GENERAL PRACTICE. RAISING FRUIT TREES. 105 



detached and transplanted. The practice is useful in the case of scarce varieties thai 

 ii is desired to propagate expeditiously. 



Layers should in all cases be allowed to remain until well rooted. Autumn, or 

 as soon as the leaves fall, is a suitable time for layering ; by the autumn following the 

 layers will be well rooted, and can then be detached at the point shown by the bars, 

 for transplanting in nursery beds or permanent quarters. 



tiuckcrs. A sucker is a shoot or branch emanating either from the stem or 

 tho root beneath the surface of the soil. It usually emits roots of its own, but its 

 growth is made at the expense of the part of the tree above ground. The cause of 

 suckers, apart from a natural means of increase, is the old stems having contracted 

 vessels which prevent the sap flowing and returning freely ; the foliage, being conse- 



Fig. IS. LAYERING, ToxnuEiNQ, RINGING, NOTCHING. 



quently imperfect, falls a prey to insects or disease. Through the little growth in the 

 part above ground, and the roots taking up a large quantity of sap, tubercles are 

 formed on them, and adventitious buds, which push growth strongly. Owing to the 

 upright growth and larger sap-channels of the sucker, it attains great vigour ; as it 

 gains strength the old tree, losing more and more its support, becomes stunted and 

 unprofitable. Suckers, therefore, are robbers, and except for purposes of increase 

 should not be encouraged. Even in the case of the American blackberry and raspberry 

 no more suckers should be retained than are necessary for increase or furnishing bearing 

 growths, all others being repressed, so as to throw as much support as possible into the 

 fruiting parts and to secure strong growths for next year's bearing. 



If a sucker is cut off, the sap still flows in the part below, latent buds are stimulated, 



VOL. I. f 



