Mexico Missouri message., 1900-02-22


From Farmers Review: For sew
eral years a method of root pruning
much at variance with commonly ac-
cepted methods has been strongly ad-
vocated in certain quarters. Not all
tests, however. have resulted favor
ably. OF twenty-five apple trees planted
at the Nebraska station in the spring
OF 1896 only ten were living at the end
of September in the same year, and
very few OF these showed any salts
factory growth or vigor. or the check
trees, some having the roots cut back
only about one-half and the other un-
trimmed, not one died. From tests
made at the Missouri station with the
apple it was concluded that "the in
jury caused by too Loose root pruning
Is one that trees do not outgrow II
they do not diet outright.
The heroic pruning advised by our
Southern neighbor seems to be un-
adapted to our conditions. The NOR
tality among our trees is too great"
From the results of all the trials
thus far reported it is evident that this
practice of close root pruning neither
merits unqualified approval nor de-
serves sweeping condemnation. AS
might have been expected, species vary
greatly in their ability to endure Sc
we're root pruning. Among cultivated
trees probably those which experience
the least i'll effects are the peach and
pear The critics OF this method have
attributed much of its success to con-
ditions of soil and climate. On this
point the evidence is very unsatisfas-
tory. Stringfellow, the most ardent
advocate of the method, working at
Galveston with the favoring conditions
of a warm, porous soil and high an
nual rainfall, has obtained remarkable
results from close root pruning; but
the Georgia and Alabama stations have
also obtained satisfactory results I'M
der the adverse conditions of droutn
and poor, hard soil These results
certainly contradict the statements Of
certain critics that the method is sue
cessful only under favorable soil and
meteorological conditions. Again.
nearly all OF these successes were
achieved in the Middle and Southern
states. The outcome under equally I'M
favorable conditions in the North
might be different; in fact, at present
the evidence points in that direction.
Much field work is still necessary to
determine the limits of applicability
Of this method.
The method consists in cutting back
transplanted tree to practically no
root at all, or at most to a mere stub,
shortening the top rOportiunately.
I he tree thus becomes to all intents
and purposes cutting. There is moth
ing essentially new" about this
method. Interest in it attaches TO the
proposition that its possibilities in
practice have not been fully under
stood. The advantages claimed for
this method are that it gives a better
tree with root system consisting Of
several strong roots which penetrate
| into the moist depths of the soil and
securely anchor the tree instead of
spreading out near the surface. More
over, with the root pruned to club,
| it is no longer necessary to dig large
holes in transplanting A mere dibble
hole is sufficient.
The method has been quite extern
sively tested both North and South.
Tests were made at the Maryland sta
| tion on a large scale. About 1000
trees of various kinds were planted.
At the end of the first season peach
trees the roots of which were un-
pruned lad made greater, but not so
even, growth than those that were
pruned. Root-pruned pear trees made
better growth in all respects than
unpruned trees. In the case of apple
trees there was little if any difference
between root-pruned and unpruned
trees. Root-pruned plums outgrew I'M
pruned. The Mahaleb cherry, red
cedar and California privet did well
under the treatment. Black Tartarian
cherry on MaXard roots, Norway
spruce, hemlock and Lawson cypress
! did not. The general result of the
tests was very encouraging to the ad-
voCates of close root pruning.
A series of tests was made by the
Georgia station, mainly with the peach
but including also the apple and
cherry, with results indicating that
peach trees pruned by this method
will live and flourish in this section
even in stiff clay soil and under ad-
verse meteorological conditions. This
statement may also be extended to
| cover apples and cherries
The method was tested at 1he In
diana station. The season was con-
sidered exceptionally favorable. The
| result of this experiment showed that
| the peach tree was capable, after be-
ing deprived of all its roots and
| branches, of producing a magnificent
root system and a top to correspond,
The dwarf pear, standard pear, Ger
man prunc, and Early Richmond
cherry came next in order, the latter
| making very little root development on
the pruned trees"
GUY l.. MITCHELL.
| Potash and Peach Trees.-Pcaches,
| like all other products of the soil need