Holly, Yew and Box 



Pruning 



Pruning is usually confined to Hollies used for 

 ornamental purposes. Those growing in woods 

 require no other attention than keeping the 

 leaders clear, except when grown for some special 

 purpose, such as whip handles or walking sticks. 

 The pruning of garden specimens is usually done 

 in one of two ways. The first method is applic- 

 able to trees allowed to grow in a fairly natural 

 manner. In this case it consists of keeping the 

 leaders clear, removing growths that are reverting 

 from the typical form of any particular variety, 

 reducing parts that are developing out of all 

 proportion to other parts, and the removal of 

 dead wood and branches growing into the ground. 

 This can be done by thinning out branches so as 

 to leave the tree or bush in as natural a manner 

 as possible. The second method is a more 

 barbarous one, and one that is not to be generally 

 commended. The trees are clipped hard back 

 every year, in a similar manner to a hedge, so as 

 to form pyramids, cones, globes or other patterns, 

 which look as if they had been turned out of 

 moulds. Trees or bushes clipped in this way 

 can only be used in very formal parts of the 

 garden, and even then it is very questionable 

 whether they can be called ornamental. Young 

 plants that have got into a stunted state can be 

 improved by being cut well down to induce a 



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