these two methods this last sum- 

 mer, wlien I was diverted from it by the very unusual rapid- 

 ity of growth, and wislied, as before stated, to see what it 

 would come to. 



Tlie very results I obtained, seem, however, to fiivor the 

 doctrine. My scorched and starved i)lants all formed 

 heads, perfect, and in full proportion to their growth. My 



