314 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



killing must always be one of the gravest risks 

 which the fruit-grower assumes when he undertakes 

 the business. 



Winter -in jury to the trees or plants themselves 

 usually appears in the form of splits or long checks 

 in the trunks, or in the outright death of the ends 

 of the branches, or even of the entire plant. For 

 the splits lengthwise the trunk, the proper treatment 

 is to pare off the dead and loosened bark to the 

 "quick" just as soon as the bark begins to spread, 

 and to cover the surface of the wound (and the 

 cleft) with Bordeaux mixture or paint.* 



The proper treatment for frozen -back trees must 

 be determined for each particular case; but it should 

 be borne in mind that the injured portion is no 

 longer of any use to the plant, whilst it may be a 

 positive detriment by accelerating the evaporation of 

 moisture. The best treatment for plants seriously 

 injured upon the extremities is to cut them back 

 very heavily. This severe heading -in sometimes to 

 the extent of three or four feet removes the driest 

 and weakest portions, and concentrates the energy 

 of the tree into a comparatively small area of top. 

 Heavy pruning always tends towards the production 

 of wood, and this wood production is probably never 

 more needed than in winter -injured trees, for it tends 

 to renew the vitality of the tree. The philosophy 

 of this becomes apparent upon a moment's reflec- 

 tion. The browned and injured wood can never re- 



*The general subject of treating and repairing injured trews is fully dis- 

 cussed, with illustrations, in "The Pruning-Rook." 



