THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



227 



the winter. Summer pinching in wet sea- 

 sons is a great help as the growths get prop- 

 erly ripened, and there is no injury from 

 frosts in the late fall. Shrubs that are grown 

 for the beauty of their fruits in the fall do 

 better if summer pinching has been done. 



The pictures show how Mr. H. J. Koehler, 

 forester of the Essex County, N. J., park 

 system, prunes a deutzia, a spiraea and a 

 rugosa rose, three common types of shrubs, 

 for the greatest amount of bloom. The 

 work in these cases was done in the late 

 winter, because there were no leaves to hide 

 the details, and better pictures could be made 

 to show just how to do it ; but the pruning of 

 the deutzia and of the spiraea could have 

 been done last summer or after the plant 

 had flowered. The rose flowers all the 



summer so its pruning must be left till winter 

 — again, after flowering. All the old wood is 

 cut out and the tips of the longer growth cut 

 back a few inches. 



In all work of this nature, the aim in 

 view must be remembered. If you want 

 flowers, cut out the old wood that has served 

 it purpose in that respect — don't merely 

 shorten it — but cut it as close to the ground 

 as it is possible to get. You will sacrifice a 

 few scattering flower buds, perhaps; but the 

 general appearance will be far better. 



WHAT TOOLS TO USE 



For all ordinary pruning, a pair of spring 

 shears will be found the most convenient 

 tool. It holds the branch and can be used 

 in confined space where the regular pruning 



knife could be handled with difficulty, and 

 there is the probability of the knife slipping 

 and cutting through a branch that should 

 be retained, and in inexperienced hands is 

 quite apt to inflict a wound upon the user. 

 For the more vigorous old shoots, a saw is 

 often a convenience, although shears can be 

 put through any shoot that an ordinary shrub 

 is likely to develop. If you do use a saw, 

 don't under any circumstances use one with 

 teeth on both edges, it will do more damage 

 than the pruning knife. Bend over the branch 

 to be cut, bend it down as far as convenient, 

 put the cutting edge of the shears on the 

 upper side and then use the natural spring 

 of the branch to help the knife through. It 

 is surprising how large a branch can be cut 

 in this manner with either shears or a knife. 



The Summer Care of Palms— By w. e. Pendleton $z 



A NOVEL AND EASY WAY OF GROWING HOUSE-PLANTS OUTDOORS DURING THE 

 HOT SEASON — HOW TO PREVENT THE BURNING OF PALM FOLIAGE IN JUNE 



A /TOST people who have a few palms that 

 -I' A have been growing indoors all winter 

 put them outdoors, exposed to full sunshine, 

 as soon as summer arrives. The result is 

 that the leaves are blistered. The plants are 

 tender at, that time and must be gradually 

 acclimated to the different conditions of sun- 

 light, moisture, and air. A thoroughly satis- 

 factory way of handling the plants and an 

 easy one, too, is by means of the slat house. 

 It is better than the veranda, because it does 



away with watering and because the shade 

 of the veranda is not as good as the shifting 

 sunlight which comes through the laths. 



This consists merely of a stout wood frame 

 covered with laths about one inch apart and 

 furnished with a rolled blind or screen on 

 one side. The plants are plunged into the 

 earth to the brims of the pots, thus securing 

 an even and constant supply of moisture 

 throughout a season with a normal amount 

 of rain. Daily syringing, however, is still 



necessary in order to keep down the red 

 spider. Grown on it this way the palms 

 will improve in general condition. They 

 will be hardier, and if kept under this sort of 

 cover all the summer, will be better than ever 

 for house decoration by the next winter. A 

 shed which will accommodate a goodly 

 number of plants can be built for two or 

 three dollars, including labor, as nothing is 

 necessary except four posts and some slats, 

 which cost forty cents a bundle. 





307. Palms, rubbers, dracaenas, and other foliage plants that have been indoors all winter must not be put outdoors in full sunshine during summer. If plunged 

 . the ground and covered by an open lath frame and syringed daily for red spider they will be stronger by fall. A slat house like this would cost about two dollars 



