TBAININB TBAKSPLANT9. 20S 



J. Training the transplants. 



However carefully the transplants may be raised, some amongst 

 them will always assume an abnormal or irregular development, or 

 sicken without, however, dying. These must be trained into well- 

 shaped, vigorous, healthy seedlings by means of judicious pruning 

 or by altogether cutting them back. 



A. Pruning. 



As every deprivation of a part of its foliage results in a corres- 

 ponding temporary curtailment of the vegetative vigour of a plant, 

 pruning should be resorted to only in the four following cases : — ■ 



(i) The end of the leading shoot may have been damaged or 

 weakened by frost or other causes beyond hope of recovery. The 

 weak or damaged portion should be removed immediately above a 

 strong and healthy bud, which wiU thereby be encouraged to 

 develop and replace the lost leading shoot. If the phyllotaxis is 

 opposite or whorled, there will be more than one bud inunediatlv 

 under the section. It is not always possible to recognise which of 

 these buds is the strongest, or even which is likely to develop into a 

 vigorous shoot. Hence it is generally advisable to let every one 

 of the buds develop, getting rid of all but one only when it is quite 

 clear which will make the best leading-shoot. In most cases this 

 happens before the buds have attained any development, and the 

 superfluous shoots can be got rid of by simply pinching them off 

 with the fingers, 



Cii) Sometimes the lateral shoots of the seedlings become ab- 

 normally vigorous at the expense of the leader. These shoots should 

 be weakened by being shortened. The extent of the shortening 

 will depend on their vigour. Very strong shoots will have to be 

 reduced to half their length, but if the operation is done in time, 

 simply pinching off the terminal bud, or breaking off the two or 

 three extreme intemodes, will suffice, 



(iii) Sometimes, owing to circumstances beyond control, a fork 

 has been produced, by which the vigour of the crown is divided 

 between two shoots. We must get rid of that one of the two, which 

 is less promosing, either because it is weaker or less well Hgnified 

 or growing more decidedly out of the straight line, 



(iv) Instead of a distinct single leader we may have a number 

 of shoots growing up in the form of a broom. This is only an ex- 

 aggerated forking and may be treated on the same principles as 

 the fork if one of the shoots is strong enough to become the leader ; 

 but generally a new leader must be formed by pruning down to 



