HORTICULTURE 169 



rendered difficult in India because of the rapid growth, and 

 the absence of any true resting period, when pruning usually 

 takes place. Stated briefly, the object of pruning a tree is to 

 give it a good natural shape, whereby all its branches, leaves 

 and flowers have free space to grow, and incidentally, to 

 increase the number of these. An ideal form must be aimed 

 at in each tree, but, as the natural habit of trees varies very 

 much, this will differ with the species. Compare for instance 

 the cork tree (Millingtonia suberosa) of erect, narrow habit 

 and the low flat-crowned gold mohur with the well rounded 

 tamarind. All three of these must be treated in entirely 

 different ways, to obtain the maximum of leaf surface. 

 Seeing that trees are so constantly cut for fuel, fodder and 

 leaf-manure in South India, a recognition of the general 

 principles of pruning is very important. 



Pruning for fruit is little understood in India. Two of 

 the commonest methods adopted for increasing fruitfulness 

 are root-pruning and shoot-pruning, and one example has 

 been chosen among Indian fruit trees to show that the right 

 method can only be arrived at after a careful study of the 

 natural habit of the plant. The guava is a small tree or large 

 shrub of very variable shape, but the flowers and fruits are 

 borne in very well defined places. A little study will show 

 that, when a new shoot appears, the second, third and fourth 

 pairs of leaves usually bear flowers in their axils, and that 

 these are produced nowhere else. If then a tree has Income 

 unfruitful numerous new shoots must be produced. Some 

 grafted Chinese guanas in the Botanic garden at Coimbatore, 

 had not borne fruit after three years' growth, and two of them 

 were taken for experiment. In the first, a deep trench was 

 dug around and all the roots were cut across ; a severe 

 pruning of all its branches was given to the second. The 

 result was very instructive. The root-pruned plant dropped 

 many of its leaves but produced no new shoots and therefore 

 no flowers. The shoot-pruned plant was covered with burst- 

 ing buds within a week of the operation. Many of these 

 bore flowers in the usual place and, after six months, there 

 were nearly a hundred fruits upon it. 



