GENERAL PRACTICE PRUNING. TS9 



the means of widening a tree by cutting to an outside bud (on the right), or narrowing 

 it by cutting to a bud facing towards the centre of the tree (on the left), and the cut 

 at the top of the latter engraving shows it made correctly. Now glance at the figures 

 from left to right. The cut in the first, Z7j is made too high on the wrong side ; the 

 second ( V) is cut at the right place on an oblique shoot to continue the branch straight ; 

 the third ( W] shows an undesirable snag, which must be cut off at the oblique dotted 

 line ; the fourth (X) is a wrong cut because unnecessarily weakening the shoot, and 

 causing needless extent of wound ; and the fifth ( Y) represents the proper cut, which 

 shows the insertion of the knife behind the bud to be on a level with its base. 



This prevents a snag or enlargement above the bud, but some pruners cut off the 

 point of the slant, as represented in the dotted line, s ; others make the principal cut, 

 particularly in vines and other stout wood, from behind towards the bud, and with 

 another cut from it the two meet in the centre, as shown in t. This is to retain a full 

 depth of wood on a level with the bud, and ensure its breaking strongly. With the sap 

 concentrated upon it the growth may proceed in an upright or in a side direction, as 

 shown in the dotted lines, for it must be understood that the growth from a bud 

 corresponds to its formation in embryo. Therefore, bearing this in mind, also the 

 influence of cuts, growths may be induced to extend in the desired direction. 



Right and Wrong Practice. As has been previously stated (page 14), the roots of a 

 tree are part of the stem, the hidden counterparts of the visible branches, and one part 

 cannot be injured or manipulated without affecting the other. The object of the culti- 

 vator should be to effect a due balance of force in both. In digging up a tree, many of its 

 roots are lost (cut off by the spade or broken), and the balance for the time destroyed. 

 We ought to restore it as soon as we can, and as we cannot stretch out the broken 

 roots to the length of the branches or shoots, we should cut back these to correspond with 

 the roots. The broken roots on the left side of the young apple tree, in the first illustra- 

 tion (Fig. 35, page 160), were not pared smooth before planting, therefore did not heal, but 

 died ; nor were the branches on that side shortened. The mutilated roots could not supply 

 sap for an extension of growth : therefore blossom buds formed, and the following year 

 fruits set on the slender branches, and dragged them to the ground, ruining the tree in 

 its infancy. On the right side of the tree the broken ends of the roots were cut smooth 

 before planting, and the branches were cut back at the bars correspondingly, the 

 result being a free extension of both roots and branches, and a clean, healthy, promising 

 tree. 



