Pruning. 253 



ground and connected by a rubber tube with the cut-off 

 end of a root, as shown. If the inverted flask is used, 

 a short tube B B should extend through the cork and 

 to near the bottom of the flask, to admit air. 



Fig. 150. 



Fig. 151. 



FIG. 152. 



Fig. 150. A poorly-potted plant. No provision is made for drainage; 

 the pot is filled to the top with soil, leaving no space to receive the 

 water ; and the stem o£ the plant is not at the center of the pot. 



Fig. 151. A well-potted plant. A, potsherds ; B, moss. 



Fig. 152. A poorly-shifted plant. C, open spaces due to insufficient 

 pressing of the soil. 



Flower-buds should generally be removed from re- 

 cently-transplanted plants (139). 



Section III. Peuning. 



416. Pruning is the removal of a part of a plant, in 

 order that the remainder may better serve our purpose. 



The parts of plants, being less highly specialized than 

 those of animals, may be removed with less damage to 

 the individual than is possible with animals, except in 

 the lowest types. 



The word pruning,. as commonly used, applies chiefly 

 to the removal of parts of woody plants with the knife, 

 shears or saw, but the operations defined below prop- 

 erly come under the same head. 



