The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1900-01-25
Close Root Pruning Methods.

From Farmers Review: For sew
era1 years a method of root pruning
much at variance with commonly &C
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. OF the check
trees, some having the roots cut back
only about one-ha1f and the other I'M
trimmed, not one died. From tests
made at the Missouri station with the
apple it was concluded that 1.-The in
jury caused by too loose root pruning
is one that trees do not outgrow if
they do not diet outright
The heroic pruning advised by our
Southern neighbOr seems to be un-
adapted to our conditions The NOR
tally 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 ill 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 unsatisfac-
tory. String fellow, the most ardent
advocate of the method working at
Galveston with the favoring conditions
of a warm, porous soil and high an
nuaI rainfall, has obtained remarkable
results from close root pruning; but
the Georgia and Alabama stations have
also obtained satisfactory results un-
der the adverse conditions of drOuth
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
a transplanted tree to practically nc
root at all, at most to mere stub
shortening the top proportionate1y
The tree thus becomes to all intents
and purposes a cutting There is moth
ing essentially new about this
method Interest in it attaches to the
proposition that its possibilities il
practice have not been fully under
stood. The advantages claimed fol
this method are that 1T gives a better
tree with a root system consisting o
several strong roots which penetrate
into the moist depths of the soil ant
securely anchor the tree instead o
spreading out near the surface More
over with the root pruned to a club
it is no longer necessary to dig larg
holes in transplanting- a mere dibbI
hole is sufficient
The method has been quite exten
sively tested both North and South
Tests were made at the Maryland sta
ton on a large scale About LOO
trees of various kinds were planted
At the end of the first season peacl
trees the roots of which were un
pruned had made a greater, but not s
even growth than those that wer
pruned- Root-pruned pear trees mad
a better growth in all respects tina
unpruned trees In the case of appl
trees there was little if any differenc
between root-pruned and unprune
trees Root-pruned plunns outgrew VI
Druned The Mahaleb cherry. re
cedar and California privet did we