BENDING DOWN BRANCHES. 15 



but in this case the lateral shoots, becoming vertical, ^ 

 have an extreme tendency to grow, and require i 

 incessant pruning. This rule is applicable to > 

 young growing trees, chiefly pears and apples ; 

 but if applied to an older tree, and all the branches 

 should be thus bent dowitwards, then as soon as 

 the tree becomes more fruitful, the branches 

 should be loosened, and they will retain a sufficient 

 inclination to obtain the required result. The 

 ends would otherwise dry up, and the vertical 

 shoots, absorbing all the sap, would become con- 

 verted into wood-shoots of great vigour and diffi- 

 cult to restrain. In some cases the tree would be 

 exhausted by excess of production. 



One maxim more, and this part is ended. By 

 removing the earth from the principal roots dur- 

 ing the summer, so as to expose them to the air, 

 the tree is much checked in its vigour. This J >^ 

 shows the danger of growing crops too near to the 

 roots, as, independently of the exhaustion of the 

 soil thus induced, the risk of injury from the spade 

 and removal of the surface is very great. For this 

 very reason, transplanting an unfruitful tree often 

 makes it bear well, when other methods have 

 failed. 



