The Cultivation of Fruits 
151 
of 2 to 3 parts of superphosphate and 1 to 2 parts of 
kainit applied at the rate of | lb. to 4 lb. to each tree, 
according to its age. 
Should the trees tend to get rank in growth, they may 
require root pruning, and this should be done as soon as 
possible after the leaves fall in autumn. In young trees, 
all the root pruning may be done at the same time, but in 
older trees, only part of it should be done, as it would 
be too great a check to a large and old tree to root- 
prune it all in one season. 
The soil should be taken out, and a trench 18 in. to 
2 ft. broad made, 2 \ to 4 ft. distant from the tree, accord- 
ing to the age of it, digging down until quite below all 
the roots. All strong roots should be cut off with a sharp 
knife, placing the knife under the root, and cutting upwards 
again, if possible at a place where root fibres appear. The 
trench should afterwards be filled, if possible with good 
loam round the cut roots, to provide good nourishment 
for the young roots. If the tree is old, the one half may 
be done one year and the other half the following season. 
Should the tree be very old, a third, or even a fourth, of 
the roots may be done each successive year, until the whole 
is finished. The tree will gradually change its habit, and 
instead of throwing up a quantity of useless wood the 
young fibres will gather more suitable food, and the tree 
will produce fruit buds and fruit. 
If fruit trees have been neglected for some time, it will 
often be found necessary to thin out the branches con- 
siderably, as heavy crops of fruit may be borne, but very 
small in size and of inferior quality. 
It is better to do this gradually, thinning out some of 
