RATIONAL FRUIT CULTURE 



33 



develops roots. This is what happens when a tree is planted 

 with an injured root. First a callus at the wound, then a 

 bud and a little cluster of thread-like roots, and, finally, a 

 shoot or sucker. 



THE HARM DONE BY SUCKERS. 



As fruit trees are always grafted, a sucker, growing from 

 the roots or below the graft, necessarily belongs to the same 

 species as the stock — Paradise or Quince, or whatever it may 

 be — and is, therefore, useless. Indeed, it is worse than use- 

 less. Situated on one of the main lines along which the tree 

 draws its food supplies, it is able to intercept them, and, grow- 

 ing rapidly in consequence, it weakens the tree, and, in time, 

 may even starve it to death. Every suckef should, therefore, 

 be completely removed as soon as it is noticed. 



HOW TO GET RID OF SUCKERS. 



Nothing can be gained by chopping off the top. For 



Fig. It.— Removing a sucker. Either as shown at a, or by severing the root at at b. 



the buds below the surface will then grow, and in a short 

 time there will be a number of shoots where previously there 



