October 25, 1913 



HOETICULTUEE 



565 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDUCTEn BY 



i>ihr\^^ 



Questions bv our readers in line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially r«,fi^ed-i°d promptly answered 

 by Mr. Penson. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTUKE. 



Root Pruning. 



Root pruning automatically follows repotting fruit 

 trees if this phrase is permissible in our business. The 

 one should always precede the other because the trees 

 plunged in the open air feel the benefit of the cool or 

 frosty nights sooner than those growing under glass even 

 tliough they may be standing wide open right along. Not 

 all trees will need root pruning, only those that are not 

 cropping .'-atisfactorily or are making wood excessively. 

 This latter trait is mostly to be found in young trees 

 making their first or second year's growth. After this 

 time iias elapsed it is usually an easy matter to take the 

 rankness out of them by cropping heavy, providing a set 

 is obtained. Young trees planted last fall or winter in 

 new borders will generally grow wood that is not con- 

 ducive to producing the surest crop and a like state of 

 things would exist next fall if this is not rectified now. 

 Great strong wood is not the best to have in a tree for if 

 it has a fair percentage of flower buds it will be noticed 

 that they are very much harder to set here than on wood 

 with less strength, and after this stage has been passed 

 there is that other critical time — stoning — that has to be 

 gone through and if there is any trouble around the fruit 

 set on strong heavy wood will be the first to feel it. 

 AYood of moderate strength will always give the best 

 H'sults. 1 say moderate because one might think I was 

 in favor of a very weak growth. Yoti will notice this is 

 the wood that carries the most fiow^er buds — those 

 bunches of threes with two flower buds and a growth bud 

 in the center every time. This then is the object of root 

 pruning, to stop rank growth and produce wood that 

 will carry the best crops. 



Although the details of the work to follow will be for 

 trees growing under glass the system can be used on 

 trees growing in the open with the same beneficial re- 

 sults. Do not be afraid to root prune ; two great points 

 are essential for success, viz., do it at the right time and 

 do not allow the roots to become dry before the trees are 

 started into growth again. Have the soil in the border 

 in a workable state, i. e., not too wet nor the reverse; the 

 one is as bad as the other. This means that the date of 

 commencing operations must be figured out some little 

 time before hand and the border given a watering so that 

 it will have time to partly dry before a start is made. 

 Mark a semi-circle on the soil around the base of the 

 tree at a reasonable distance and dig down to the drain- 

 age, throwing the soil well out of the way. Any roots 

 tliat are encountered at this distance can be cut off 

 near the outside of the trench. Now loosen the soil 

 from the ball with a small digging fork, throwing it 

 out of the trench at tlie bottom. When 'once a trench 

 has been made around a tree the spade or shovel should 



not be used on the ball; do all this work with the fork 

 leaving the shovel to get it out of the way from the base. 

 When the ball has been reduced sufBciently to allow of 

 tunneling underneath it do one side at a time and then 

 replace the soil before the other side is attempted, other- 

 wise the ball will break. Real bad trees must be got 

 thoroughly underneath as there is a likelihood of strong 

 roots going straight down. To make this test complete 

 ])ush a few yellow leaves underneath the ball from the 

 first side done and dig on under the second side until the 

 leaves are recovered; in this way it is an impossibility 

 to miss any. Roots will now be visible in plenty and 

 also be cause of trouble if not looped up to the trunk of 

 the tree while the base is being filled in properly. Ranx 

 ijiis soil underneath just as firm as it will go and add 

 enough in the trench so that no roots can be laid in any- 

 ihing but a horizontal position. The actual pruning is 

 easy ; use a sharp knife and make an oblique cut upward. 

 The growth the tree has made must determine how much 

 to reduce them; let the strongest ones receive the most 

 attention. All broken ends should be cut clean as they 

 heal so much quicker. Be careful when replacing the 

 roots; do not bunch them up but rather spread them 

 over the largest amount of space possible and also re- 

 member they are found at varying depths, but try to get 

 tliem nearer the surface than the drainage. Great 

 amount of damage can be done by carelessly throwing- 

 tJie soil on the roots. It seems a simple thing but try 

 it out. Having several roots laid out ready to be covered 

 IJirnw the soil on the first any old way. then take the 

 second lot and gently spread on some fine soil, Avorking 

 the shovel from the ball to the end of the roots. In this 

 way the roots will be kept straight by the course the soil 

 is taking while in the former way the course of the soil 

 may be across them all and thrown quickly it will take 

 all the roots with it into a bunch. See that the trees 

 have a good soaking soon after the job is completed. 

 Lettuce 

 Plants growing in the cold frames- have made a quan- 

 tity of very soft growth during the last three weeks, the 

 weather here being exceptionally mild wijth plenty of 

 rains. While we all appreciate a quick fall growth of 

 these subjects there is such a thing as having too much 

 of a good thing, a fact that may be very noticeable should 

 the cold weather set in suddenly. Keep the plants as 

 cool as possible until frost does come which will make 

 them harder and in better shape to stand the cold. Cold 

 winds will do more damage than a cooler steady tem- 

 perattire. From now on whenever water is needed apply 

 it to the plants during the early morning so that they 

 have time to dry before night. Later plants coming 

 along in the vegetable house must not be coddled or 

 there will be trouble ahead. 



PHALAENOPSIS LUEDDEMANNIANA. 

 Our cover illustration this week shows a pretty speci- 

 men plant of this bright little stove orchid, a native of the 

 Philippine Islands and which should be included in every 

 collection of orchids. It flowers in February and March. 



The blooms are beautifully marked with cinnamon, ame- 

 thyst and yellow on a white ground, two to three inches 

 across and as shown in the picture, borne gracefully on 

 procumbent scapes. This species has been the parent of 

 a number of fine hybrids. The plant illustrated was grown, 

 and photographed by M. .1. Pope, Naugatuck, Conn. 



