PRUNING AND TRAINING PLANTS 63 



cause we want to reduce the number of flowers in order to 

 get larger flowers. Hybrid tea roses are cut back in the faU 

 to lessen their exposure to winds, but the main pruning is 

 given in the spring after the danger of heavy frost is past. 

 The climbing roses are pruned after their spring bloom, 

 which will allow new shoots to develop and store food 

 through the summer. There are some rambler types which 

 are such strong growers that the canes may be removed to 

 within a few inches of the soil. The other climbers should be 

 pruned less vigorously but the best roses grow on the wood 

 of the previous year. The older canes should be completely 

 removed in order to keep the whole top in a young vigorous 

 condition. In all cases of rose pruning the aim is to have the 

 plants out of balance in order to force vigorous shoot growth. 

 It must be kept clearly in mind that two problems face the 

 grower in pruning to improve the productiveness of plants. 

 First is the initiation of flower buds by a proper balance of 

 root and shoot (Chapter 14) , and by length of day (Chapter 

 12). Second is the growth from the supply of food for the 

 flowers or the fruit after the buds are initiated. Both are 

 practiced extensively by greenhouse men and are applicable 

 to most plants in the garden even though conditions are more 

 difficult to control than in the greenhouse. Food results in 

 growth and as more food is sent to an organ more growth 

 occurs. Our largest chrysanthemums are grown on well-fed 

 plants trained to a single stem and allowed to develop a 

 single flower. Fruits may be grown larger, if the same prin- 

 ciple is followed. Experimentally, a larger fruit can be grown 

 by ringing the stem just below the fruit. Ringing is the re- 

 moval of a ring of bark about a half inch wide, by carefully 

 cutting to the wood with a sharp knife. This prevents the 

 movement of food from the branch into the main part of the 

 plant. 



Pruning should always be done to leave a smooth surface, 

 cut close to the branch or trunk, and parallel to it. Wounds 



