TRAINING. 61 



himself which is the most appropriate, not only for every 

 species, but even for each particular variety of fruit-tree. 

 By attentive observation and rational experiment, more 

 knowledge in this department may be attained in a few 

 years than by a whole life spent in routine practice. 



As supplementary to the preceding remarks on training, 

 some of the expedients for inducing a state of fruitfulness 

 in trees may be mentioned. Of these, the most common is 

 root-pruning, or the cutting back of the roots to within 

 three or four feet of the stem ; an operation which is gene- 

 rally found efficacious when barrenness proceeds from over- 

 luxuriance and too copious a supply of sap. Another is, 

 the lifting up of the roots carefully, spreading them out on 

 the surface, and covering them with a layer of fresh soil, 

 forming' a slight mound, at the same time all naked or fibre- 

 less roots being cut out. To attain the same end, recourse 

 is sometimes had to ringing the branches or stem, that is, 

 removing a narrow portion of the bark, so as to produce 

 the appearance of an annular incision. The trees, it is said, 

 are thereby not only rendered productive, but the quality of the 

 fruit is at the same time apparently improved. The advan- 

 tage is considered as depending on the obstruction given to 

 the descent of the sap, and it being thus more copiously 

 afforded, in its elaborated state, for the supply of the buds. 

 The ring should therefore be made in spring, and of such a 

 width that the bark may remain separated for the season. 

 It ought to be observed, however, that none of the stoned 

 fruit-trees are benefitted by ringing. Analogous to this 

 practice is decortication, or the removing of the old cracked 

 bark from the stems of apple and pear-trees, a practice 

 warmly recommended by the late Mr. Lyon of Edinburgh, 

 and some other cultivators, but which has never been 

 extensively adopted. Sometimes barrenness proceeds from 



