92 THE FRUIT-TREE AND SHRUB PRUNER. 



flowering evergreen shrubs that are necessary in every 

 collection of plants to supply both sprigs of beautiful 

 foliage and flowers at the same time for bouquet- 

 making. This variety will never disappoint the grower 

 of flowers, for the plant will flower whether it is large 

 or small. 



To obtain a fine, well-formed, and large specimen, 

 frequent stopping of every leader through the growing 

 season up till September must be resorted to, when the 

 stopping may be discontinued till after the flowering is 

 over. The plant may then be cut back freely to pre- 

 serve compactness of form, and encouraged to grow, 

 the stopping being continued ; thus a beautiful speci- 

 men will soon be obtained. 



All the Genistas require frequent or annual pruning. 

 Even G. Tinctoria flore-pleno and the other procumbent 

 varieties also require some annual pruning to preserve 

 a healthy state of the plants. Cutting out old dead 

 wood and the annual thinning of the plants are necessary 

 in good gardening, in order to maintain healthy speci- 

 mens, and for the further development of their character. 

 What a miserable state of things do we generally see 

 in shrub culture among amateur gardeners, except in 

 the case of the few who keep good men as gardeners ! 

 The most beautiful plants pass unnoticed because they 

 have no attraction through neglect of judicious pruning, 

 which is the only way to bring about a good state of 

 shrub culture, and the only thing to preserve it. 



The Buddlea. 



The B. Globosa is a general favourite on account of its 

 pretty round balls of orange-coloured flowers, which are 

 produced freel}", but the plant has a wild growth with 

 it which renders it unfavourable to some places ; this, 

 however, may be easily controlled by the knife. It is 

 classed by some among " Herbaceous " plants, which 

 is an error ; for it is decidedly a woody shrub, and 

 attains to the height of five or six feet. 



If this plant is annually cut back in the early spring, 



