20 MANURING AND PRUNING. 



The pruning of i\ tree should be conducted with a view to- 

 the production of fruit. Unless we have a plentiful supply of 

 good healthy leaves, evenly distributed over the tree so as to 

 obtain a maximum of the light and air they require, we cannot 

 expect to secure large crops of fruit, in fact unless the machinery- 

 is in good working order and the supply of fuel abundant, we 

 cannot) expect a good output. The leaves and roots represent 

 the machinery; and water, sunlight, air and manure, acting 

 togptiier, may well represent the fuel supplied. 



T!io branches of a Cacao tree therefore, should be evenly 

 distiilmted, so that the leaves they carry may be maintained iiia 

 good health, and just thinly enough distributed to admit 

 sufficient sua and air to mature the fruit. 



It should be a rule when pruning that too many branches- 

 should not be removed at once. It is a mistake to prune 

 heavily at any one time, as it gives the trees too great a check, 

 and causes too great a disturbance of the growth. The effect of 

 heavy pruning may be seen by the large growth of young 

 shoots wliich appear at or near the place where branches have 

 been removed. These in most cases, are quite useless and have 

 toberemo\ed, causing a waste of plant energy, for if properly 

 directed the material u.sed in this growth would have con- 

 siderably added to the health and strength of the tree. Iii. 

 pruning neglected trees, the first thing to be doni^ is to cuts 

 out u.ieless wood, or wood which can never be expected to beat- 

 or to produce beariiiu; branches, or again, wood that is diseaseil 

 or cankered. The next thing is', to equalize or balance your" 

 trees, and last, to thin out the branches and foreshorten them 

 where required. 



In .••emoving brunches t,he greatest care should be exercised 

 not to make jagged, ragged, splinteriiii; or slivering cuts, but to- 

 ajaafc* clean and even cuts close t.o the wood and near to a buJ 

 or young branch into which the sap will be presently directed i£ 

 the operation is well peri'ornied. 



The young branches which are often found growing erect 

 (commonly called yorniandlzers from the rapidity of their 

 growj)), are productions which show that the parent, sletii, as. 

 it stands, does not provide surticient channels for the expenditure 

 of r.h« Nap supplied by the roots, and in conM-qiience this sap- 

 provides t<ir itself an outlet and extiend-i itself upon the produc- 

 tion of rapid growth in a sinsrie direction. It shows that t he- 

 channels for the conveyance of sap are clogged or contracted, 

 and that the amount -nf sap produced cannot pass into the nioi* 

 matured p. rrion of the tree. It is al-so an etiort of nature ti> 

 recover itsplf fnun bird worV. Kvery physiologist knows thali 

 unless branches are pi-oduced, roots cannot be, and the proibtc- 

 tit.ii of root is ia e.vact ratio to tho productii n of branch, a.itl 



