Repairing Damage ill 



habit of the tree or shrub, namely, whether it bears flowers 

 on the old wood or on the new wood of the season. Most 

 early bloomers develop their flower buds in the preceding 

 year: the flowers are, therefore, borne on the old wood. It 

 is evident that by heading back the last year's growth, the 

 bloom will be diminished. Such species, therefore (like 

 Amelanchier, Aesculus, Catalpa, Cercis, Crataegus, Halesia, 

 Magnolia, Prunus, Pyrus, Robinia, also pear and peach), 

 should be pruned after the flowers are past, and then merely ^ 

 by thinning out weakly, misplaced, and imperfect shoots, 

 and shortening specially long ones. On the other hand, 

 species which bear their flowers on the new wood of the 

 season in which they bloom (generally later bloomers) 

 should be se^'erely headed back in the fall or spring, if it 

 is desired to increase the bloom. 



Generally speaking, severe pruning and heading back 

 at the top tends to reduce flowering and to increase produc- 

 tion of wood, since thereby the water-supply is relatively 

 increased. Hence, to stimulate flower production, the 

 pruning should be rather light and repeated annually. For 

 the same reason, a dry season and root pruning, which 

 decreases water-supply, stimulates flowering. 



Repairing Damage. Besides attention to the newly-made 

 wounds in the operation of pruning, there is frequently 

 needed a helping hand in mending neglected wounds and in 

 repairing damage due to various mutilations of the bole, 

 and to breakages by wind. 



In walking through the streets and parks of American 

 cities and even through private preserves, the observant 

 tree lover often comes to the conclusion that the American 

 is either blind or sees beauty in disease, for malformations 

 due to rot and neglect are common everywhere. 



While the adage "never too late to mend" mav often 



