GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF HARDY SHRUBS, ETC. 339 



stray above, and some upright shoots be permitted. In groups 

 of trees and plantations generally there must be a constant 

 overlooking, to see that no one subject shall overrun another ; 

 for, however much we may study the habits of shrubs, and 

 Circulate upon the difiference between fast and slow growth, 

 there will now and then be a different result from that which 

 is expected, and the knife must go freely to work, to prevent 

 one encroaching upon another, and to keep all in their proper 

 proportions. It is in all plantations necessary, but especially 

 in mixed ones. Again, in all variegated and worked speci- 

 mens, the stock upon which the more delicate are worked will 

 occasionally shoot, and, as we have observed already, in 

 another part of the work, if they were permitted to grow, 

 they would soon destroy and overgrow the worked portion. 

 The stock of a variegated holly is the common green one ; 

 let this grow even from the bottom, and in time it will 

 deprive the variegated portion of all nourishment, overrun it 

 and kill it. All worked subjects are alike. The portion 

 worked on the stock is always weaker than the stock itseK; 

 therefore the same fate will attend them all if their stocks are 

 allowed to grow. Every bud should be rubbed off as it ap- 

 pears, but, as they will get overlooked, and do very frequently 

 escape us, until they have made some growth, all worked 

 plants should be periodically examined, to see that all shoots 

 of the stocks are removed. With regard to the pruning of 

 specimen plants, it should never be resorted to unless some 

 vigorous sucker or shoot takes up the growing for the whole 

 plant. In many shrubs this will be found occasionally, and if 

 such a shoot were not shortened back, or cut right away, it 

 would grow rapidly, while the rest of the plant would be 

 actually stationary ; but any attempt to constrain the form too 

 much, to alter the character or thicken the surface, would be 

 unnatural. In growing the different members of a whole family, 

 the very distiaction may be in the habit of growth, and to de- 

 stroy this by artificial means would be to take away the interest. 

 If a vigorous shoot be only cut back, it will throw out its lateral 

 shoots, and make a close and ugly growth on one side of the 

 specimen, and therefore it should be cut back to where the great 

 strength begins, that the sap or the strength may be divided 

 equally over the rest of the plant. The common laurel is an 

 extraordinary growing plant. In groimd that suits it, and a 

 good situation, it v/ill sometimes make four-feet shoots in a 



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