Book V. OPERATIONS WITH PLANTS. 513 



3157. SpVating is an operation generally performed on roots of trees remaining in the 

 soil for the purpose of facilitating their eradication. The wedge, in its simplest form, 

 and of iron, is driven in by a hammer or mallet, till it produces fracture and separation, 

 when the parts are removed as detached, &c. 



3158. Pruning, or the amputation of part of a plant with the knife, or other instru- 

 ment, is practised for various purposes, but chiefly on trees, and more especially on those 

 of the fruit-bearing kinds. Of two adjoining and equal-sized branches of the same tree, 

 if the one be cut off, that remaining will profit by the sap which would have nourished 

 the other, and both the leaves and the fruits which it may produce will exceed their 

 natural size. If part of a branch be cut off which would have carried a number of fruits, 

 those which remain will set, or fix, better, and become larger. On the observation of 

 these facts is founded the whole theory of pruning ; which, though, like many other 

 practices of culture, it cannot be said to exist very obviously in riature, is yet' the most 

 essential of all operations for the culture of fruit produced oft trtes.' ' ' ' ^' ' '. | 



3159. The objects of pruning ma.y he reduced to the following: promoting growth arid bulk lessening 

 bulk ; modifying form ; adjusting the stem and branches to the roots ; renewal of decayed plants or trees ; 

 and removal or cure of diseases. 



3160. Pruning for promoting the growth and bulk of a tree is the simplest object of pruning-, and is that 

 species which is chiefly employed bv nursery-men with young trees of every description. - The? att is to cut 

 off all the weak lateral shoots, that the portion of sap destined for their nourishment may be thrown into 

 the strong ones. In some cases, besides cutting ofFthe weak shoots, the strong ones are shortened, in order 

 to produce three or four sboots instead of orfte. In general, mere bulk being the object, upr^t shoots are 

 encouraged rather than lateral ones ; except in the case of trees trained on walls, wh^i^jboots are 

 encouraged at all angles, from the horizontal to the peri)endicular, but more especially at tB^ojiedium 

 of 4) degrees. In old trees,' this objedtis grieatly promoted by the removal, with the proper instliBments, 

 of the dead outer bark. ^ - " ' ^S^^ 



3161. Pruning for lessening the bulk ofiftetfee is also chiefly confined to nursery practice; as ne<S&ry 

 to keep i^feold trees portable. It consists in little more than wjiat is technically called heading domi ; 

 that is, cutting off tfre leading glioots within an insh or two oftheraain stegjjjeaving, iij some oases, *me 



of the low^ lateral shoots. Cai^is taken to cut tok^p^afbud, and to choo; _ 



upper, or ut^der buds of the shoot, , as the succeeding'^year's shoots may be wanted, in radiatedTin^Troni 

 the stem, or ui oblique lines in somV places to fill up vacaigeies. It is evident that this unnatural operation 

 persisted in for a fe>f-years must render the tree knotty ^^ unsightly ; and in stone-fruits, at least, it is 

 apt to generate"'i0anker and gum. 



3162. $mni7igj^r modifying the form of the tre-e embraces the management of the plant from the time 

 or|ts|)t-iipagation:-'',Iii rearing trees plattted for. timber, it is desirable t&-tlis<afr*hfe timber produced, 

 as iftacn as possible, into long compact masses; arid hence pruning is employed to remove the side 

 branches, and encourage the growth of the bole or stem. Where this o|iferation is begun when the trees 

 are young, it is easily performed every two or three years, and the progress of the trees under it is most 

 satisfactory; when, however, it is delayed till they have attained a timber size, it isj, iia idlcase^, much 

 less conducive to the decked eiid, and sometimes may prove injurious. Itissaferio.Mioli<ca^esj*o Shorten 

 or lessen the'size of lateral branches, rather than to cut them off close by the stem, as.tbfi;laargttM'aunds 

