PRUNING AND TRAINING. 



399 



into a fruit-bearing state, and continue long of 

 robust habit, increased rather than diminished 

 by severe pruning, and causing the mutilating 

 practices of root-pruning, ringing, &c, to be had 

 recourse to. 



Leaf-pruning consists in removing a portion 

 of the foliage while the tree or plant is in a grow- 

 ing state ; an operation in tree management, we 

 believe, first described, and its effects explained, 

 by Mr Beaton, one of the most scientific gar- 

 deners of the present day. The object is to 

 reduce the strength in over- luxuriant trees, and 

 the means employed to pinch the leaves off 

 as fast as they are unfolded from the bud, thus 

 preventing the formation of buds at their axils, 

 and the return of the sap to the root. " When 

 a tree fills the space allotted to it against a wall, 

 and shows a disposition to still further growth, 

 by throwing up strong vertical shoots above 

 the wall, and luxuriant breastwood on the 

 main boughs, instead of checking this disposi- 

 tion by any of the ordinary modes of pruning, 

 Mr Beaton assists the tree to throw off the 

 superabundant sap by disleafing the breastwood 

 and vertical shoots, and in the winter-pruning 

 he displaces all the buds on such shoots, even 

 those on the points, after which they die off by 

 degrees, and are cut out. If trees are not very 

 luxuriant, indeed, one year of this treatment 

 will reduce them to a moderate degree of 

 strength. As buds are only formed in the axils 

 of the leaves, probably much disbudding and 

 pruning might be saved by disleafing as soon as 

 the leaves are developed ; but it must always be 

 borne in mind that every leaf has not only the 

 particular office to perform of nourishing the 

 bud in its axil, but the general one of contri- 

 buting to the nourishment of all that part of 

 the tree which is between it and the farthest 

 extremities of the roots. Hence, in particular 

 cases, where it is desirable to give additional 

 vigour to the roots, instead of disleafing or dis- 

 budding a weak tree, all the leaves and shoots 

 it produces, even the breastwood and upright 

 shoots, which the French call gourmands, 

 ought to be encouraged within certain limits. 

 Disleafing is frequently practised with fruit- 

 bearing plants, both ligneous and herbaceous, 

 with the view to admit the sun and air to the 

 fruit, and sometimes also to assist in ripening 

 wood by stopping growth." — Sub. Hort., p. 344. 

 Of the ingeniousness of this practice there can 

 be no doubt, and in skilful hands the desired 

 effect will be accomplished. We would, how- 

 ever, depend more on taking up and replanting, 

 or on root-pruning, in all cases where these 

 operations can be conveniently carried into 

 effect. The removal of leaves while plants 

 are in a growing state has the most debilitating 

 effect on them of any operation that can be 

 applied, and if carried too far would certainly 

 terminate their existence. To a limited extent 

 the practice has advantages ; and in the case 

 of strong- growing trees, the removal of the 

 leaves from such shoots as the experienced 

 pruner foresees are to be removed at all events, 

 may be done with the greatest safety, and, if 

 done in proportion to the strength of the tree, 

 will be attended with great advantage. 



Root-pruning is an operation often rendered ne- 

 cessary to check over-luxuriance in the tree, and 

 to induce in it a disposition to become fruitful. It 

 is, when properly and timeously performed, per- 

 haps one of the most important modes of prun- 

 ing. There is no doubt, seeing.how much the tree 

 depends on its roots, that they should demand 

 as much of our attention as the branches ; for 

 unless a proper balance is kept up between 

 them, no satisfactory results need be looked 

 for. The best cultivators of fruit trees, fully 

 alive to this, have the roots of their trees 

 as much under their control as the tree itself, 

 and are no more afraid of laying them bare, 

 and using the pruning-knife upon them, than 

 they are at operating on the branches. By a 

 proper adjustment of the roots, the sterility of 

 trees, whether proceeding from want or super- 

 abundance of food supplied from the soil, is 

 corrected, fresh and proper food is secured to 

 them, the roots placed in the best position to 

 take up this food, which is in general when 

 near the surface, where they have their neces- 

 sary share of solar heat, &c. Where excessive 

 vigour' exists in the tree, and consequently an 

 absence of fruit, this is remedied by curtailing, 

 or even totally removing, so many of the strong 

 roots as may be thought necessary. Autumn 

 is in general preferred for this operation, 

 although many have executed it with good 

 effect even when the trees were in full growth. 

 The operation need seldom be repeated oftener 

 than once in three years, and sometimes less 

 frequently suffices, much depending on cir- 

 cumstances. The operation is generally per- 

 formed by opening a trench so wide that the 

 operator may easily reach the roots, and to 

 such a depth as to get completely under them ; 

 for it is often those which strike downward 

 which most require to be operated upon. 

 The distance also from the stem of the tree 

 will depend on its size, and the extent to which 

 the operation is to be carried. The larger and 

 stronger roots should be cut off, leaving the 

 w r ounds clean and smooth, to enable them to 

 heal over speedily, and form callosities from 

 which the new and more valuable roots will 

 proceed. Root-pruning during summer was, 

 Ave believe, first brought into notice by the late 

 Mr Beattie, of Scone Palace, who operated upon 

 a whole wall of pears with remarkable effect ; 

 and we find Mr Errington extending the opera- 

 tion over a much greater extent of the season. 

 " It will appear," he says, " strange to some per- 

 sons to talk of root-pruning when trees are in 

 full growth ; but in all probability a better 

 period could not be chosen than the end of 

 July, for to delay longer with subjects requir- 

 ing the operation, especially of trees of tender 

 habit, is to lose a good chance of facilitating the 

 ripening of the wood. Late growths are anta- 

 gonistic in all cases to the latter process ;" and 

 this holds good most in rich deep soils which 

 encourage growth, and cold late autumns, inca- 

 pable, in consequence of want of heat, of ripen- 

 ing the wood. Root-pruning has received a 

 fresh impetus by the example shown by Mr 

 Rivers, the respectable nurseryman at Saw- 

 bridge Worth, who may be said to have reduced 



