This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 Excerpt: ...of competition on root extent of cottonu ood. (7) Coppicing or cutting back of hedges. Coppicing docs not directly increase the length of roots, but leaves the new shoots to grow with roots of the same length as those possessed by the original trees. In the case of osage orange this is seen to have a very important effect. Table 7.--Effect of coppicing on proportionate root extent. The conditions stated above will, singly or collectively, account for the unusual length of roots in almost every instance where they are found to be longer in proportion to the height than is given in Table 4. These conditions should be avoided as far as possible. EFFECTS OF SAI'MNO. As already stated, the effect of a lack of moisture in the zone next to the trees will be felt most strongly by plants which begin life anew each year; that is, by annual crops. Frequently seeds will fail to germinate, or the young plants will die from lack of moisture before their roots can be developed. It is believed that the ability of perennial crops, like alfalfa and clover, to grow in the shade of trees is in a large measure due to their extensive roots. Orchards.--Fruit trees on the edge of the orchard where they must compete with forest trees are usually small in size. Doubtless this is partly due to shading. Even if the trees attain to good bearing the fruit in dry years is likely to be small and of poor color. In California trenches are dug to cut off the roots of eucalypts and other large trees surrounding orchards in order to prevent their taking moisture from the fruit trees. A case measured in Edwards County, Kans., shows that while sapping by forest trees may be appreciable, it need not, in a young orchard, result in any damage to the fruit trees. The windbreak consisted of two rows ...