20 TREES AND SHRUBS 



growth has commenced, or the twining shoots will 

 get into a tangled and unsightly mass. Any growth 

 not required should be cut away in winter. 



AKEBIA. "Akebia quinata has flowered here, on an 

 east wall, profusely for the last seventeen years, under 

 the following pruning treatment : Cover the space 

 allotted with the strongest shoots, and when new 

 growth pushes from the eyes or spurs in the spring, 

 do not regulate it, but summer-prune away all super- 

 fluous growth before it gets entangled. It is from 

 ' spurs ' that the flowers are produced, and the more 

 these are kept clear, the more matured they become, 

 and flower correspondingly." E. M. in The Garden. 



^SCULUS (Horse-Chestnut). The common re- 

 presentative of this requires little or no pruning, but 

 the other species are benefited by a thinning out of 

 misplaced and useless branches in late summer to 

 allow light and air to the centre of the tree. This 

 is especially important to all the ^sculus in a young 

 state. jEsculus parviflora should have a good thin- 

 ning if the branches or suckers become at all thick, 

 cutting all growths not required clean away from the 

 base. 



AMELANCHIER. These should be pruned after the 

 flowers are past, the removal of badly-placed and 

 weakly shoots being all that is required. If the 

 plants are becoming too large, they can be shortened 

 back at the same time. 



AMORPHA. If flowers are desired of A. fruticosa 

 it should be kept thinned out, and not be cut back ; 

 but the flowers are not showy, and it is usually kept 



