l62 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



EOOT-PEUNING. 



I am averse to root-pruning the peach and nectarine, 

 or any stone fruits, according to the fashion recommended 

 by some, and have never found it necessary to cut 

 away many of their roots after they were first planted. 

 I have never found much difficulty in subduing any 

 tendency that young trees have had to grow too grossly 

 by pinching the shoots when growing, and directing the 

 energies of the tree to its other parts. I think the 

 practice of continually cutting hard back and preventing 

 the trees from making a more natural headway has 

 much to do with gross shoots. Letting the young trees 

 bear heavily, in conjunction with the training indi- 

 cated above, is generally sufficient when the trees are 

 planted in a loamy soil into which rank manures have 

 not been introduced. However, cases do occur when 

 the roots have to be dealt with in the case of some of 

 the stronger-growing varieties. Then I would recom- 

 mend a trench to be taken out at a radius beyond where 

 the roots have extended. Encroach carefully on the 

 roots, removing all the soil- — but saving every possible 

 rootlet — close up to the bole of the tree, or as far up as 

 the check that is desirable would demand. Unless it be 

 some roots very much out of proportion to the others, 

 they should not be cut back, but be all carefully 

 laid in the border again with some sound fresh loam 

 under and over them, making the soQ all firm about 

 them again. This operation I prefer doing just as the 

 leaves are nearly all dropping off. If done earlier, the 

 wood is apt to shrivel instead of ripen. 



