34 THE CHRONICLES OF A GAEDEN. 



the following rules for pruning these valued ornaments of 

 the garden : — 



" One of the first fundamental rules in pruning ever- 

 greens is this, the lowest hranches should he the longest, 

 whatever the shape of the head may he. There is not a 

 single exception to this nde that I know of; as soon as 

 a higher branch is allowed to grow out further from the 

 main stem of a tree, or from the general mass of branches 

 i)\\ a bush, than the low^er branches, a direct error is com- 

 mitted, and if not remedied by cutting in this longer 

 branch, a sure foundation is laid for the destruction of the 

 low^er parts of the tree, which will in the long run cause it 

 to get naked below, because the longer branch will shade 

 the others, and throw off the rain from them, 



" The second rule is, no leaf should he cut through in 

 pruning an evergreen. Clipping evergreen hedges does not 

 come in under the rule of pruning. 



" The last rule applies to the mode of cutting. Ko cut 

 ends shoidd be seen on hush or tree; and that is effected by 

 beginning the cut on the opposite side to where you stand, 

 and always cutting with an upstroke, then the cut part 

 will either face downwards or towards the centre of the 

 plant ; and if you cut quite close to a lateral branch, or to 

 the bottom of a leaf-stalk, as all good pruners do in the 

 summer, and as all the worst kind of pruners do in the 

 winter, I should like to know how I, or any body else, 

 could find out, at a yard's distance, that your plant had 

 been pnmed at all."'"' 



* Cottacje Gardener, vol. vi., p. 226. 



