Suburban Home Grounds. 83 



Should the shrubs gi'ow too rank, or if it appears necessary 

 to prune, the best time is after the plants have bloomed; if 

 before the plants have bloomed, all the flower buds are sac- 

 rificed. For instance, forsxihia, spireas, honeysuckles, etc., 

 bloom early in the sunmier. They should be pruned after 

 blooming so the buds will set for the next year's gi-owth. 

 Later blooming plants like altheas and hydrangeas should be 

 pruned in the winter diu-ing the months of January and Feb- 

 ruary. Deciduous hedges may be pruned in the spring or 

 after the plants have flowered. Evergreen hedges are best 

 pruned in May before the beginning of the new gi-oMih. 



To prune old trees cut the limbs close to the tree. Do not 

 leave a stub, as it will decay. Paint the wound with coal tar 

 or paint. To remove large limbs make the first cut some 

 distance from the trunk of the tree and cut from below, then 

 make a cut from above and the limb will fall, lea^'ing a stub. 

 Then cut the stub close to the trunk of the tree. This method 

 avoids stripping the bark all down the sides of the tree. By 

 this method the scar will heal very rapidly by the bark growing 

 over the wound. There is a practice or theory that all shrubs 

 must be pruned up from the bottom and have the top "shin- 

 gled." This is a very bad plan, so avoid doing it. Let them 

 alone, let them gi-ow naturally, for thus is their full beauty 

 secured. The only care needed in shi'ubbery beds is to remove 

 the weeds, loosen the earth about the roots, fertilize when neces- 

 sary, see that the plants do not dry out and occasionally cut 

 out the dead wood. 



^Miat is the best time to plant? is often asked. 



Spring is nature's time for awakening, then all the dormant 

 forces are active and plants set out continue to gi'ow. Spring 

 is therefore the best time. FaU planting, however, is equally 

 successful for a large number of plants, especially if they are 

 set out early enough to allow the plants to get established 

 before frost. The fall allows a longer time in which to work 

 with the added advantage of being free for the usual spring 



