168 



PRlNCirr.ES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



cured if they arc pruned. For this work nothing equals 

 sharp pruning- shears or a hea\y sharp knife. Special 

 emphasis is hiid upon the "sharp," because the cleaner 

 tlie cut the Ijctter. Tlie work consists in cutting ott all 

 injurrd roots jusl alio\-c tlic wininds so as to ha\-e clean 

 surfaces to develop good calluses and new roots (Fig. 119). 

 /\l)Out two decades ago the horticultural world was 

 "inch stirred by the Stringfellow or stub-root method, a 



"horticultural heresy," 

 as to the trimming of 

 nursery trees for trans- 

 planting. 



The great apostle of 

 this system, the late 

 II. M. Stringfellow, a 

 prominent horticultur- 

 ist of Texas, advised 

 that the roots of nursery 

 trees be cut to mere 

 stulis a few inches long 

 and the tops to sticks 

 or whips. In some 

 cases absolutely no 

 stumps of roots were 

 left below ground and 

 none of limbs above, 

 the "tree" when thus 

 pruned sometimes being jammed into a hole made in the soil 

 with a crowbar! One distinct advantage is thus gained — 

 [danting requires a minimum of time ! A modification of the 

 method is to leave stubs of roots an inch to perhaps 4 

 inches long on the main root axis, and perhaps a few 

 stubs of branches if specially well placed. Tests at a 

 large number of experiment stations show that the 

 method was sometimes an all-around advantage, some- 

 times the reverse. Doubtless the plan cannot l)e gen- 

 eralh' recommended. y\t any rate it has fallen into "in- 



FIG. 119— WHERE NEW ROOTS START 

 The roots of this KiePFer pear tree were 

 cut back at planting tiine. The following 

 spring (a year later) the tree had de\'eloped 

 new roots as shown. Note that most of them 

 appear near the cut ends of the old roots. 

 The injuries were caused by careless digging. 

 Roots so injured should be cut back just above 

 the wounds so as to lea\'e clean, smooth sur- 

 faces which will heal over better and quicker 

 than will ragged and badly dried tissues. 



