31 PIOTOSIAL FBAOTIOAL FRUIT GBOWINO. 



Raspberries, for the fruiting system is to all intents and purposes the same. 

 The grower who shortens the canes when the leaves change colour in 

 autumn, and prunes hard in winter, will get fine crops of fruit if his soil 

 and other treatment are right. In some parts of the country a system 

 prevails of pruning the canes to different heights ; for instance, in the case 

 of a tall sort with half a dozen canes, two are cut back to within 18 inches 

 of the ground, two others to 3 feet, and the rest merely tipped. I have 

 known I his practised with very good results. It has the advantage, to some 

 cultivators, that the fruit is not all in at one time. The autumn-fruiting 

 sorts should not be forgotten. These should be pruned in spring to get late 

 growth. (FoT details of Raspberry pruning, see Fig. 20, page 33.) 



Chapter rv»— Points Jlbout Root Pruning, 



When all is said and done on the subject of pruning, it remains the fact 

 that the real secret of frnitfulness in a tree lies at the root. If the roots are 

 right the fruit will come — large fruit, iinely coloured, and plenty of it. Can 

 the same be said of the head 2 I trow not. Pruning the branches of fruit 

 trees becomes a necessity when we have to grow them on the restrictive 

 sjstem to suit small spaces of ground; but were it not for that the knife 

 might be kept away from them after the first early shaping without any 

 liarm resulting — in fact, with positive benefit. 



In my nursery days — the nursery, be it understood, being one in which 

 a rugged old fruit foreman acted the part of " nurse " — a, system of culture 

 was adopted which has always seemed to me to be as near perfection as it 

 is possible to get. Its point was root development. Every item in the 

 cultural routine centred on this one thing. In describing the details of 

 the practice to audiences, often largely composed of experts, I have been 

 looked at with a surprise that bordered on incredulity when I spoke of 

 a hole 6 feet across and barely 1 foot deep being left after the lifting of a 

 tree only three years old. Yet in lifting the young trees to which I refer 

 with the object of filling orders, the workmen began, perforce, 3 feet from 

 the stem, because if they had begun nearer tliey would have torn to pieces 

 a whole mat of fibrous roots. The ijjots of these trees did not strike down 

 in the form of a few thick thongs ; they ran along the surface in the shape of 

 fibres — a perfect web of them. Of course, sguch trees as these were always 

 well nourished, because the roots were near the surface, where the full 

 influence of the air kept a constant store of food ready. They were pictures 

 of health and models of cleanliness — no gum, no canker, no American Blight. 



Now, how were these trees made to form a mass of roots 1 and how 

 were the roots kept near the surface 1 Both questions are easily answered. 

 They were induced to form fibres by being lifted and replanted, twice if 

 necessary. If a young tree is lifted and put back again the second yeat 

 after planting, the stronger roots are broken and exuberant leaf action is 

 checked. Beyond paring over the ends of all broken roots with a sharp 

 knife nothing need be done. The tree is simply taken out and put back again. 



As to the surface action, it was not secured by any such antiquated and 

 useless device as putting fiat stones beneath the tree. We did not go 

 foraging around the country and buying up surplus supplies of paving stones 

 from indigent corporations that had overstocked themselves, and were in 

 the way for getting a wigging from angry ratepayers. It was all a matter 



