TRAINING. 
39 
tation of space, the craving for early maturity, all have to be met and 
gratified, often by the use of the knife. As the knowledge of the laws 
of life and conditions of growth extend, cultivators will, no doubt, train 
more and prune less. But the time is probably yet far distant when 
the pruning of such trees as the apple will be abandoned. The place 
of pruning has been changed, the extent of it much reduced, but the 
practice is yet general. In fact, unless we could sow the seeds of our 
trees where they are to remain for life, and graft them where sown, 
we cannot, if we would, avoid root pruning. 
1.—Root Pruning, 
Root pruning, which is necessarily practised at each removal of the 
trees, is by far the more potential sort of pruning. Prune the tops, and they 
grow again with perhaps as much as or more vigour than before ;\ prune 
the roots, and the entire character of growth of root and top is modified 
and changed for life. So much is this the case, that, if once a fibrous 
habit of root is established by pruning, apple trees may need no more 
pruning throughout their lives, where they have room to develope them¬ 
selves, as, say, orchard apple trees. Root pruning may thus render top 
pruning wholly unnecessary. Trees are often thus said to be unpruned, 
that have been pruned in the most effectual way, and once pruned so 
well as to need no further pruning. 
Great mistakes are also made in regard to root pruning. So long as a 
certain number of roots are removed, some seem to think it of little or no 
matter what roots are removed or where they are cut from. This is 
quite a mistake. It often makes all the difference where the roots are 
cut from. Those nearest the surface have a tendency to form fibres 
if not root-pruned. As a rule, the more fibry the roots, the less pruning 
they need. In \ Fig. 27 the horizontal roots may be left, and the 
