PRUNING. 29 



keep it in its place ; press the earth slightly round the tongue, 

 and, in filling in the soil, raise nearly upright the end of the 

 layer c, which remains above the surface of the ground. 



The descending sap, filled with organizable matter, is arrested 

 by this tongue, accumulates there, and the emission of roots 

 speedily takes place. Ringing, wounding, or twisting the limb, 

 answers the same purpose less perfectly, and indeed many trees 

 root readily from the mere position of the branches as layers, 

 and the moisture of the soil. 



A tree or plant which is kept for raising layers is called a 

 stool, and is headed down, both to facilitate the rooting of the 

 layers, and to afford an abundance of shoots near the earth. 

 Shoots of some of the fruit tree stocks in the English nurseries 

 are pegged down to the surface before growth commences in the 

 spring, covered about an inch deep with soil, and at the end of 

 autumn afford hundreds of plants ; almost every bud making 

 a separate root. 



Suckers are shoots sent up from the root, or from portions of 

 the stem below the surface of the soil, which are easily separated 

 from the parent plant. 



Suckers of fruit trees are frequently used as stocks for bud- 

 ding or grafting upon, but they are greatly inferiour to seedlings 

 for this purpose, as they are always more liable to produce 

 suckers, and they have not the thrifty vigorous habit, or the 

 same power of forming as good roots as seedlings. Beside this, 

 should the tree from which they are taken be diseased, they will 

 be likely to carry the malady with them. 



Propagating by suckers, is an easy and desirable way when 

 we wish to continue a seedling fruit of value on its own root, and 

 some of our common fruits appear to be more healthy and per- 

 manent when growing in that way. It is also the only mode in 

 use for increasing the Raspberry ; as is also that of runners, 

 which is a kind of sucker above ground, for the Strawberry. 



CHAPTER III. 



PRUNING. 



1. Pruning to promote growth or modify the form of fruit trees. 



In this country almost all fruit trees are grown as standards. 

 In this way they develop their natural forms, attain the largest 

 size, and produce the greatest quantity of fruit, with the least 

 possible care. Our bright and poxverful sun, reaching every 



3* 



