216 



A FEW NOTES ON ROOT-PRUNING. 



they should receive attention even now. One 

 is the Overcup Oak, of the western states, 

 with fine large foliage and immense acorns ; 

 and the other, the Willow Oak, of New-Jer- 

 sey and the states south of it, with very nar- 

 row and distinct foliage. Trees of these may 

 be had in many nurseries, and are worthy of 



a conspicuous place in the landscape gar- 

 den. 



I intended to say something about ever- 

 green trees of merit ; but fearing to be deemed 

 tedious, I leave it for another letter. 



An Arboriculturist. 



Keic- York, October, 1850. 



A FEW NOTES ON ROOT-PRUNING. 



BY JAMES STEWART, MEMPHIS, TENN. 



I SAW in one of your numbers an article on 

 root-pruning, from the pen of Mr. Erring- 

 ton ; and as little has appeared from your 

 correspondents, I judge the importance of it 

 is still little known. You have many talented 

 writers on bark-binding, bark-bursting, gum- 

 ing, diseases of the leaf, fire-blight, &c. But 

 as I think many of these writers have not 

 gone to the root of the matter, I beg you to 

 allow me to make a few remarks, bearing on 

 all those diseases. At the same time, I will 

 endeavor to explain the system I practice, 

 and give its results. 



The roots, and the soil in which they are 

 in — the one to take up the food — the other to 

 contain it — these are the most important 

 points ; and accordingly, the tree flourishes in 

 health, or is corrupted by disease in all its 

 forms. I will remark, in the onset, that it is 

 the lot of some persons to have to do with an 

 excellent deep soil, calculated to grow any- 

 thing their climate will produce. These have 

 their pears, apples, plums, cherries, &c., all 

 growing most luxuriantly. They have pro- 

 bably been planted long enough to yield fruit, 

 but never before done so. The trees are in 

 good health, are pruned every year, yet there 

 are no signs of fruit. It is wholly because 

 they have entirely given way to luxuriant 

 growth. This must be checked, to bring 

 them into a fruitful condition by root-pruning. 



You may ring them, or apply a host of other 

 above- grotLnd remedies ; but you still have 

 the same source of over-luxuriance at the root. 

 Mr. E.'s system of pruning with the knife is 

 good, but I fear calculated to involve too 

 much labor and trouble. Thinking we need 

 something here more easily accomplished, I 

 have adopted the following plan : 



I take a spade and axe, and dig round the 

 tree to the distance of from one to two feet from 

 the main mass of roots, and cut away every 

 root I meet, leaving only the fibres that are 

 within that circle, if any. Close the trench, 

 and proceed till you get over them all. At 

 such a time, it is best to cut away, or shorten- 

 back, the superabundant top, leaving the tree 

 light and well shaped. 



In a second instance, the fruit-grower may 

 be obliged to leave his tree on a low, and, of 

 course, damp situation. His trees grow well, 

 for a few years, but lately they have spots 

 and diseases in the leaf ; yellow-pointed, thick 

 and watery shoots. The diseased parts are, 

 perhaps, cut away, but yet the remainder keep 

 getting worse. The roots, in this case, have 

 got into, and are feeding on the stagnant 

 gases of a sour, uncultivated soil, which has, 

 possibly, never been broken up, in order that 

 the air might pulverise, purify and sweeten it. 

 Here, trench round the tree to the depth of 

 two feet, (beginning as close as you can to the 



