INSTRUCTION XVI. 



AUSTRIAN BRIARS. Prune in March. 

 Here we have to look two years ahead. These 

 briars vary very much in vigour according to the nature 

 of the soil, but they are generally best as bushes from 

 4-ft. to 6-ft. high. Only the dead wood should be cut 

 out. The strong one-year and two-year shoots from 

 the base should be left, together with the three-year 

 lateral bearing wood, on which much of the bloom is 

 produced. Soleil d'Or may be pruned harder, the shoots 

 left about 2-ft. long and not much thinned, as the blooms 

 are very double. It blooms the first year, and is perpetual. 



INSTRUCTION XVII. 



SCOTCH BRIARS. Prune in March. 

 The Scotch Briars may be left about 3-ft. high or a 

 little higher. The young suckers, which are freely pro- 

 duced, may be cut shorter, so as to clothe the base. 

 Remove only the old worn out and weak wood ; in fact, 

 hardly any pruning at all is required. 



INSTRUCTION XVIII. 



SWEET BRIARS. Prune early in March. 

 Sweet Briars proper (a) should be left about 4-ft. 

 high. All weak wood and the old naked shoots should be 

 cut away. Penzance Briars (b) are far more vigorous and 

 may be left much taller from 6-ft. to lo-ft. They throw 

 up long massive base shoots, which may be left to the 

 height required, and those of last year, which will have 

 produced long laterals, should be reduced considerably 

 in height and the remaining laterals left long. Lord and 

 Lady Penzance are less vigorous, and should be left 



