THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OB AMERICA. 



683 



simultaneous!}' than if dotted individually in mixed col- 

 lections whose constituents llower at diverse times. 



PRUNING SHRUBS. 



In order to arrive at the proper time and method of 

 pruning shrubs a study of their characteristics is neces- 

 sary. For this purpose we must recognize two distinct 

 types, distinct in the sense that one flowers upon the 

 current year's wood, and the other upon the old or 

 previous season's growth. It is easy to distinguish be- 

 tween the two. As a general rule shrubs should be 

 pruned at once after flowering if pruning is necessary, 

 but in the case of the more tender ones which flower upon 

 the current season's growth it is unwise to prune before 

 danger of heavy frosts is past in the Spring, say about 

 the first week of April. Two notable examples of this 

 type are roses and hydrangeas. There is always danger 

 when these are pruned early in the season, of the remain- 

 ing buds being killed, which is often the case when bright 

 sunlight succeeds excessive frost. When this occurs the 

 plants may be seriously injured, and the resultant growth 

 and flowers worthless. 



Lilacs, Shrubby Honeysuckles (Lonicera), Weigelia, 

 snowballs (Viburnum), Deutzias, Forsythias and similar 

 hardy shrubs should all, if necessary, be pruned at once 

 after flowering, and the old flowers removed from such 

 as the lilac before seed formation has occurred. 



In the case of shrubs, except evergreens, which are 

 dependent upon the formation of new growth for the 

 following season's flowers, the immediate removal of old 

 flowering wood or branches favors the development of 

 new growth and the subsequent ripening of vegetative 

 or flowering buds ere Winter sets in. Shrubs, however, 

 bearing berries (fruits) which mature during the Fall 

 should not be pruned after flowering as this will elimi- 

 nate their Winter beauty, as upon the flowering branches 

 the berries are borne. In this category are such ex- 

 amples as Berberis of many kinds, snowberries, white and 

 red fruited (Symphoricarpus Racemosus and Vulgaris) 

 and deciduous species of Euonymus, many of which bear 

 very ornamental fruits. 



BENEFITS OF PRUNING. 



The objects of pruning are: To encourage the de- 

 velopment of vigorous growth and the subsequent pro- 

 duction of flowers ; to eliminate worthless branches and 

 superfluous growth, and thus favor the equal distribution 

 of air and light : To remove defective parts and to pro- 

 mote growth to replace these and thus assist nature to 

 restore symmetry. 



It is an easy matter to remove all undesirable growth 

 providing certain principles are observed. When remov- 

 ing branches do not leave stnlis, each undesirable portion 

 should be removed with a slanting cut at its junction 

 with another stem or just above a bud. W'henever it is 

 necessary to shorten or "head back" the longest branches, 

 all should not be cut at the same height. 



Growth should be encouraged close to the ground 

 rather than at the ape.x of the shrub. To induce this the 

 longest branches must be gradually removed. As the 

 stronger branches grow more quickly to the source of 

 light, the weaker lateral onc< eventually succumb. It is 

 a case of the survival of the fittest, consequently the main 

 stems near the ground appear bare and unsightly, there- 

 fore, the stronger must be removed to be replaced by the 

 weak. Dilapidation quickly ensues where careful pruning 

 is not exercised, but where tlic practice pertains renova- 

 tion is constantly taking place much to the enhanced ap- 

 pearance of the subjects. 



It is titter folly to clip shrubs into grotesque shajK's 

 unless they are planted as Iicdges or are included in a 

 formal garden scheme. Clip] led' shrubs are not dcsiralile 



for any other purpose, neither are they natural, as usually 

 all their beauty and grace vanishes with the removal of 

 growth which produces flower. A well pruned shrub 

 should appear to an artistic eye a perfect object, no sign 

 of mutilation should be visible, the head should be perfect- 

 ly symmetrical without i)eing grotesque. Clipped shrubs 

 are always grotesque, as the pernicious practice of hack- 

 ing these beautiful subjects results in their total failure 

 to produce annually their abundant blossoms. .Shrubs, 

 dift'er from trees in that they possess no well-defined 

 leader (trunk J. When pruning trees it is proper to. 

 retain the leader, but in the former no such leader should 

 be encouraged. 



ROSES. 



Roses planted in the Spring should be cut back some- 

 what severely. Other shrubs may simply require thinning 

 to counterbalance the loss of roots caused by lifting. 

 Roses, however, which are established are pruned ac- 

 cording to the characteristics of the class to which they 

 belong. Hybrid perpetuals are stronger growers than 

 hybrid teas, while climbing or rambling roses arc distinct 

 from either of the former. Strong growing plants should 

 be pruned lightly, weak growing ones such as many 

 hybrid teas severely, but in the case of ramblers it is only 

 necessary to remove old or dead branches to prevent 

 crowding of young growths, or to allow such growths 

 to be trained into desirable positions. It may also occa- 

 sionally be necessary to shorten back the longest growths 

 to keep the plants within bounds. — Canadian Florist. 



CALCEOLARIA STEWARTIANA. 



The accompanying illustration of a specimen Calceo- 

 laria Stewartiana shows a plant grown on the P. -A. B. 

 Widener estate, Philadelphia, Pa., by William Kleinheinz. 

 Mr. Kleinheinz believes that this plant will become a great 

 acquisition to greenhouse flowering plants, and claims 

 that it can be easily grown from cuttings. It is a cross 

 between C. rugosa and C. hybrida, originally raised at 

 the Arnold Arboretum in Boston and named after W. J. 

 Stewart. The flowers are of a clear yellow color, and 

 are free growers. 



c.\LcKul.,\Rl.\ STEW.\KT1.\N.\. 



