ROOT PRUNING AND LIFTING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1247, 23 January 1896, Page 8

ROOT PRUNING AND LIFTING.

It is wonderful what can be dune (says Farm and Field) by means of the judi cious pruning or lifting of the roots of fruit trees of nearly all kinds —in the way, of course, of rendering them more fruitful. An experienced man can tell very nearly, if not exactly, from the be haviour of the top 3 of his trees how the roots are acting, and such an one will have very few fruitless plants in his garden—certainly not for any length of time. When young trees begin to make wood instead of fruit-buds, they usually continue to do so until measures are taken to check this too exuberant growth, but in some cases even comparatively old trees that have been bearing good crops for years will suddenly begin to show growths and foliage instead of fruit ; when this occurs, the tap root has pro bably got down into a bed of clay or some unsuitable medium, and if this can be found and cut right through at a point from one to three feet below the collar or base of the trunk, a cure will usually be effected in the course of a year or two, and the tree will bear again as well as ever. In some cases the whole or part of the surface roots may become buried too deeply, when they should be lifted or raised and replanted, bur, as a rule, it is the tap-root that does the mischief. To prune the top or growth of a tree that.isalready making a too luxuriant growth is only to make bad matters worse —it is the roots that must be operated upon.

There are three different methods of root-pruning, or checking the tendency to make too robust a growth at the expense of fruit. Young trees, whether plum, pear, or apple, should be lifted bodily from their place, and replanted, say, six inches higher than before, but without bearing the roots of earth to any extent. If this is done about the third year after planting, the slight check usually throws them into a fruitful state, where they usually remain. The second method is to search fur and sever the tap root, as described above, or, failing this, some of the other main roots may be similarly operated upon ; while the third consists in uncovering the surface layers, in part or whole, and lifting and replanting them nearer the surface from four to six inches is the proper depth for the upper or surface tier. In most cases this plan is much better than cutting away nearly all* the main roots, which should only be dune as a last resort. Few trees have too many surface roots, and if the majority or these lie but little more than 3ix inches below the surface, such a tree will usually be fruitful. Remember that tupdressings of rich, stimulating compost also greatly encourage the existing roots to the surface and promote the formation of fresh one*, but never cover them deeply.