36 TIIE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



and March ; but, unless the soil and weather are unfavourable, they 

 should be planted as soon as possible after the appearance of this. 

 "Whether planted in the autumn or spring, they should not be 

 pruned severely the same season. The holes in which the trees are 

 planted must not be too deep, but they should be large enough to 

 admit of all the roots being spread out regularly. Previous to 

 putting the trees in position, place a few inches of well-pulverized 

 soil, or°maiden loam, in the bottom of the hole, and also cover the 

 roots with it before filling in with the ordinary soil. Tread the soil 

 firmly as the filling-in goes on, but avoid the rather common but 

 bad practice of puddling the roots. 



Pkuning. — This part of the subject must now have attention, 

 but the reader will not be overburdened with details, for the fre- 

 quent stoppings of the young wood during the growing season, 

 which some writers recommend for pyramids and espaliers, are not 

 only unnecessary, but positively injurious. Severe stopping en- 

 courages the production of a mass of weakly wood which seldom 

 becomes well ripened, and most frequently a large portion has to 

 be removed at the winter pruning. To secure fine fruit, strong 

 wood that is as hard as whalebone must be produced; and the best 

 means for having well-ripened wood is to stop the youDg growth 

 once only during the growing season. In ordinary soils and situa- 

 tions, the early part of August is the best time_ for stopping, and 

 each shoot should be shortened back to within six or eight inches 

 of its base ; then, instead of a second growth being produced, the 

 lower buds will be matured, and eventually become fruit-spurs. 

 At the winter pruning, thin out the previous season's growth where 

 it has become too crowded, and shorten back the remaining shoots 

 two or three inches, according to their length ; but, at both summer 

 and winter pruning, due regard must be paid to preserving the sym- 

 metrical appearance of the trees. 



Root-pruning. — Trees that have been planted several years, 

 and have become too luxuriant to produce good crops, must be 

 checked by root-pruning. Those that have been planted three or 

 four years may have the whole of their roots trimmed at one opera- 

 tion ; but others that have been in the same position a longer period 

 should have one-half only pruned, and the remaining part the fol- 

 lowing season, or they will suffer severely. 



In some soils it is necessary to root-prune every second or 

 third vear, and in that case the trees will become so well furnished 

 with fibrous roots that all the roots can be trimmed at the same 

 time. First of all, describe a circle round the tree at a distance 

 ran^in" from twenty to thirty inches from the stem, according 

 to thelize of the tree. Then open out a trench outside the circle, 

 half, or all round, and chop off all the roots close to the side of the 

 trench, and work the spade well underneath the ball of soil to sever 

 all that strike down into the subsoil, as they are most frequently 

 the prime cause of unfruitfulness. Trees upon quince stocks will 

 not often require root-pruning, aud so long as those _ upon the pear 

 continue to produce good crops of well-flavoured fruit, they should 

 be left alcne. 



