PRUNING. 307 



been adopted as a means of inducing their fmitfulness. The lowest 

 wood of pear-trees on walls is frequently bent or broken down as in 

 fig. 259, with good results, the buds at the base being developed into 

 fruit, and with less risk of their breaking into leaf in the autumn than 

 if they had been cut off at once. They are of course removed at the 

 winter pruning. 



Clipping is a species of pruning that was formerly much in 

 vogue when the antique style of gardening was general. Clipping is 

 now mostly confined to the dressing of hedges and box-edgings. 



Fig. 259. 



A pear-tree with the young shoots twisted, broken, and fastened down, to 

 cause them to produce blossom-buds. 



Root-pmning. As the nourishment of a plant is absorbed from the 

 soil by the roots, it is evident that the supply will be diminished by 

 partially cutting off its source. The operation may be performed so 

 as to effect a twofold result. Its immediate effect is to check the 

 luxuriance of wood shoots, and induce the formation of fruit-buds. If 

 judiciously performed, the operation will not be carried so far as to 

 reduce too much the vigour of the tree, and prevent the second result, 

 that of pushing a number of fibrous roots from those amputated ; for 

 in defect of these the health of the tree must decline under the load of, 

 in that case, imperfectly nourished fruit. With a view to the produc- 

 tion of a greater number of fibrous roots, old trees may be subjected 

 to a cautious root-pruning ; but it must not be performed on subjects 

 unable to bear the shock, or on those in which the power of throwing 

 out fresh roots is very weak. If, however, it is found that fresh roots 

 have been emitted from one amputation, others may be performed 

 as the roots resulting from each preceding operation come into action. 

 Some, again, root-prune their trees annually or biennially. This 

 operation should be performed with a sharp knife, and the cut be 

 clean and slanting outwards. A whole network of fibres then proceeds 

 from the wound, and no decay of the root takes place. 



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