PRUNING 



187 



prune very severely; the plants 

 will appreciate it and reciprocate 

 by producing good blooms. All 

 shoots which live through the 

 Winter should be shortened one- 

 third. Never make the mistake 

 of thinking that there is so little 

 bush left that it will be. best not 

 to prune at all. Nothing could 

 be more faulty. Teas must be 

 carefully watched for suckers from 

 the stock, which should be re- 

 moved from their point of origin. 

 The leaflets of the stock are often 

 paler green and not so glossy, 

 and have five to seven leaflets in- 

 stead of three to five as with many 

 varieties. Never prune before 

 eyes start and some may be frozen 

 back if done too early. 



PRUNING SHRUBS 



1, An unpruned example. 2, Pruned so that all the branches are of equal length. 

 This is improper but all too commonly practiced. 3, Growths thinned out and 

 shortened. This is the correct method. It is the same shrub in each case 



SHRUBS. There are essentially two classes of shrubs the Spring 

 and the Summer blooming ones. Those which bloom in the Spring 

 have their flower buds all formed on the bushes by the previous 

 Autumn; they are usually near the top of the plant. Any pruning in 

 late Winter or early Spring causes a removal of these flowers. 



