254 Principles of Plant Culture. 



a— Pinching is the removal with the thumb and fin- 

 ger of the undeveloped nodes at the terminus of grow- 

 ing shoots, in order to check growth. 



h— Trimming or dressing, when applied to young nur- 

 sery stock, is the shortening of both roots and stem, 

 preparatory to planting in nursery rows. The roots 

 are shortened to facilitate planting, and the stems are 

 shortened to reduce the number of buds (409 c). 



c— Topping is the removal of the flower stalk, as in 

 tobacco, to prevent exhaustion of the plant by the for- 

 mation of seed. 



d — De-tasseling is the removal of the staminate flow- 

 ers (tassels) of undesirable plants of Indian corn, to 

 prevent pollination from them (150). 



e — Suckering is the removal of shoots that start about 

 the base of the stem, or in the axils of the leaves, as 

 in Indian corn or tobacco. Its object is to prevent ex- 

 haustion of the plant by the production of needless 

 shoots. 



i— Disbudding is the removal of dormant buds, to 

 prevent the development of undesirable shoots. 



g~Ringing is the removal of a narrow belt of bark 

 about a branch, to obstruct the current of prepared food 

 (138). 



h— Notching is the cutting of a notch just above or 

 below a bud or twig to modify its growth. 



i— Thinning fruit is the removal of a part of the 

 fruits upon a plant, to permit the remaining ones to 

 attain larger size, and to prevent exhaustion of the plant 

 by excessive seed production. 



j~Deflowering or defruiting is the removal of flower- 

 buds or fruits to prevent exhaustion of the plant (139). 



