EOOT-PRUNINa OF PYEAMIDAL PEAR TREES 15 



any tendency to canker, and when large trees are 

 desired, neither remove nor root-prune. 



Pyramidal pear trees on the quince stock, where the 

 fruit garden is small, the soil rich, and when the real 

 gardening artist feels pleasure in keeping them in 

 a healthy and fruitful state by perfect control over the 

 roots, should be annually operated upon as follows : — A 

 trench should be dug round the tree about eighteen 

 inches from its stem every autumn, just after the fruit 

 is gathered, if the soil be sufficiently moist — if not it 

 will be better to wait till the usual autumnal rains have 

 fallen ; the roots should then be carefully examined, 

 and those inclined to be of perpendicular growth cut 

 with the spade, which must be introduced quite under 

 the tree to meet on all sides, so that no root can possibly 

 escape amputation. All the horizontal roots should be 

 shortened with a knife to within a circle of eighteen 

 iQches from the stem," and all brought as near to the sur- 

 face as possible, filling in the trench with compost for the 

 roots to rest on. The trench may then be filled with 

 the compost (well-rotted dung from an old hot-bed, and 

 good turfy loam, equal parts, will answer exceedingly 

 well) ; the surface should then be covered with some 

 half-rotted dung, and the roots left till the following 

 autumn brings its annual care. It may be found that 

 after a few years of root-pruning the circumferential 



' If they have not spread to this extent the first season, or even 

 the second, they need not be pruned, but merely brought near to 

 the surface and spread out. 



