Why Prune? 



- The Reasons for Pruning; and What It 

 Accomplishes 



WHAT is pruning? 

 Every one knows, in a general way, what is 

 meant by pruning. But to make perfectly clear 

 at the beginning just what we are talking about, let us 

 give the following definition : 



Pruning is the removal from a plant of that part 

 which is undesirable or superfluous. 



In other words, pruning is one of the arts of the 

 grower — or of the horticulturist, if you prefer! by which 

 he or she obtains better results than nature, unassisted, 

 would give. All of the arts of the grower are bent to 

 one or both of two definite ends : to improve results, or 

 to make them more certain. Pruning does both. 



The gardener's work, in almost every thing he does, 

 is to co-operate with Nature. To the extent he learns 

 how to do this, his efforts will be rewarded by success. 

 His problem really is to discover the things he can do 

 that will actually be working with nature, and not 

 counter to her way of doing things. The "improving 

 on nature" which one hears much about is in reality 

 merely lending her a helping hand, by following the tips 

 she herself gives. When we interpret these tips correctly 

 and are guided accordingly, it means successful garden- 

 ing. 



What can Nature show us about pruning? 



Go out into the wood, or peer into the hedgerow down 

 the road, and you will see that the Old Dame herself 

 is the greatest pruner that ever came down the pike! 

 Even in your garden, when you come to understand 

 just what she is doing, you will see that she has attended 

 to so much of the pruning herself that what is left for 

 you to do is merely supplementary. But in the wood 

 or the hedgerow it is easier to see how she takes care of 

 the job. Every dead branch on a tree; every dead twig 

 under your foot; is the result of the remorseless use of 

 her invisible pruning shears. When you come to see 



