ROLLERS. 



429 



ROOT PRUNING. 



through which water is introduced by aid 

 of a funnel, and through which it can be 

 discharged when it is thought fit to empty 

 and lighten it. Rollers are made on the 

 ballast principle for large lawns and field 

 work, to be drawn by horse power, which 

 will be found useful for large parks and 

 road making. In the smaller rollers of 

 this description the curved shafts by which 

 they are drawn are attached to the axle, 

 but in the larger ones the shafts are per- 

 fectly straight, and are attached to parallel 

 bars fixed to and connected with the axle 

 by a triangular framing, which affords the 

 bearings in which the axle revolves. With 

 Green's Patent Rollers a weight box is 

 supplied, which is placed on top of the 

 shafts immediately over the roller, and 

 which can be filled with stones, gravel, or 

 sand, acting in the same way as sand or 

 water-ballast within the roller. 



Rollers, Weights, Sizes, and 

 Prices of. 



The following is a synoptical table of 

 the dimensions, weights, and prices of 

 garden rollers as generally supplied. Prices 

 of various makers and dealers may differ in 

 some respects, but these will form a fair 

 guide to those who may wish for par- 

 ticulars on these points as far as a fair 

 average can be ascertained : 



From this table it will be seen that the 

 sizes of the water-ballast rollers are for the 

 most part intermediate to those of the 

 ordinary kind. The larger sizes of the 

 water-ballast rollers as given above may 

 be had fitted with shafts for pony at an 

 extra charge. 



Root Pruning. 



The pruning or cutting back of the roots 

 of trees is a never-failing remedy for over 

 luxuriance and reluctance to produce fruit ; 

 but the remedy is a severe one, and it may 

 be doubted if it should be lightly performed. 

 A less violent mode of treating the roots is 

 sometimes tried with advantage ; the soil is 

 removed from one entire side of the tree, 

 and the roots laid bare, and left exposed 

 during the summer to the effects of air and 

 light. This has the effect of diminishing 

 the vigour of the tree, and throws it into 

 bearing ; or, if it fails, the same treatment 

 pursued in the following spring will pro- 

 bably be effectual. Should it fail, recourse 

 must be had to root pruning. This is per- 

 formed by digging a trench round the tree, 

 so as to keep clear of all the roots, at the 

 same time laying them all open about 3 

 feet from the stem of the tree ; then with a 

 sharp axe, or chisel and mallet, cutting 

 through a portion of the strongest roots, 

 according to the requirements of the tree. 



