THE TREATMENT OF ROOTS 93 



The advantage of this method would be a decrease in the 

 development of branches, owing to the injury to the roots, and 

 the formation of numerous adventitious roots in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the cut roots, and finally, an even and adequate 

 nutrition. 



There need be no fear of adding fresh animal dung in this 

 case, as it always takes some time before the adventitious 

 roots are formed, and have increased so as to be in contact 

 with the dung. If liquid manure is to be used, it will suffice 

 to dig a number of small holes in place of the trench. The 

 roots will be produced most profusely in the neighbourhood of 

 the centres of food substance ; they have partly the tendency 

 to grow towards the source of food matter (trophotropism), and 

 partly to grow in the direction of greater moisture {hydro- 

 tropism), if the water is unequally distributed. 



Tupf under the trees should be avoided, as the roots of the 

 grass absorb the rain-water, and in dry seasons may even 

 draw away water from the deeper regions which should be 

 reserved for the roots of the tree. In periods of great drought 

 do not depend upon the protection of the turf, but remove it, 

 water copiously, and replace the sods, roots uppermost. Even 

 if no water is at hand for watering, lift up the turf, dig up 

 the ground lightly, replace the turf with the green side down- 

 wards. The larger openings in the soil prevent the rising of 

 the water by capillai'ity from the deeper regions of the soil, 

 which retain what little water they have for the roots. The 

 inverted sods, on the other hand, prevent or weaken the 

 suction which the dry atmosphere exerts on the air contained 

 in the loose soil. 



