CHAPTER XII 



PRUNING 



A knowledge 

 of pruning 

 necessary. 



Effect of 

 pruning. 



Pruning 

 cauAcs extra 

 develop- 

 ment. 



It is necessary for the tropical agriculturist to havea general 

 knowledge of the system of pruning in order that he may be 

 able to improve his trees and to increase their fruitfulness. 

 When a branch of a tree is cut off, much of the sap or 

 nourishment that would have been used by it goes to the 

 branches that remain, and more especially to those in the 

 vicinity of the part taken away. Besides, by removing use- 

 less branches, or as it is called " thinning them out,'' more 

 air and light are allowed to reach the remaining portions of 

 the plant, and thus their assimilation of food from the at- 

 mosphere is increased. The effect of pruning does not 

 always take place immediately, for sometimes it merely 

 causes an increase of quantity of sap in the branches, which 

 does not exert its influence on the fruitfulness of the plant 

 until the next fruiting season. 



But the removal of one portion of a plant, whether it be 

 the branches, leaves, flowers, or fruit, is always followed by 

 extra development sooner or later. If, for instance, all the 

 first flowers of young cacao trees be taken away, as they 

 should be, there will be increased fruitfulness at the next 

 season. And, if all the young fruit be taken off an orange 

 tree, flowers will break out again and the crops will be 

 reaped at a much later time. This is very important to 

 West Indian planters, for oranges obtain much higher prices 

 in Europe and North America in some seasons than in 



