141 



Trees which have been neglected, or whose 

 growth has been stunted by the presence of moss and 

 lichen, scale insects or other pests, or by want of 

 drainage of the soil, by the aridity and poverty of the 

 ground, or are debilitated in consequence of having 

 been allowed to bear too early, often show a miserable, 

 sickly appearance. Their growth is stopped, the 

 bark becomes tough and leathery ; they are hide- 

 bound. The cause of the mischief may have already 

 been removed, and still they will make no growth. 



Such trees should be similarly treated at the 

 time of pruning. They should be cut hard back and 

 at pruning time the knife should be run longitud- 

 inally through the bark, from the heel to the top of 

 the stem, and even along the main limbs. It is also 

 advisable to whitewash the stems of such trees, incision to reduce 

 Lime, in the shape of whitewash, is well known to be th^gi^oSfthe 

 beneficial in most bark diseases. stem. 



Under this treatment the stunted trees of last season are seen 

 to spring into fresh and healthier growth. The cambium or grow- 

 ing wood layers force the strip of leathery bark apart, the stems 

 and limbs are soon seen to swell, the sap runs freely from the 

 roots to the top branches of the plant, and the whole growth looks 

 healthier. 



INCISION TO CONTROL THE G-ROWTH OF SHOOTS AND BUDS. 



Should, during the preceding 

 growing season, any one of the lateral 

 branches have been imperfectly de- 

 veloped, it should be cut back lightly 

 when pruning, and if it is much too 

 small compared with the others it is 

 sometimes advisable to make, imme- 

 diately above the point of attachment 

 to the branch (B), a notch or small 

 incision through the outside layers of 

 growing wood, so as to force the sap to 

 run up the branch and develop it. The 

 cut should be prevented from healing 

 too rapidly. It is also sometimes 

 desirable for the symmetry of the tree 

 to force a dormant bud into growth, 

 and in that case an incision as shown 

 at A will be found .useful. On the 

 strong branch become uncontrollable in 

 spite of heading back, it may, in extreme cases, be advisable to 

 check the flow of sap towards it by making an incision as shown at 

 0, immediately below its point of attachment to the stem. 



Thus we have a means of transforming a wood bud into a fruit 

 bud and vice versa, by making a cut below the rudimentary bud if 



A 



{ Incisions. Du Breuil. 



other hand, should 



