Root Pruning.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 1, 12 June 1883, Page 3

Root Pruning.

The experiments were made on the apple and pear. A vigorous apple tree, eight or ten years old, which had scarcely made any fruit-bud-, has done best when about half the roots were cut in one seasou and half three years lat**r, by going half-way round on opposite sides in one year and finishing at the next pruning, working two feet unnerneath. to sever downward roots. It has always answered well, also, to cut from such trees all the larger and long'-r roots about two anh a-half feet from the stem, leaving the smaller and weaker ones longer, and ff-'ing half-way round, as already stated. The operation was repeated three or four years later by extending the cut circle a lbjt or two further away fiom the tree. By the operation unproductive fruit trees became thickly studded with fruit-spurs and afterwards bore profusely. 'Ihis shortening of the roots has been continued in these experiments for 20 years with mucb success, the circle of roots remaining greatly circumscribed. Ihe best rime for the work has been found to be in the latter part of August and the beginning of September, when growth has nearly ceased and while the leaves are yet 00. the trees, causing greater increase of bloom-buds the following year than when performed after they bad fallen. — Garden.