 produced by the latter practice either do not cicatrize at all, or not till the central part ia rotton, and'has 

 contaminated the titnber of thfe trunk. In all cases, a moderate number of snjall branches, to be takeA' off 

 as they grow large, are to be left on the trunk, to facilitate the circulation of the sap and juices. Where 

 timber-trees are planted for shelter or shade, unless intermixed with, shrubs or copse, it i ovLdeDt pruning 

 must be directed to clothing them from the summit to the ground with side branclies, ^Jm arenUcs, and 

 hedgerow trees, it is generally desirable that the lowest branches should be a considerable distance from 

 the ground; in trees intended to conceal objects, as many laranches should be left a^ possible; and -In 

 others, which conceal distant objects desired to be seen, or injure or conceal near object*^ the fbrramnut 

 be modified accordingly. In all these cases, the superfluous parts ar^ to be cut off with a etean.sectlon, 

 near a bud or shoot if a branch is shortened, er close to ttie trunk if it is entirely removed; the objwt 

 being to facilitate cicatrization. v i>" 



' 3163. Pruning for adjustingthe stem and branches to the roots is almost solely applicable to transplanted 

 trees, in which it is an essential operation, and should be performed in general in the interval- betrween 

 removal and replanting, when the plant is entirely out of the ground. Supposing only the extremities of 

 the fibres broken off, as is the case with very small plants and seedlings, then no part of the top will 

 require to be removed J but if the roots have been broken or bruised in any of their main branches or 

 ramiiicaiions, then the pruner, estimating the quantity of root of which the plant is deprived by the 

 sections of fracture and other circumstances, peculiar and general, will be able to form a notion of what 

 was the bulk of the whole roots before the tree was disturbed. Then he may state the question of lessen. 

 ing the top to adjust it to the roots, thus : as the whole quantity of roots which the tree had before 

 removal is to the whole quantity of branches which it now has, so is the quantity of roots which it now 

 has to the quantity of top which it ought to have. In selecting the shoots to be removed, regard must be 

 had to the ultimate character the tree is to assume, whether a standard, or trained fruit-tree, or orna. 

 mental bush. In general, bearing- wood and weak shoots should be removed, and the stronger lateral and 

 upright shoots, witli leaf or shoet-eyes, left. 



316i. Pruning for renewal of the head is performed by cutting over the stem a little way, say its -own 

 thickness above the collar, or the surface of the ground. This practice applies to old ozier-beds, coppice 

 woods, and to young forest-trees. Sometimes also it is performed on old or ill-thriving fruit-trees which 

 are headed down to the top of their stems. This operation is_ performed with the saw, and better after 

 scarification, as in cutting off the broken limb of an animal. The live section should be siooothed with 

 the chisel or knife, covered with the bark, and coated over with grafting.clay, or any convenient com- 

 ppsition, which will resist drought and ram fota^year. Those who are advocates for pruning when the 

 sap is dormant, will not of course be able to perform the oper^tiof^of sg^rification, and covering the section 

 withfcark. ,j 



3165. Pruning for curing diseases has acquired much celebrity since the time of Forsyth, whose 

 amputations and scarifications for the canker, together with the plaster or composition which he 

 employed to protect the wounds from air, are treated of at large in his Treatise on Frujt-Trees. Almost 

 all vegetable diseases either have their origin in the weakness of the individual, or induce a degree of 

 weakjiess; hence to amputate a part of a diseased tree, is to strengthen the remaining part, because the 

 roots remaining of the same force, the same quantity of sap will be thrown upwards as when the head and 

 branches were entire. If the disease is constitutional, or in the system, this practice may probably, in 

 some cases, communicate to the tree so much strength as to enable it to throw it off; if it be local, m& 

 amputation of the part will at once remove the disease, and strengthen the tree- > 



5166. Mowing is the operation of cutting down corn,, gya^^ajid other ierbage crops, 

 with the scythe. It requires great force in the operator, and also a twisting motion of 



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