PYEAMIDAIi PLUM TEEES 103 



follows : — Open a circular trench eighteen inches deep 

 round the tree, eighteen inches from its stem, and cut 

 o3 every root <md fibre with a sharp knife. When the 

 roots are so pruned, introduce a spade under one side of 

 the tree, and heave it over, so as not to leave a single 

 tap-root; fill in your mould, give a top dressing of 

 manure, and it is finished. The diameter of your cir- 

 cular trench must be slowly increased as years roll on ; 

 for you must, each year, prune to within one and a half 

 or two inches of the stumps of the former year. Your 

 circular mass of fibrous roots will thus slowly increase, 

 your tree will make short and well-ripened shoots, and 

 bear abundantly. From very recent experience, I have 

 found that removing trees annually, if the soil be rich 

 — biennially, and adding some rich compost, if it be 

 poor — without root-pruning, will keep plum trees in a 

 healthy and fertile state. For further particulars on 

 this head, see pages 16 and 56. 



Pyramidal plum trees are most beautiful trees both 

 when in flower and fruit. Their rich purple or golden 

 crop has an admirable effect on a well-managed pyramid. 

 No stock has yet been found to cramp the energies of 

 the plum tree. Experiments on the sloe have been tried 

 here, and prove that this stock does dwarf the tree to a 

 certain extent. My tree on the sloe is some years old, 

 and is dwarf and prolific. The first year after grafting 

 vigorous growth was made ; but this is a vefy common 

 occurrence with stock that ultimately make very prolific 

 trees ; it is so with the pear on the quince, the apple on 

 the Paradise, and the cherry on the Mahaleb. The green- 



