XIIL] JUDICIOUS PLANTING ROOT-PRUNING 131 



a strong stake to the tree, and let the stake be so fastened 

 that the stem cannot chafe itself against it. 



For the first coyple of years very little pruning will 

 be necessary, and nobody should use the knife until he has 

 learned something of the art. The most that inexperienced 

 people should attempt is to thin out in November any 

 weak spray wood, removing one of all branches that 

 cross each other, and keeping the heads of the trees open 

 in the centre. As a rule, no branch which it is evident 

 must eventually be taken away, should be allowed to 

 remain in a young tree, for every tree suffers materially 

 by the amputation of branches when they are large. 



When the trees have gro^vn sufficiently high, the top 

 shoots of the main branches may be pruned each year 

 or cut back to a strong side shoot. The experienced fruit- 

 grower aims at keeping his trees so open that he may be 

 able to put in his hat between any of the principal stems. 



When an established tree is found to be growing too 

 vigorously, making only wood, and showing no signs 

 of fruit spurs, it would be well to try root-pruning or 

 lifting. 



I like the plan of digging a trench round the tree the 

 previous year, 20 inches deep and 24 from the stem, 

 cutting away most of the great roots which merely 

 anchor the tree to the soil, and carefully preserving the 

 finer ones, by means of which the plant is chiefly 

 supplied with food. It may be found on examination 

 that there is a great tap root beneath, which ought 

 to be removed. Then fill in the trench with coarse 



