156 THE PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING 



has a very secondary influence on the production 

 of watersprouts, however confidently he may have 

 asserted to the contrary; for if the plant is not 

 vigorous, and if the root force is not in excess of 

 the top, watersprouts cannot arise. To be sure, 

 watersprouts may follow the bending or twisting 

 of the top, but even in this case the equilibrium 

 of root and top is disturbed, as we shall find in 

 Sections 10 and 13. 



It is probable that the season of pruning exerts 

 some influence on the appearing of watersprouts. 

 After midsummer, watersprouts cannot arise, as a 

 rule, for growth has then ceased; and if the plant 

 is pruned at that epoch it may have opportunity 

 to re -adjust its energies before another year, and 

 thereby exert its redundant forces rather more in 

 the prolongation of existing growths than in the 

 establishing of new ones. I must admit that this 

 philosophy is difficult of proof (see Section 16), 

 but it is as good an hypothesis as I can for- 

 mulate to sustain what is a sound maxim of 

 practice, viz., that the operator should not allow 

 the fear of watersprouts to dictate the season of 

 pruning. In fact, watersprouts are a result of 

 pruning as weeds are of plowing, and the like- 

 lihood of the appearing of either is in propor- 

 tion to the preceding neglect. Subsequent prun- 

 ing is the remedy for watersprouts, as tillage is 

 for weeds. 



