DWARFING. 157 



quently been stated. In Europe, and in this country also, 

 root-pruning has been extensively practiced with the effect 

 of partially dwarfing the trees, but more especially with 

 the object of inducing prematurely the fruitfulness we so 

 much desire, and which is a natural result of the diminished 

 supplies of crude sap furnished by the contracted roots of 

 a tree that lias been treated in this manner. The balance 

 between the wood-growth by extension, and that which 

 results in fruitful spurs is sooner established, and the sap 

 is directed to the formation and support of the fruit. 



We should not commence the application of this severe 

 treatment until our trees have been allowed to establish 

 themselves firmly in their stations, unless we desire at the 

 same time to produce decided dwarfs by means of root' 

 pruning. In this case the treatment may be commenced 

 in the nursery itself; the stocks should be transplanted 

 once or oftener before being worked, and the young trees 

 should be moved annually, which will so shorten the roots 

 as to make them a mass of fibres, occupying the whole soil 

 close about their main divisions, and the subsequent re- 

 movals can then be easily effected, with but a slight check 

 to the tree, which becomes furnished with fruit spurs at a 

 very early period of its existence, instead of its requiring 

 years to reach its natural period of fruitfulness, as is the 

 case with some varieties, particularly of the pear. 



As generally practiced, however, root-pruning is post- 

 poned until the trees have made a free and vigorous 

 growth, and have become well established in their sta- 

 tions. Then if the growth be too vigorous, and there do 

 not appear any 'indications of the formation of fruit spurs, 

 as is often the case in the fertile soils of the West, our im- 



