234 Principles of Plant Culture. 
seem likely to fail, by wrapping the stem in oiled- or rubber 
eloth to check loss of moisture, or with straw or moss which 
may be wet frequently till growth starts. 
Flower-buds should generally be removed from recently- 
transplanted plants (140). 
Section III. Prunine 
416. Pruning is the removal of a part of a plant, in 
order that the remainder may better serve our purpose. 
The parts of plants, being less highly specialized than 
those of animals, may be removed with less damage to the 
individual than is possible with animals, except in the lowest 
types. 
The word pruning, as commonly used, applies chiefly to 
the removal of parts of woody plants with the knife, shears 
or saw, but the operations defined below properly come under 
the same head. 
a — Pinching is the removal of the undeveloped nodes at 
the terminus of growing shoots, with the thumb and finger, 
to check growth. 
b— Trimming or dressing, when applied to young nur- 
sery stock, is the shortening of both roots and stem, prepar- 
atory to planting in nursery rows. The roots are shortened 
to facilitate planting, and the stems are shortened to reduce 
the number of buds (409c). 
c— Topping is the removal of the flower stalk, as in to- 
bacco, to prevent exhaustion of the plant by the formation 
of seed. 
d— Detasseling is the removal of the staminate flowers, 
(‘‘ tassels”) of undesirable plants of Indian corn, to prevent 
pollination from them (151). 
