PRUNING AND TRAINING. 141 



ered. If the limbs come close to the ground, they operate 

 as a mulch, keeping the soil loose and moist. Trimming 

 should always be carefully done, the branch being smoothly 

 cut, without leaving a stub to die and produce decay, and 

 prevent the healing over. More than this, whenever a 

 branch over one-fourth of an inch in diameter is pruned 

 off, the wound made should be covered with wax the same 

 hour, or day at least, as previously suggested. 



Root-pruning, Unfortunately for the writer, he knows 

 only enough about law to keep out of cases of litigation ; 

 and only enough a*bout root-pruning to advise pomologists 

 to let Nature take care of the growth of the roots. Few 

 persons, probably, have investigated the subject of root- 

 pruning more thoroughly than we, having from boyhood 

 been on the watch for a single instance or experiment in 

 root-pruning which afforded even a shadow of an argu- 

 ment in favor of the practice. We have read many recom- 

 mendations of root-pruning, and have conversed with many 

 cultivators who were advocates of the practice. But when 

 we have summed up the whole matter, by inquiring for 

 the evidence, aside from an assumption an ipse dixit the 

 whole conclusion and evidence were resolved into this: "I 

 can not prove, positively, that root-pruning was beneficial ; 

 but I am satisfied that the practice is advantageous." We 

 are not left in any such uncertainty with regard to the ad- 

 vantages of top-pruning. We have frequently read direc- 

 tions for severing such and such roots, which it would be 

 easy to show should not be pruned at all ; and, if severed, 

 the tree must sustain a severe injury. The truth on this 

 subject is, that the instances in which an apple-tree needs 

 root-pruning are like angel's visits. 



The operation of root-pruning is usually performed about 

 as skillfully as top-pruning would be, were the branches 

 thinned out by shooting repeated charges of large " grape- 



