122 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ June, 
in order that the preliminary stage of vital development shall be that part of the 
future plant which is intended to perform the important office of fixing it firmly in 
the ground. Moreover, as soon as this root is developed, its office of feeding com¬ 
mences ; the two halves of the seed are thrust up into the light and expand, and 
from the germ between them, which is the true axis of the physiologists, springs 
up a central stem, which soon begins to develop foliage; and from that time the 
principle of reciprocal action is established. Deeper and deeper the root pene¬ 
trates into the earth, and higher and higher upwards grow the branches and 
foliage, each more or less, according to the constitutional tendencies of the plant, 
-—some making a large development from seed the first year, others only a weak 
one, though the principle of action is alike in both. 
The tendenc}'- of this process, if allowed to continue, would be a large develop¬ 
ment of stem upwards, and a corresponding development of the tap-root down¬ 
wards, and these exactly fulfil all the conditions necessary for the production of 
fine timber-trees which are never to be disturbed until utilised. But this natural 
process of development is entirely to be avoided in the culture of fruit-trees under 
control, and therefore one of the first operations connected with the preparation 
of stocks for fruit-trees, which are raised from seed, is to cut off the tap root to 
within 3 in. of the collar, or even less, if there are plenty of small rootlets radi¬ 
ating from below the collar; if more than this is left, the chances are that there 
will be a tendency to the formation of other large deep-striking roots, to the 
exclusion of the small radiating roots which it is so desirable to keep near the 
surface, so as to secure the full benefit of atmospherical influences. 
Nothing can well be worse for the operator than the presence of three or four 
large roots piercing deeply into the earth, and causing the trees to put forth a 
strong growth of unfruitful wood. All the operations connected with defoliation 
and branch management, or surface-dressing, or root-pruning by the ordinary 
method of cutting a deep trench all round the tree, will be rendered nugatory by 
the influence of these roots, and the only safe course is to lift the tree entirely 
out of its place, and remove the offending members. Practical instruction on 
this subject of root-pruning will, of necessity, be interwoven with other details of 
practice, as we proceed with our subject. 
I have been thus particular in remarking upon the various tendencies to be 
counteracted in the roots, because the management of these is quite as important 
as that of the branches. The gardener—whether professional or amateur—will 
find a great advantage to result from studying these natural tendencies, and the 
way in which they react upon the growth. Indeed, without some such knowledge, 
success in very many cases will be more the result of chance, than of design 
following upon intelligent management. Such knowledge, too, will enable the 
operator to avoid a blind adherence to what may be considered as generally 
established points of management, but which may often be advantageously 
varied in their application by bringing intelligent observation to bear on the 
subject. I have noted many instances where the knife has been freely used upon 
