84 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



shoots from near the centre of growth and thus the vigor of 

 the plant will be renewed. A hedge pruned in this way 

 may not present quite so solid an outline, but it has a more 

 graceful appearance, and will keep in a healthy condition 

 much longer than when pruned only at the ends of the 

 branches. 



TIME FOR PRUNING HEDGES. 



If it is desired to check the growth, as when the hedge 

 has reached the desired height, the pruning should be done 

 in June or July; but if more growth is desired, i.e., while 

 the hedge is in the formative stage and to produce a lateral 

 growth, the spring, just before growth begins, is the best 

 time for pruning. 



IMPLEMENTS FOR PRUNING. 



For the preliminary pruning of cutting out branches from 

 the inside the common hand pruning-shears and a large 

 pruning-knife are all that is needed, but for giving per- 

 manent finished outline the long hedge-shears are indispen- 

 sable. To obtain a true outline, strong twine stretched 

 very taut and held in place by stakes is the simplest and 

 most satisfactory method. If the surface of the ground on 

 which the hedge is grown is curved, the top line of the 

 hedge should take the same curve, thus making it the same 

 height throughout its length. 



A MIXED HEDGE. 



Hedges of flowering shrubs, where the flowers are the 

 most desirable feature, should be pruned as directed for 

 other flowering shrubs, but the close solid hedge cannot be 

 obtained by this method of pruning. 



