Root-Pruning and Canker in Fruit Trees. 311 



rendered the juices of the plant crude and indigestible, and 

 ultimately, as a matter of course, are included in the wreck they 

 have made. 



Should any of these surmises prove correct, how injudicious 

 the remedy generally applied ! The already gorged roots are 

 sure to be deemed in fault, the already teeming border plied 

 with fresh stimulants to complete with less delay the work of 

 destruction. I think the utter absurdity of so much border 

 work, its nature, and above all its extent, ought to be apparent 

 to every person conversant with the growth of plants in pots. 

 Examine the quantity of spongioles generally found with a mo- 

 derately sized even healthy wall tree, and say whether a bushel 

 of good mould in a pot would not for twelve months amply 

 supply them with food. I maintain that it would. Then why this 

 apparatus? why this cost? why this waste of uncropped border 

 of 2, 3, or it may be 6 feet deep, with a surface, in all pro- 

 bability, of 16 ft. by 24 ft. ? A greater absurdity cannot possibly 

 exist, as the bloated results amply demonstrate. 



Roots and branches are indispensable to the well-being of 

 plants, but, in my opinion, the great error is, to consider roots 

 most sol Every person who has rooted a cutting and paid at- 

 tention to the process, who has planted a tree and observed what 

 takes place, must be convinced of the contrary. The cutting 

 may be rooted, the roots removed, and again rooted, almost at 

 pleasure : strip it of leaves, and it ceases to exist. The newly 

 planted tree is in nine cases out of ten as destitute of spongioles, 

 consequently of available roots, and as much a cutting as if it 

 were cut over half-way up its stem ; with this (the only) difference, 

 that those underground stems are less consolidated and more 

 ready to make fibres than such as have been dried and hardened 

 by exposure to light and air : but even these produce no roots 

 unless the leaves are allowed to develope themselves, set the vital 

 current in motion, and return sap to form roots ; hence the often 

 irreparable injury frequently inflicted upon newly planted trees, 

 by what is aptly termed " heading back." Having adverted to 

 uncropped borders, I may here mention my conviction that 

 borders are better cropped than otherwise. Such an opinion I 

 am aware is directly opposed to the best authorities, and, amongst 

 others, to yours, Mr. Editor; and I have nothing to place against 

 such overpowering evidence, save the fact, that I have never, 

 after repeated and lengthened trials, had a healthy tree diseased 

 through cropping the border, nor a diseased one rendered 

 healthy by allowing it to remain dormant. 



Should there be anything correct in the view I have taken, the 

 only evil that can arise from cropping the border must proceed 

 from a cause the very antipodes of that generally assumed to 

 be correct; the supposed injury must be inflicted while digging 



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