78 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



vegetation has commenced. If a tree be severely pruned 

 immediately after its leaves have put forth, it is so checked 

 as to be unable to make a vigorous growth the same 

 season, and the circulation of the sap is impeded, and the 

 young shoots that would have made wood branches, had 

 the groAvth been unchecked, will become fruit spurs. 

 Pinching the extremities is however the usual mode of 

 pruning, to induce fruitfulness. The same result is pro- 

 duced by pruning the roots, which also lessens the dimen- 

 sion of the trees. 



Pruning at transplanting. — At this time all bruised 

 and broken roots and branches should be removed. When 

 trees are taken from the ground, a greater or less portion 

 of the roots are destroyed or injured, and the natural 

 balance between the root and top is destroyed, and the tree 

 in this condition will either die or make a slow growth. 

 In England, the climate is so moist, that trees may be re- 

 moved and leave nearly all the branches as they were; 

 but under the hot suns and strong winds of this climate a 

 vigorous shortening in is requisite. Trees must be pruned 

 much more closely here at the period of transplanting 

 than even at the north. It matters very little how closely 

 you prune the top of -the trees ; only have good roots and 

 a single season's growth will restore the balance. Just 

 after transplanting some of my own trees, which I had 

 pruned sufficiently, as I thought, a cow got in while the 

 fence was repairing, and browsed off several, eating all 

 the young shoots. The wounds were carefully cut over 

 immediately down to a bud, and the loosened roots fixed 

 firmly in the soil. The trees, the ensuing summer made 

 a better average growth than those which were not so 

 closely shortened. Do not leave more than one or two 

 buds to a branch of the previous year's growth if the tree 

 U of much size at the time of transplanting. 



