Root-pruning. 279 
hesitation in doing so, for the roots are deep enough 
to escape the plow if the plowman is ordinarily 
careful about the trees. 
It is not necessarily a misfortune to cut the 
smaller roots of plants with the plow, providing 
only a few are cut in any year. In other words, 
it is no doubt safer to sever a good many roots a 
Fig. 41. A broken grape root sending out branches. 
half inch, or sometimes even an inch, in diameter, 
than not to plow the orchard at all. The severed 
roots generally send out numerous branches near 
their ends, and these branches increase the forag- 
ing power of the root in soil which is normally laid 
under small tribute. Figs. 41 and 42 are drawn 
from actual specimens of roots which were broken 
by the plow. It would seem as if the absorbing 
