138 THE PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING 



must be done frequently, and only a moderate pro- 

 portion of the leafage removed at one time, for 

 if heavy trimming is indulged, it will cause a 

 fresh, strong growth which splits open the partly 

 developed fruits, exposing the interior or seed 

 cells of the fruit and rendering it unfit for 

 sale. Our practice is to remove the outer end 

 of the leaf and afterwards take off a joint 

 at a time as the leaves on the inner part increase 

 in size under the trimming, as the first two leaf- 

 lets on the leaf stalk eventually attain almost as 

 large size as the entire leaf under ordinary treat- 

 ment. The gardener tells me that the splitting of 

 the fruits would also result from stopping the 

 ends of the shoots while the plants are still in 

 growth. Of course, the fresh shoots coming up 

 from the roots would tend to overcome this vigor- 

 ous growth of the plants and consequent splitting." 



2. Heavy pruning of the root tends to lessen 

 the production of wood. 



The food supply is cut off. Root -pruning is to 

 be compared to poor feeding. The reader knows 

 that he prunes the tops of transplanted plants 

 because the roots have been cut, and he must 

 thereby reduce the area to be supported. Root- 

 pruning is practicable chiefly in the growing of 

 specimen plants, or in small amateur plantations, 

 particularly when trees are trained on walls, cor- 

 dons, and the like. (Consult Chapter V.) 



