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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



reduced suffiiciently to insure reasonaljle uniformity later. 



Slow-growing or imhealthy trees are often encouraged 

 to make vigorous growth by judicious pruning, in connec- 

 tion, of course, with other proper care. Upen-headed 

 trees may be made to grow more compact by heading in, 

 while a gradual thinning out of the inner branches cor- 

 rects trees with too dense or compact heads. Likewise, 

 those that are nonsymmetrical can be worked into sym- 

 metrical trees by removing the abnormal parts, though 

 such treatmeiit is most effective in the earlier training of 

 the plant. 



As trees get older it becomes necessary to cut out some 

 of the inner branches to^open up the crown, thereby over- 

 coming a crowded or brushy appearance, and to provide 

 for continued symmetrical development of the tree as a 

 whole. The numerous dead limbs in the centers of even 

 healthy trees are excellent witness to this fact. 



In all cases the cutting should be done close up to the 

 trunk or branches and parallel to the surface of the bark, 

 and the cut should be left smooth. Decaying projecting 

 spurs are not only unsightly in themselves, but also retard 

 healing over, and form excellent lodgment for fungous 

 diseases. Hollow trunks commonly result from neglect 

 of this character. 



The above is particularly true in the case of large 

 branches, the removal of which leaves wounds of some 

 considerable size. Late Winter or early Spring pruning 

 is best for all ordinary purposes, as it induces an extra 

 growth of wood the following' season, which is always 

 desirable with ornamentals. 



Large branches should not be removed just previous 

 to nor during the period of the most rapid growth of the 

 tree, as serious bleeding may result ; neither should they 

 be cut off in the late Summer or Fall, since a considerable 

 period must elapse before healing over of the wound can 

 take place. 



In the removal of such linrbs it is best to make two 

 cuts, the first one eighteen or twenty inches above the 

 point where the final one is to be made. In this way 

 danger from tearing the bark or otherwise damaging the 

 trunk is overcome. After the first cut has been completed, 

 which removes most of the weight of the limb, the final 

 one can be made with ease and accuracy. 



Cutting first on the under side and then on the upper 

 side of a large limb will usually secure the same result, 

 though it is less certain. A heavy coat of thick lead paint, 

 preferably of the color of the bark, should be applied to 

 all wounds an inch or more in diameter. This not only 

 improves appearances, but also renders such surfaces im- 

 mune to fungous attacks and checking by weather. 



Where one has 'but a few trees to attend it is possible to 

 handle them so as to make necessary the removal of only 

 sinall limbs or sprotits and the occasional pinching back 

 of a branch that has outdone its neighbors. Trees cared 

 for in this way are more uniform and symmetrical in their 

 development and make more rapid progress than others. 



In the case of trees or shrubs grown principally for 

 flowers, those blossoming early in the Spring season, like 

 the locust, lilac, launistiniis and flowering quince, should 

 not be topped or pruned until after flowering time, since 

 such cutting would remove most of their blossom buds. 

 On the other hand, those that flower late in the Suinmer, 

 as hibiscus, virgin's bower or clematis and elder, should be 

 pruned at the usual time, i. c, in the early Spring, since 

 the blossoms of such species almost invariably develop on 

 twigs of the same season's growth, and pruning at this 

 time mcreases the numlier of these twigs. 



In the pruning of ornamental plants in general, perhaps 

 the most important consideration to be kept in mind is 

 that of allowing the natural or characteristic shape of 



the variety of tree in question to assert itself, for the 

 beauty of a particular plant lies in its individuality and 

 distinctness from other plants. Of what consequence is 

 it to set different varieties of plants about one's home and 

 then proceed to make them look as much alike as possible 

 by hard and fast cutting? In the case of trees of the 

 same species, one should select an ideal or typical speci- 

 men and prune the others toward that end. 



Ornamental pruning, therefore, should be directive or 

 constructive rather than destructive. Trees like the Lom- 

 bardy poplar or Italian cypress, that grow naturally up- 

 right, should be encouraged in that habit ; while those 

 with graceful, spreading forms, like the pepper, should 

 not be forced into artificial shapes by severe and continu- 

 ous trimming and shearing, for all such attempts are 

 certain to result in the end in esthetic failure. 



Likewise, one should not expect to make a tree out of 

 a shrub, nor the reverse. In the extensive and interest- 

 ing grounds at Del Monte, Cal:, trees of most diverse 

 forms and habits have had their individualities preserved 

 to a remarkable extent by intelligent pruning, and this 

 in spite of the fact that it was often necessary to do 

 heavy cutting among the indigenous trees already growing 

 on the grounds. In many instances one-fourth to one- 

 third of a tree has been cut away without changing per- 

 ceptibly its appearance or that of the surroundings, so 

 skillfully was the work done. 



With coniferous evergreens such as cedars, cypresses, 

 spruces and pines little pruning is needed at any stage of 

 their growth. The limbs of the trunk should be left intact 

 from the ground up. so as not to destroy the symmetry of 

 the tree. Likewise, the central stem or leader shculd 

 not be touched, and if by accident the terminal bud is 

 destroyed, the most promising branch of the nearest lower 

 whorl should be tied erect to take its place and the remain- 

 ing laterals of this whorl cut back or removed entirely to 

 make certain of its development into a leader. 



The occasional cutting liack of limbs of evergreens 

 should be done in the Spring, since pruning at this season 

 induces extra growth and also encourages the develop- 

 ment of new buds for ftirther growth at the cut ends. 

 Occasional lateral branches that make an extra strong 

 growth may have their soft wood pinched back during 

 mid-Summer to preserve uniformity, or if this is not 

 enough, thev mav be cut back in the Spring to a strong 

 bud.' ■ • ' 



Evergreens should never be trimmed in the ball, and 

 older wood should not be cut. 



.Shrubs like the oleander, privet and myrtle require 

 pruning to remove dead or unhealthy growth, thin out and 

 cut back the stems, overcome occasional straggly habits 

 and also to keep them within reasonable bounds in rela- 

 tion to their surroundings. They should be trimmed so 

 as to have an easy and natural appearance, rather than a 

 strict or artificial one. Ordinarily, they appear best when 

 only the branches lying next to the ground have been re- 

 moved. 



With roses the stems should be shortened one-third to 

 one-half. There is endless discussion concerning this, 

 however, due in part to dift'erent conditions. The gar- 

 dener's rule is to cut back the weak growing varieties 

 severely and the stronger ones less. In general, heavy 

 pruning among roses encourages more vigorous growth, 

 with few and finer flowers, while the opposite treatment 

 results in more flowers, which are, of course, smaller and 

 shorter-stemmed. 



\'igorous growing vines, like the native \'irginia 

 creeper and the Arizona grape, may have virtually all the 

 secondary growth cut away during the dormant season, 

 as this dies of itself sooner or later, thus forming lodging 

 for dust, insects and sparrow nests. — The Countryman. 



