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of the system recommended in this treatise, wlxich, being tlie one pointed 

 out by nature herself, must necessarily be the true one. 



Let us hear what the sagacious and experienced Miller says, as to 

 the propriety of retrenching the roots and branches of young woody 

 plants, 83 is recommended by the present method. " First (says he) as 

 to the roots. All the small fibres are to be cut off, as near to the place 

 from whence they are produced as may be, excepiing such trees as are 

 to be replanted immediately after they are taken up ; otherwise, the 

 air will turn all the small roots and fibres black, which if permitted to 

 remain on, when the tree is planted, will grow mouldy and decay. * * 



" After having displaced the proper branches, you should also cut off 

 all such parts of branches, as have by accident been broken or wounded; 

 for these will remain a disagreeable sight, and often occasion disease 

 in the tree. But you should by no means cut off the main leading 

 shoots, as is by too many practised ; for those are necessary to attract 

 the sap from the root, and thereby promote the growth of the tree : for, 

 from several experiments which I made in the winter of 1729, by 

 cutting oft' the branches of several sorts of trees, and putting them 

 into phials filled with water, whose tops were closely covered, to pre- 

 vent the evaporating of the water, I found that those shoots, whose 

 leading buds were preserved, did attract the moisture in much greater 

 quantity, than those shoots, whose tops were cut off". * * 



"But being willing to try this experiment again, in the month of 

 October, 1733, I made choice of two standard almond trees, of equal 

 strength and age. These I took up as carefully as possible ; and having 

 prepared their roots, as before directed, I pruned their heads in the fol- 

 lowing manner, viz. ; from one of them I cut off" only the small branches, 

 and such as were bruised or broken, but preserved all the strong ones 

 entire : of the other / shortened all the strong branches, and pruned off 

 the weak and broken shoots, as is the common practice. These two trees 

 I planted in the same soil, and in the same situation, gave them both equal 

 attendance, and managed them both as nearly alike as possible ; yet in the 

 spring, when these trees began to shoot, that whose branches were entirely 

 preserved, came out early, continued to shoot stronger, and is at present 

 much larger, and in better health than the other. And, since this, I 

 have made several other experiments of the like nature, which have 

 constantly succeeded in the same manner : from whence it is reasonable 

 to conclude, that the shortening of the branches is a great injury to 

 all new-planted trees ; but especially to cherries and horse-chestnuts, 

 which are frequently killed by shortening their large branches, when 

 they are removed." — Gardener's and Botanist's Diet, in voc. "Planting." 



