PRUNING PRINCIPLES 



91 



very weak growers the pruning shoulfl be greater or continued 

 longer. More pruning is required witli standard than with dwarf 

 trees, since with the standard it is desirable to produce a compact 

 head before heavy crop production begins. 



87. 7. Severe pniniiifj of the roots reduces vegetative 

 groivths (i. c., wood production) : hence it may be employed 

 to induce fntitfnlness. 



This is the converse of principle No. 6. In a sense it is 

 equivalent to poor feeding; for when the tops of plants are 

 poorly supplied with crude sap 

 they tend to become fruitful. 

 It does not matter whether the 

 lack of food be due to poor soil 

 or to scanty supply uf crude 

 sap taken up by the roots ; the 

 results are the same. 



The principle finds its nuist 

 common application in the un- 

 avoidable reduction of root area 

 in the digging of nursery and 

 other plants for transplanting. 

 No matter how carefulh- such 

 work is performed, an cnnr- 

 mous amount (often nuire than 

 90 per cent) on the feeding 

 area (12) is cut off, thus re- 

 ducing the suppl}' of fddd 

 which can be sent up to the 

 tops. To offset this unbalanced 

 condition and to distribute the 

 reduced supply of food effec- 

 tively, the top must be reduced 

 very considerably. Some plant- 

 ers advocate removing not less than three-quarters of the 

 previous year's growth, and in many cases all bitt one 

 strong bud on that growth. This tends to establish a new 

 balance between root and top. 



FIG. 67 

 HOW CROOKEn BRANCHES 



ARE AlADE 

 Cuttinc back second-year growth 

 produces crooked branches, as the 

 latter growth will not be erect. 



