PRUNING. 87 



it has put forth its leaves, it receives such a check as to be 

 unable to produce a vigorous growth the same season; 

 the sap is impeded in its circulation, and the result is that 

 a large number of the young shoots that would have made 

 vigorous wood branches, had they not been checked, as- 

 sume the character of fruit spurs and branches. Pinch- 

 ing is the principal mode of pruning to promote fruitful- 

 ness, and will be explained hereafter. It depends upon 

 the above principle, of impeding the circulation of the sap 

 and checking growth. 



Pruning to diminish fruitfulness, is conducted on the 

 same principle as that to renew growth, for this, in fact, 

 is the object. 



Pruning the Roots. This is practised as well to pro- 

 mote fruitfulness, as to lessen the dimensions of trees. 

 The roots, as has been shown, are the organs that absorb 

 from the ground the principal food of the tree, and in pro- 

 portion to their number, size, and activity, other things 

 being equal, are the vigor and growth of the stem and 

 branches. Hence when a tree is deprived of a certain 

 portion of its roots, its supply of food from the soil is les- 

 sened, growth is checked, the sap moves slowly in its 

 channels, is better elaborated in the leaves, and the young 

 branches and buds begin to assume a fruitful character. 



Roots are also pruned to prevent them from penetrat- 

 oig too deeply into the earth, and induce the formation of 

 lateral roots near the surface, similar to the cutting back 

 of a stem to produce lateral branches ; the principle is the 

 same. 



Pruning at the time of Transplanting. This is per- 

 formed, not only to remove bruised and broken roots and 

 branches, but to restore the tree to a proper balance. As 

 trees are ordinarily taken from the ground, the roots are 

 bruised, broken, or mutilated, to a greater or less extent. 

 This obviously destroys the natural balance or proportion 



