NURSERIES. 



113 



not receiving sufficient supply of root-moistm*e, in- 

 stead of pressing on to new formation of wood, only 

 find enough to burgeon out into flower-buds, which 

 the following season drain the tree by reproduction; 

 this fruit-bearing alternates with periods of exhaus- 

 tion, w^hen the buds have not even supply sufficient 

 to swell into the embryo of flower and seed, but ex- 

 tend only into a few leaves ; and sometimes, in the 

 event of a benign season, the buds may throw out a 

 small extension of new shoots. The tree progresses 

 very slowly in thickness of bole all this time, and 

 generally soon falls a prey to disease. On the other 

 hand, when the tree has its natm'ally fine large roots 

 preserved, and is situated in open forest, and mixed 

 with other kinds, these large roots diverging widely 

 from the tree and each other, have a much larger 

 less-sought space to forage in ; and the tree enjoying 

 a long period of luxuriant growth before it fall much 

 into seed-bearing, acquires strength of constitution 

 to thrive and increase for ages under this drain. 



We are satisfied that cutting or fracture of the 

 root-leaders, especially near the bulb, when they have 

 acquired some size, is injurious to the extension and 

 longevity of the tree, in pines and most kinds of 

 hard w^ood ; and that branch-pruning, as generally 

 practised, is not less pernicious, first, by the derange- 



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