AND CITY BEAUTIFUL 83 



surfaces should be well covered with grafting wax to pre- 

 vent evaporation. I^et the wax cover the ruptured bark 

 below where the scion is inserted as well as the top of the 

 cut. The second season, one of the branches should be 

 removed if both scions grow. When the stub is one inch 

 or less across, but one scion should be inserted. If both 

 were allowed to grow, a fork would be formed which would 

 weaken the tree. The scions should be wrapped in moist 

 cloths to prevent them from drying out. Cleft grafting is 

 successfully done only in the spring, when buds are swell- 

 ing. It is most successful on bright, warm days, free from 

 cold or drying winds. For transplanting see Chapter VI. 



PRUNING. 



Pruning is often the most neglected part of the work 

 about the home. It is very simple if one will only take 

 some pains to learn how to prune correctly. Some butcher 

 their trees and shrubs while others allow them to grow 

 entirely to brush. When well done, pruning is the act of 

 removing a part of the plant that the remainder may bet- 

 ter serve our purpose. It is practiced for four results, 

 each requiring a slightly different method. They are: i, 

 To change the form — Formative pruning. 2, To stimulate 

 development, growth, fruit, flowers, etc. —Stimulative 

 pruning. 3, To prevent some impending evil as a disease, 

 dead or dying members — Protective pruning. 4, To 

 hasten or retard maturity — Maturative pruning. The 

 best time to prune is directly after blooming or toward the 

 end of the dormant period, March in New England; Janu- 

 ary and February, south; are good months. It is better 

 not to have large cut surfaces exposed to drying winter 

 winds. They should be painted or covered with grafting 

 wax. The worst time to prune is when the wounds bleed 

 in spring or in the fall. Early flowering shrubs should 

 be pruned after blooming. 



TREES 

 Dead or dying branches should be removed at any 

 time. Always cut back to living wood. Twining or cross- 



