Pruning. 243 



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 (140). 



k — Boot pruning is the shortening of the roots of plants 

 in the soil, to check growth, or to stimulate the forma- 

 tion of branch roots nearer the trunk (105). 



417. The Season for Pruning. The milder kinds of 

 pruning, as ijinching and disbudding, may be performed 

 whenever the necessity for them appears. But in peren- 

 nial plants, severe pruning, as the removal of branches 

 of considerable size, is generally least injurious if per- 

 formed during the dormant period. As the exposure of 

 unhealed wounds may cause damage from drying, and 

 invites infection by injurious fungi (321), severe pruning 

 is commonly best performed toward the end of the dor- 

 mant period, i. e., in early spring because healing is most 

 rapid at the beginning of the growing season (73). Prun- 

 ing should not, however, be done at a time when sap 

 flows freely from wounds, as this tends to waste reserve 

 food. In plants subject to this, as the maples and grape, 

 pruning is probably best performed just before the sap- 

 flowing period. 



418. Where and How should the Cut be Made in Pruning? 

 Since the movement of prepared food is from the leaves 



