342 EOOT-PRUNING. 



more fully. For the same reason it prevents late 

 growth, which so often leads to frozen-sap blight. 

 Thus it may be said to render the tree more hardy, 

 and it is probable that in the more northern parts 

 of this country and the Canadas this would insure 

 them many fruits which do not now succeed. 



The operation should be performed with some 

 regard to the variety of the fruit, and the present 

 vigor of the tree. If it is just furnishing itself 

 with blossom-buds, one pruning may prove suffi- 

 cient, as all that is required is to induce the habit 

 of fruitfulness. A tree of great vigor would be 

 injured if pruned so severely as the former, and 

 must be operated upon gradually, or by cutting 

 only a part of the circumference of the ball of roots 

 annually. E-oot-pruning, as productive of fertility, 

 was originally suggested by the fact that mutilation 

 of plants is often followed by prematurity. This 

 can be observed upon those trees which have been 

 girdled or severely injured in the stem, or whose 

 roots have become bared. The practical application 

 of this principle in gardening was made about the 

 first of the present century, and fruit growers are 

 largely indebted to Mr. Thos. Rivers, of Sawbridge- 

 wortli, England, for his demonstration of its advan- 

 tages as applied to the different fruits. He thought 

 it particularly adapted to those persons who had 

 small tracts of land, and wished to realize the great- 

 est returns ; although the practice was by no means 



