78 the fruit-tree and shrub pruner. 



The Double Furze. 



If the Double Furze is to be kept in good and con- 

 tinuous order for many years, it must be well looked 

 after in its early stages. I was well acquainted with, 

 some grounds where there was an ornamental Double 

 Furze fence planted as a finish to a wall adjoining the 

 public road, which road was much lower than the 

 grounds, so that the soil was on a level with the top of 

 the wall. On the top of this wall was planted (of course 

 inside in the soil) a row of Double Blossom Furze, 

 forming for a great length a hedge quite thick, which, 

 when in flower, was one of the most splendid and sin- 

 gular objects conceivable in the course of a day's ride 

 by railway. Well, this beautiful flowering fence was 

 getting at last beyond its limits. Now, what was to be 

 done to reduce it"? "Why," said some one, "cut it 

 down to the ground, it will shoot up from the root." 

 Alas for the attempt ! which proved a mistake. The 

 fact is, if the Double Flowering Furze is allowed to get 

 old and barren and hard-wooded below, it is ten to one, 

 if it is cut down to the ground, but that it will die. 



The proper time for pruning the Double Furze is as 

 soon as the bulk of the flower is over ; but in theyoung 

 stages of its growth merely cutting out the points^ of 

 the leaders with a secateur frequently is all the pruning 

 that is required to maintain a well-feathered specimen 

 down to the ground for many years. Nor can a more 

 beautiful ornament on a lawn be found than this shrub 

 when carefully attended to while it is young. 



The Berberis. 



There are two classes of the Berberis, the one ever- 

 green and the other deciduous. Some of the latter are 

 not very ornamental shrubs, but Vulgaris is useful on 

 account of its pretty fruit, which is of a nice acid when 

 used as a pickle. " The evergreen varieties are useful, 

 and many of them are beautiful ornaments, fit for the 

 most prominent places in the pleasure garden, and 

 among these none are more so than Darwinii. 



