CHAPTER VI. 



Right and Wrong Close Root-Pruning. 



I WISH particularly to call attention to the fact that the 

 chief object in close root-pruning is to concentrate all 

 the vital energy of the newly set tree on a limited root- 

 surface, and compel it to strike several strong, perpendicular 

 tap-roots, and while doing this, not to allow its attention to be 

 diverted to forming side or lateral roots at the same time. 

 By examining the accompanying illustration, Fig. i, it will be 

 seen that all seedling and transplanted trees should be cut 

 back close below the collar, and just under the first good side 

 roots, and not leave any length of the main or tap-root, with 

 side roots cut back, as in Fig. 2. Such trees will invariably 

 at once strike a great many lateral and surface roots also, 

 while the properly root-pruned tree will, the first season, con- 

 fine itself almost entirely to making strong, deep ones, with 

 perhaps less top, though the second year will always remedy 

 that. If the trees should be too large to root-prune with the 

 shears or knife, saw off the tops to fifteen or eighteen inches, 

 lay the tree on its side, and saw off all the roots squarely just 

 below the crown or collar. Trim the sawed edges with a 

 knife to make them callus more quickly. As stated else- 

 where, large trees can be treated thus, as six-year-old pear 

 and grape vines at Hitchcock are now fruiting, that have 

 renewed their strength like young trees, it being a general 

 law of nature that once a tree, especially an old one, is taken 

 from the ground, the old roots are an encumbrance, and its 

 former strength, vigor and health can only be renewed by 

 compelling it to re-establish itself, as before, on an entirely 

 new system. 



And now, in answer to many inquiries as to the size of 

 trees which may be successfully transplanted. If closely 

 root-pruned, there is scarcely any limit. While universal 



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