THE TEEATMENT OF THE SHOOT 145 



therefore, must be more closely pruned than those of the vertical 

 branches. An exception to this rule must be made in the 

 case of the watery suckers which are produced in the case of 

 " cordons '' at the bend of the leading axis. These soft shoots 

 are caused by the unnatural horizontal position which is forced 

 upon the main stem. On account of the bending, a certain 

 number of buds at the bend are more plentifully supplied with 

 water. When the branches are left in their natural position, 

 the buds near the apex develop most strongly ; but when the 

 branches are bent to the horizontal, the passage of water is 

 retarded, and the supply, therefore, to the buds immediately at 

 the bend is abnormally great. This causes in the first place a 

 greater turgidity and enlargement of the cells of these buds, and 

 also supplies them more liberally with nutritive salts. When 

 once such a bud has started growing, its leaves will constitute 

 a further centre of attraction for the raw sap, and being in such 

 a favourable position, wUl elongate very rapidly, becoming a 

 strong and vigorous shoot. This, however, entails a loss to the 

 mother-stem and literally robs it of its nutriment. Thus the 

 new vertical shoots may often cause the death of the original 

 horizontal axis. 



If by any inattention such a " robber " has been allowed 

 to develop, its tip should be pinched, but it should not be 

 entirely removed at the outset. Only those which most disturb 

 the crown should be pruned to about a third of their length, 

 and their laterals should be nipped off as soon as they develop. 

 No general rules applicable to all cases can be given ; this only 

 can be laid down as a guiding principle, that the development 

 of such branches is due to the fact that the amount of water 

 taken in by the roots is not in proper proportion to the 

 existing working surface, which is for the time too small. 

 If, therefore, the vertical shoot is suddenly taken away and 

 the surface again reduced, this procedure will only result in 

 the production of another shoot of the same nature. They 

 should, therefore, if possible, be used for the normal development 

 of the crown, or removed slowly after having encouraged new 

 and more suitable shoots. 



