0023 

 GUIDE. 19 



the sap flows those roots that had been split, lorn, or bruised when the tree was lifted. If, 

 to correct a flaw, a root had to be pruned on one side of the tree, then, in the interest of 

 symmetry, roots of the same length on the opposite side also must be pruned, even 

 though it's harmful to the tree. In the end, roots excessively shortened this way don't 

 extend enough to hold the tree in place. Above all, they are insufficient to provide 

 necessary nourishment, and the tree itself must be cut back. This second operation, an 

 inevitable consequence of the first, is no less disastrous. The branches are cut to the same 

 extent that the roots were; and sometimes not even one is left. And that's not all. Those 

 who are not content just to get rid of branches often even top the trees. This perverse 

 principle is so widely accepted among so many growers that it's become a maxim that "if 

 a gardener were to plant his father, he would have to cut off his head and feet". Even 

 though the results are different, they are no less injurious to plants that have been 

 submitted to this cruel operation. 



A topped tree whose roots have been shortened grows more vigorously than one 

 planted with its top during the first years after planting; but it almost always contracts a 

 disease that shortens its life, decreases the value of its wood, and distorts its appearance. 

 The disease, usually called la goutiere, is a form of decay that decomposes the heart of 

 the wood. It's caused by rainwater penetrating through cracks that inevitably form in the 

 scar left behind after topping the tree. 



