THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Fig. 1470.— Akebia quinata, from, an engraving in The Garden. 



PRUNING SHRUBS. 



RUNING shrubs for other pur- 

 poses than to promote the 

 formation of flower buds may 

 befdone at any time, prefer- 

 ably in the summer, since wounds heal 

 better during the growing season. All 

 that is necessary in pruning for form is 

 to restrain the too rampant growth of 

 some parts so as to make the bush 

 more symmetrical. Such pruning does 

 not imply that the specimen shall be 

 clipped to look like the toy trees in a 

 Noah's ark outfit — a form only too com- 

 mon in many city gardens. It means 

 merely keeping the plant within bounds, 

 but allowing it perfect freedom within 

 those limits. Each shrub has its own 

 peculiar beauty — an individuality which 

 should be retained — and no pruning 

 which destroys this beauty should be 

 practised upon the farm at least. 



Spring flowering shrubs develop flow- 

 ering buds the season previous to blos- 

 soming and protect them during winter 

 by various means, such as bud scales. 

 Late bloomers mature their blossom 

 buds during the season in which they 

 flower. Early and late flowering shrubs 

 therefore require as different treatment 

 as beef and dairy cattle. The one rule 

 to keep in mind for flower production 



is to prune after flowering. Lilac, 

 Japan quince, flowering currant and 

 other spring bloomers should be pruned 

 in May or June ; hydrangea, althea, 

 burning bush and other late bloomers, 

 in late fall or before growth starts in 

 the spring. It is best to leave all ten- 

 der late flowering shrubs until early 

 spring, to avoid cutting out what might 

 prove hardy canes and to then remove 

 the winter-killed wood. 



The only other pruning necessary, as 

 a rule, is that of cutting out dead wood 

 and an occasional centre stem. These 

 obstruct light and air and thus favor 

 disease. The amount of wood to re- 

 move at any one time is in each case 

 an individual matter, depending upon 

 the specimen, its species and its beha- 

 viour in the locality. It will not be 

 long, as a rule, before the grower learns 

 something of the peculiarities of the 

 specimen and can handle it intelligently. 



Non flowering shrubs may be treated 

 the same as flowering, except in the 

 case of evergreens, which should not 

 be pruned in the winter. April is the 

 best month in which to prune them, 

 since they recover more quickly and 

 are not exposed to the drying winds of 

 the longwintermonths. — Farm & Home. 



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