344 



PRUNING. 



young pear-trees to the point of starvation. 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 breast- 

 wood on the main boughs ; instead of checking this disposition by any of the 

 ordinary modes of pruning, Mr. Beaton assists the tree to throw off the super- 

 abundant sap, by disleafing the breast- wood 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 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 contributing 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 disbudding a weak tree, all the leaves and 

 shoots which it produces ; even the breast- wood and upright shoots, which 

 the French call gourmands ; ought to be encouraged within certain limits. 

 Disleafing is frequently pi^ctised with fruit-bearing plants, both ligneous and 

 herbaceous, with a view to admit the sun and air to the fruit, and sometimes 

 also to assist in ripening wood by stopping growth. It may be applied in 

 various instances to killing perennial weeds, both on the ground and in water, 

 by cutting their leaves off the moment they appear, and before they are even 

 partially developed. Docks, thistles, rushes, horse-tail, and such weeds in 

 pastures, might be destroyed in this mode at less expense than by any other. 

 Even couch-grass, that pest of gardeners in a superlative degree, may be so 

 destroyed, notwithstandmg its creeping underground stems, if no green leaves 

 are allowed to be formed ; as might the bulrushes, bur reeds, common reeds, 

 and other weeds which rise up from the bottom of ponds ; care being taken 

 to repeat the operation as long as the weeds continue to grow, and never to 

 let them exceed an inch or two in height. The scythe proper for this pur- 

 pose has been mentioned (548). Grass lawns are sometimes for the sake 

 of economy only mown three or four times a year, in consequence of which 

 the grasses always throw up a vigorous foliage ; but a much greater economy 

 of labour, at least, would be to mow double that number of times, in conse- 

 quence of which the plants would be so reduced that in the course of a year 

 or two there would be comparatively little to mow. 



773. Slitting and splitting may be classed under modes of pruning, the 

 first being occasionally employed to relieve hide-bound trees, a practice of 

 doubtful utility, and the second to stimulate stems to the production of roots 

 or shoots. Hide-bound trees are relieved by slitting the bark longitudinally 

 from the collar as high up the stem and along the branches as may be con- 

 sidered necessary. The lower extremities of cuttings are sometimes slit up 

 (581) ; and shoots are split or fractured to excite buds (622). The stocks 

 or stumps of cabbages and pine-apples are occasionally split, experience 

 having proved that the operation excites them to the production of sprouts 

 or suckers, as it does also in bulbs (684). 



774. Bruising and tearing off the stems of plants from their roots are in 

 some cases found to be more effective than cutting them off with a smooth 

 section. This is the case with ferns, docks, and perennial thistles in pas- 



