NOVEMBER. 
343 
size of the tree, and when once filled, the roots should be cut back 
yearly to keep them within the given space. I have had Pear trees 
which were taken up every autumn, the old soil washed away from the 
roots, pruned and planted again directly in new soil; they made but 
little wood, but their spurs and foliage were finer than ever I saw on 
wall trees, and so were the fruit. After replanting, mulch with three 
or four inches of half decayed manure, which should remain all the 
following season. 
The Peach, Pear, Mulberry, Plum, Apricot, and Apple, have ail been 
operated upon with results highly satisfactory. Under a proper system 
of root pruning and shallow soil, I am sanguine to think that some kinds 
of Peaches, as the Rosanna and Early Ann, and the early kinds of 
Apricots, might ripen as bush fruit on a warm border. I have no doubt 
that root pruning would prove equally useful for Cherries, but these 
I have only tried on a small scale, and for one year only, though I intend 
to follow it up more extensively. I wish Mr. Rivers or Mr. Ingram 
would try the Peach on this plan out of doors, by way of testing its 
merits. 
The best season for examining and pruning the roots of fruit trees is 
from the second week in October to the end of November. To carry 
out this principle correctly, the trees should be commenced with the 
first season after planting; the tendency to make large strong roots will 
yearly diminish, and in a very few years fibrous roots only will be 
formed. To many of your readers this process will appear a tedious 
one, prompted, they may say, more by curiosity than as a piece of 
sound practice. To me it is not so, and I have no hesitation in saying 
it will go very far towards bringing up our Peaches and Pears equal to 
those grown on the Continent, and make our crops much more certain 
than is now the case. 
The soil should be fresh maiden loam, tolerably stiff, and which has 
been well exposed for twelve months ; manure, except as a mulching, 
is not required. • * 
With root pruning I would dispense with the Quince stock for Pears, 
the Paradise for Apples. The French work most of their Peaches on the 
Almond, and they can do much more with their trees than we dare attempt. 
I should prefer a good hardy Peach stock for the Peach and Nectarine to 
either the Mussel or Pear Plum stock, and am of opinion they would 
not grow so late in the autumn as they do on these latter. 
The usual way of digging a trench round trees over vigorous, and 
chopping off more or less of the larger roots, is much to be condemned; 
it has no claims to be considered otherwise than a slovenly attempt at 
a better practice. Better by far take up the tree and replant it 
entirely. To cut away three or four of the largest roots, leaving the 
rest as they were, will have much the same effect on the tree below as 
would cutting away three or four large limbs off the top and not 
touching the rest. A large increase of strong shoots would follow one 
practice; and a number of strong roots the other, leaving the trees 
in no ways better, but probably worse, than they were before. 
I shall have something to say on soils and transplanting in your next. 
