488 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



By using dwarfing stocks, which develop a multitude of small fibrous 

 roots, we obtain trees with a diminished growth-vigour and a corre- 

 sponding increase of dwarf shoots. 



Root-pruning has the same object and effect. Fed by the roots of the 

 sturdy crab or pear stock, the apple or pear builds up a larger framework, 

 and the tree devotes its energies more or less to this until its vegetative 

 vigour slackens and it has attained its full size. An old orchard standard 

 is usually somewhat like an open umbrella, boughs and branches answer- 

 ing to the supports and ribs, leaves and fruits to the silk envelope, each of 

 the latter exposed as fully as possible to the light. 



Nature summer-prunes. In a cold, sunless period aphides multiply 

 amazingly, especially on the shoot-tips. The tree cannot grow away 

 from them. They curl up the leaves, reducing their breathing and shade 

 area ; they appropriate to themselves the sap which the tree sends up for 

 the further development of the shoots and leaves. 



Most fruit-grow T ers know Du Breuil's book on the training of 

 fruit trees, illustrated with a hundred and one diagrams of the various 

 geometrical patterns, pleasing to the eye, which trees may be made to 

 assume. 



My father called on M. Du Breuil one day, but, as he was unfortu* 

 nately away from home, was shown round by the old gardener. The place 

 was full of trees, varied in shape and trained geometrically, exactly as the 

 drawings of the book. " Wonderful ! " said my father, after he had been 

 round, "wonderful ! but where do you get your fruit? " The man's eyes 

 twinkled as he threw open the door in a wall of the garden leading to an 

 old but well-cared-for orchard in which the trees were laden. " Here, 

 Monsieur," he said ; " here the master does not come ! " 



Trees do not lend themselves well to mathematical treatment. 



This was a case of both summer and winter pruning carried to excess : 

 continually stimulated, the trees continuously tried to grow more 

 naturally. They bad no time for the formation of fruit buds. 



Ordinary summer pruning makes the trees in a garden look neater, and, 

 as has been said before, lets in the light and air to the fruit. It is possible 

 there may be a result something analogous to root pruning in the 

 suppression of so many leaves and the ensuing check to, or rather 

 diversion of, the activities of the tree. This could no doubt be ascer- 

 tained by direct experiment during a number of years. 



With peaches and nectarines, which bear their fruits along shoots the 

 year after they have been formed, the case is different. 



These trees are always necessarily subjected to a much more artificial 

 treatment than the hardier fruit trees. For them, too, we have as yet no 

 dwarfing stocks. 



The shoots must be stopped ; the buds behind this point then get the 

 benefit of the food which would otherwise be employed in the lengthening 

 of the shoot. 



Mr. Spencer Pickering, F.R.S. (Director of the Woburn Experimental 

 Fruit Farm), said : 



Such remarks as I may make in contribution to the discussion 

 on this subject must be prefaced by the statement that it is a subject 

 on which no very complete experiments have yet been made at 



