AND TEAINING. 



129 



stopped growing, remaining stationary, it often happens 

 that if it is cut back in winter to a few buds, the whole 

 force of the sap being made to act on these few buds, 

 vigorous young shoots will be produced, and these sending 

 down new woody matter to the stem, new roots are form- 

 ed, and the whole tree is renewed. In young trees where 

 the growth has not been checked, an annual cutting back 

 of the new growth is likewise necessary, and will strengthen 

 the branches on the lower parts of the tree, and thicken 

 up the trunk, enabling it to maintain an erect position. 



Pruning to Reduce or Diminish Fruitfulness. — Every- 

 thing that is favorable to rapid, vigorous growth, is gener- 

 ally unfavorable to the immediate production of fruit. 

 Hence pruning, to induce fruitfulness, is performed after 

 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, the circulation of the sap is impeded, and the 

 young shoots that would have made wood branches, had 

 the growth 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- 

 sions the trees would otherwise obtain, by diminishing 

 the quantity of food they receive from the soil. 



Pruning at Transplanting. — At this time all bruised and 

 broken roots and branches should be removed with a sharp 

 knife. When trees are taken from the ground, a greater 

 or less portion of the roots is destroyed or injured, and 

 the natural balance between the root and top is destroy- 

 ed, 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 removed and leave nearly all the branches 

 as they were ; but under the hot suns and strong winds 

 of an American climate, a vigorous shortening in is req- 

 uisite. 



6* 



