June 9, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



PRUNING ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS. 

 No. l. 



LEASURE grounds have shrubberies, some 

 disposed so as to afford shelter from winds, 

 others to shut out buildings, others, again, 

 serving as divisions for the eye between the 

 .eSLjV?? different parts of the grounds. Then there 

 kShfa^b are groups and specimens on lawns, consist- 

 ing of trees or shrubs, or of both together. 

 The objects are shelter, shutting out unsightly 

 objects, ornament, and shade. Parks have 

 groups, screens, or belts of trees and shrubs 

 for shelter and ornament, and there are smaller groups 

 and isolated trees the sole object of which is ornament 

 and shade. 



In both pleasure grounds and parks the trees are planted 

 in groups, some trees being isolated for effect, and they are 

 disposed according to one or other of the different styles 

 of landscape gardening. Into these styles it will not be 

 necessary to enter, as they have no practical bearing on 

 the pruning of trees and shrubs, or but little, aud that little 

 will be mentioned in treating of the pruning of the different 

 forms of these. I may, however, state that none of the 

 pruning which I shall advise is available for trees or shrubs 

 planted with the intention of producing an imitation of 

 uncultivated natural scenery. 



Trees and shrubs are, as everybody knows, of two kinds 

 — evergreen and deciduous, and they assume various forms 

 of growth. My object being to give some directions for 

 pruning different trees, it will be evident that in pruning 

 regard must be paid to the form or habit of the trees and 

 shrubs we prune ; but as it would be of little value, and 

 greatly extend the papers that will be required for the 

 pruning details, to enter fully into form, I think my pur- 

 pose will be served by dividing trees and shrubs into the 

 classes evergreen and deciduous, and these again into 

 sections, giving such account of form as will enable the 

 operator to understand what pruning is intended to induce. 

 The aim in pruning ornamental trees and shrubs should 

 be to assist nature. Nothing can be more absurd than to 

 cut shrubs into the shape of peacocks and other fanciful 

 devices — not that there is anything contrary to nature in 

 keeping shrubs cut into shape when the style of gardening 

 or extent of ground requires pruning to be done so as to, 

 keep them within reasonable bounds, or to render them 

 cultivable in a limited space. Only some shrubs, and 

 but few trees, will bear the pruning necessary to keep them 

 within small compass, and render them interesting and 

 ornamental in grounds of limited extent ; in fact, some are 

 particularly suitable for small gardens, and those where 

 it is desirable to employ shrubs near the mansion, from 

 keeping in good form without interference with their 

 natural habit. Others, if they are cut into form, as it is 

 called, have none of their natural characteristics, or cease 

 to be ornamental. 



The other purpose or aim of pruning is to produce fine 

 well-formed trees and shrubs. It is a practice to leave all or 

 most of the pruning of trees and shrubs to nature ; and they 

 No. 180.— Vol. XVIII., New Series. 



never look so well as when left to assume their natural 

 habits. It would be unnecessary to say anything further 

 on the subject if in nature we had no imperfect specimens 

 — if every tree left to itself would form but one trunk and 

 one head' — if every shrub would grow perfect in shape 

 without openings, or the other deformities we see in almost 

 every shrubbery ; or if trees and shrubs left to themselves 

 did not produce a heterogeneous mass, the stronger and 

 commoner kinds out-growing the weaker, slower- growing, 

 and better kinds — if trees had not a majority of the branches 

 on one side — if they did not become forked or have limbs 

 monopolising the greater part of the sap supplied by the 

 roots, so that some of the arms become altogether out of 

 proportion to the others, and are severed from the trunk in 

 stormy weather, often producing a gap on one side of the 

 tree for ever destroying its beauty— if by pruning we gained 

 nothing in uniformity of shape, good-formed yet natural 

 trees not being secured. I have but one view of pruning 

 trees and shrubs, and it is that it aids nature in producing 

 more regularly beautiful trees— they are made to please 

 the eye and meet the requirements of man. 



Much might be urged in favour of pruning when straight 

 bulky timber with small side branches is the aim of the 

 planter, and that, too, is an object with the planter of 

 groups and belts in parks. Does he not intend the timber 

 to be a source of profit as well as of ornament ? If not, it 

 ought to be. Some have an idea that trees for ornament 

 and those planted for timber require different treatment. 

 No doubt they do when the trees stand singly or in groups 

 of three, five, seven, or more, but in the latter case with 

 such intervals between them that the heads meet, forming 

 in the distance a group or mass. The trees would have 

 no very great attractions if the side branches were small 

 or altogether wanting, and the tree had a straight stem or 

 trunk 30, 40, or 50 feet high, without a single branch, and 

 surmounted with a fine head of branches and foliage in 

 summer, if not in winter. Single trees, small groups, and 

 lines of trees so far apart that their heads do not touch, or 

 but very slightly, would not have a very ornamental ap- 

 pearance trained with stems 30 or more feet high without 

 a single branch, or with a number of small onep, however 

 good might be the heads above that height. In narrow 

 belts, too, it is desirable that single trees, as well as small 

 groups, should be feathered, or have branches that sweep 

 the ground. 



Setting aside the single trees, the small groups, and the 

 narrow belts, there is no reason why the large groups and 

 belts that have more than three lines of trees should not 

 have the trees in their interior pruned with a view to 

 producing fine straight timber. The two outer lines of trees 

 will, of course, need to be pruned so as to feather near the 

 ground, and afford foliage. Without any pruning at all it 

 is evident the side branches of trees in the interior of large 

 groups and belts must lose their lower branches by slow 

 decay, and will not be so ornamental as those which are 

 pruned with a view to the production of straight timber. 

 Thus, while we secure all that can be attained in the way 

 of foliage in the interior of large groups and belts, we at 

 the same time obtain trees with straight sound stems by 

 No, 1132— Vol. XLIII., Old Series. 



