NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 49 



Root Pruning. A writer in The Garden gives the 

 following practical instructions as to how this operation 

 should be performed : " A tree from ten to fifteen years 

 old should have a trench cut half way round it at a distance of 

 five or six feet from the bole. The trench must be deep 

 enough to enable the operator to cut through all the roots ; 

 then take a fork and work well under the ball of earth T 

 cutting off all roots that have struck deep into the ground. 

 For the soil that has been thrown out, some from another part 

 of the garden should be substituted; the new soil will be better 

 for the tree than the old exhausted material. In applying 

 the new soil endeavour to get the roots nearer the surface 

 than they were before. The object in doing half the roots 

 only is to prevent the tree from receiving too great a shock 

 to the system. During the following season new fibres will 

 be formed where the roots were cut, and the other half of 

 the tree can be done the following season. When the work 

 is done in this way there is no danger of the tree being 

 blown over, nor will the crop of fruit be lost the first year 

 after the pruning. 



Transplanting" may with advantage be resorted to 

 under totally different circumstances. When young trees 

 exhibit a tendency to make too much wood and not many 

 fruit spurs ; or in the case of trees which have got their roots 

 into a cold ungenial sub-soil, and whose timber assumes a 

 weakly appearance, being cankered or decayed at the points. 

 By transplanting a too vigorous tree it will be thrown into 

 bearing, and by lifting the unhealthy tree and planting it on 

 the surface, health and vigour will be restored. In either 

 case, care must be taken to lift the tree carefully, injuring as 

 few of the fibrous roots as possible. The strong roots which 

 have been broken off must be pared with a clean cut. In 

 proportion as the roots have been destroyed while lifting, a 

 corresponding quantity of the branches must be removed. 

 When planting, spread the roots out carefully, and fill in with 

 fine, dry mould, pressing the soil round the stem gently but 

 firmly with the foot ; then drive a stout pointed stake firmly 

 into the ground, a few inches from the stem ; to this fasten the 

 tree with some soft material such as soft rope or native flax. 

 Some gardeners prefer three stakes driven in at equal distances 



