CHAPTER XVII 



PRUNING 



ONE of the most important manipulations in the grow- 

 ing of plants is the work of pruning. It requires consider- 

 able skill ; and the operator should also know the reasons 

 and the results. Pruning is one of the cardinal operations 

 in plant culture. 



416. Pruning is the removing of a part of a plant, in 

 order that the remainder may better serve our purpose. 



The parts of plants, being less highly specialized than 

 those of animals, may be removed with less damage to 

 the individual than is possible with animals, except in 

 the lowest types. 



The word pruning, as commonly used, applies chiefly 

 to the removal of parts of woody plants with the knife, 

 shears or saw, but the operations defined below properly 

 come under the same head. 



Pinching is the removal with the thumb and finger of 

 the undeveloped nodes at the terminus of growing shoots, 

 in order to check growth. 



Trimming or dressing, when applied to young nursery 

 stock, is the shortening of both roots and stem, preparatory 

 to planting in nursery rows. The roots are shortened to 

 facilitate planting, and the stems are shortened to reduce 

 the number of buds (409). 



Topping is the removal of the flower stalk, as in to- 

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