January 13, 1912. 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZIWE. 



27 



CONTROLLING THE ROOT l"^ ^^'^ parad^e stock, M-hich has its origin and that fruit buds are freely developed. 



SYSTEM OF FRUIT TREES. 



There is no practical operation associated 

 with fruit culture so absolutely violated 

 as is that of unnecessarily tampering 

 with the roots of fruit trees. The roots of 

 young apple trees undoubtedly come in for 

 more than a due amount of mutilation^ and 

 it is astonishing to what extent the roots 

 can be hacked off without causing the death 

 of the tree. The experienced grower knows 

 just how far to go, but, as in other profes- 

 sions, and perhaps more so in gardening, 

 young men are appointed as head gardeners 

 who may not have had the opportunity dur- 

 ing theirapprenticeship, or as journeymen or 

 foremen, of observing the effects of root 

 pruning^ and particularly so if their duties 

 were largely confined, as is so often the 

 case, to the cultivation of plants under 

 glass, and not that of fruit trees growing 

 in the open. 



Apple Trees. 



Given a retentive loam, young apples on 

 the crab or the hroadlea.ved paradise or 

 similarly constituted stock will, as soon as 

 established, proceed to make vigorous wood 

 growi>h, which, if allowed to continue, will 

 undoubtedly make it difficult for the pruner 

 to regulate the branching system and con- 

 trol the formation of fruiting -spurs, un- 

 less he first inspects and regulates the root 

 system of the tree. Bushes or pyramids on 

 the F renoh paradise do not demand the 

 same attention, as here we have a stock 

 which by nature is fibrous and surface root- 

 ing, and even though the tree does attain 

 a reasonable amount of vigour in the third 

 or fourth year after planting, the branches 

 can usually be controlled without any mani- 

 pulation of the roots, but not so with 

 strong-growing varieties of apples 

 equally vigorous stocks. 



An all too common practice is to allow 

 bushes to attain to large proportions, and 

 to assume a naked condition of the lower 

 branches before an attempt is made to root 

 prune; and when such operation is com- 

 menced, insufficient care is taken in laying 

 bare the roots. The process adopted is 

 akm to grubbing up ai tree rather tJian to 

 transplantmg. Where the tree has heen 



fted. the 



greatest 



ort^en, when the leading 



very severely, the corresponding branches 

 ot the tree receive a check from which they 

 do not recover. As far as possible root 

 pruning should be done at the fall of the 

 leat, or while the soil is sufficiently W'arm to 

 encourage the formation of new roots before 

 winter, cannot be overestimated. ITie 

 trees may be lifted late in the year, or as 

 IS sometimes done, early in spring, but it 

 IS essential to use the greatest care in 

 carrying out the various details. Where 

 subsoils are cold and wet, no better oppor- 

 tunity IS afforded of improving them than 

 tins stage, and before commencinp: the 



Sf/\/''" ^«^P^^ supply of 



suitably prepared soil should be at hand, 



aud the more this compost facilitates the 

 toimation of young fibrous roots, the more 



satisfactory will be the results 



ihe two trees herewith illustrated are of 

 tul showing a proper balance be- 



branehes ^''"'^^ ^"^^^ 



nr^tl 11 ''^ '''''^ pruning pears is 



tlTnlf I^^varfing stocks like 



'porT^^f'^^^ '^^^^g«^«" and the 



"rtugaj, ^ire of somewhat ^m^\Ur h5ihi+. 



from a dwarf trailing species of the Pyrus 

 family. Before the introduction of these 

 fibrous rooting stocks, very little attention 

 was given to root pruning, nor was the sub- 

 ject sufficiently well understood. For a few 

 years after planting, the balance between 

 root and top is about equal, but as soon as 

 the allotted space is filled up, and the roots 

 penetrate into a strong fertile soil, a. dis- 

 proportion between the two soon takes 

 place. 



roots 



per 



ed until the soil 

 occur new roots 



Plum Trees. 



Much difficulty is experienced in the man- 

 agement of plums. As to soil conditions, I 

 have found that these fruits thrive where 

 apricots have proved a success, whereas if 

 planted in cold, damp clays, failure is sure 

 to attend their cultivation. It seems diffi- 



not be formed before the following spring 

 and the preparation for next year's fruiting 

 will be incomplete. Further, if the roots 

 are pruned too late, disease is more likely 

 to make its appearance, whereas if the 

 operation is performed early, disease is un- 

 known, although the trees retain their 

 foliage, and go to rest early. 



Plums, the finer varieties of which are 

 grafteil on stocks of the mussel plum, are 

 rarely subject to disease if afforded a 

 healthy root run in suitable soil. If proper 

 control is not kept over the roots the 

 branches soon assume an irregular form and 

 abstract nourishment from the soil, which 



, £ -'-^-^---^ txu^ivia^i, iivuii&ujjieiLt/ irom Lne soil, wnicn 



cult tor some growers to realise tliis fact, should go towards maintaining the fruiting 



BUSH APPLE TEEi:, >A\i)KL\GHAM, 

 With roots that are well under control. 



and so we come across plantations of plums 

 in heavy retentive soils in which they make 

 a luxuriance of growth for several years, 

 but never show any inclination to ! e;>i 

 fruity however favourable cMmatic t-oJi^i- 

 tions may prove. 



Probably, like others, I have had some 

 remarkable results attend the judicious 

 root pruning of plums. In the case of 

 gross-growing trees thp usual practice with 

 many is to stop the sluiots in May or June, 

 followed up by a more severe pruning when 

 the growtlis push forth for the second time 

 in July. Ilf, in addition to this, the roots 

 are oxaminetl. and the strongest of them 

 rt^movtMl, particularly those with a ten- 

 (loncv to make a d(>\vin\ a i <l o;r(>wtlK and 

 the space below well fiHed and made firm 



spurs in health and vigour of growth. In 

 the case of the Victoria and other robust- 

 growing varieties of plums, the bending or 



tying down of the branches is often recom- 

 mendedj and^ while tending to check such 

 growths and to promote the development 

 of fruiting spurs, very considerable assis- 

 tance will be afforded if young trees are 



taken up and their roots systematically 

 pruned before they have an opportunity of 

 growing downward. J. C, N. 



(To be continued.) 



post 



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[Season's wood soon 



"CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND HOW TO G.T10W 



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and L. Collingridg«, 148 and 149, Aideregate Stre«t, 

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