140 
that a stub-pruned tree develops a Many 
tap rooted system, while a long-rooted 
tree forms a surface system of roots. 
They also claim economic advantages in 
digging and packing the trees, in trans- 
portation, and in planting. 
An experiment was begun in 1896 and 
continued until 1899 on heavy clay land 
at the experiment station, and on light, 
sandy loam at Seaford, Delaware, to de- 
termine the merits of stub-pruned, 
three inch, and six to eight inch rooted 
apple, pear, peach, and plum trees; also 
to study some of the principles of root 
formation. 
Sixty-two and one-half per cent of the 
stub-pruned trees lived on the heavy soil, 
86 per cent on the light soil; 97 per cent 
of the three-inch trees lived on the heavy 
soil, 100 per cent on the light soil; 8714 
per cent of the eight-inch trees lived on 
the heavy soil, 94 per cent on the light 
soil. 
Twenty-two per cent of the stub-pruned 
trees made first-class trees on the heavy 
soil; 51 per cent on the light soil. 
Fig 1. No. 1 the Stringfellow Tree Pruned. 
No. 2 the many tap-rooted tree that is sup- 
posed to develop from it. 
The roots of the stub-pruned trees did 
not take a more downward direction 
than others. 
New roots arise from the ends of pruned 
roots, from fibrous roots, from adventi- 
tious buds at the base of the tree, and 
sometimes from the sides of the larger 
roots. They arise most easily from the 
smallest roots. Shortening the roots in- 
duces a development of adventitious 
roots which may compensate the tree for 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
the loss of its smaller teedeis. A long 
root is useful to a transplanted tree maip. 
ly to anchor it in the soil while the 
new roots are forming. Fu brous roots 
may be of importance to a transplanteg 
tree in that the earliest feedeis are de. 
veloped from them. The vitality of the 
fibrous roots is not destroyed whete treas 
are carefully handled. 
The direction which the new root sys 
tem assumes is governed by the char. 
acter of the soil, by the distribution of 
plant food and moisture in it, and by the 
natural habit of the tree. The roots seek 
the strata of most congenial moisture 
and accessible plant food 
Stub-pruned trees are at a (isadvan- 
tage on heavy soils, on soils that freeze 
deeply throughout the winter, in a dry 
fall or spring, or in soils that are slow 
in warming. 
Stub-pruned trees, with branches 
shortened to correspond, frequently de 
velop a one-sided root system and an ill- 
formed top. 
The stub-pruning system is not founded 
on principles of plant growth It 1s a 
practice with merit in local conditions 
The claims for the system are based upon 
a succession of misconceptions of the laws 
of plant growth. The advocates have in- 
duced a careful study of the development 
of the roots of plants, and therein lies 
its value as a contribution to horticul- 
tural knowledge. 
Care of Trees from Nursery to Planting 
Time 
After goods leave the delivery yards 
of the nurseryman they are beyond his 
control. He has no legal right to dictate 
the care his stock shall receive. The 
best he can do is to advise the planter, 
and when this advice is not solicited it 
places the nurseryman in the rather awk- 
ward position of presuming on the intel- 
ligence of the planter: yet, if any mis- 
fortune overtakes the planter in his hor- 
ticultural venture, the nurseryman is 
likely to receive the blame. 
After 23 years of experience in the 
Rogue River valley, the writer is thor- 
oughly convinced that if the losses due 
to the planter’s inadequate knowledge, 
