GEXERAL CATALOGUE. 37 



PRUNING. 



Pruning, as practiced by some people, has the effect to render trees and shrubs unnatural and inelegant. 

 We refer to the custom of shearing trees, particularly conifers, into cones, pyramids, and other unnatural 

 shapes. Every tree, shrub, and plant has a habit of growth peculiar to itself, and this very peculiarity is one of its 

 beauties. If we prune all trees into regular shapes we destroy their identity. The pruning knife, therefore, 

 should be used to assist nature, and handled with judgment and care ; to lop off straggling branches, to thin 

 the head of a tree which has become too dense, and to remove dead wood. Sometimes it becomes necessary 

 to prune severely to keep a tree from attaining too great size. 



SHEARING may be practiced on hedges, but never on trees or shrubs. 



PRUNING SHRUBS. 



Many persons trim and shear them into regular shapes, imagining that regular outline adds to their 

 effect and beauty. While symmetry and regularity of form are to be admired in a shrub, this quality 

 should never be gained at the expense of health and natural grace. 



Each rhrub has peculiarities of habit and foliage, and we should aim to preserve them as far as possible. 

 Judicious pruning to secure health and vigor is necessary, but trimming all kinds of shrubs into one form 

 shows a lack of appreciation for natural beauty, to say the least. Weigelas, Deutzias, Forsythias, and Mock 

 Orange flower on the wood of the preceding year's growth, hence the shrubs should not be pruned in \\-inter 

 or spring, but in June, after they have finished flowering, when the old Avood should be shortened or cut out, 

 thus promoting the growth of the young wood, which is to flower the following season. 



Spiraeas, Lilacs, Althaeas, and Honeysuckles may be trimmed during the winter or early in spring, but 

 the branches should only be reduced enough to keep them in good shape. The old growth should be occas- 

 ionally thinned out and the suckers and root sprouts removed when they appear. The best time, however, 

 for pruning all shrubs is when they have done flowering. The Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora should be 

 severely cut back and thinned early in spring. 



PRUNING EVERGREENS. 



Use the knife occasionally to thicken the growth and preserve the shape. This can be done in April or 

 May, just before the trees start to grow. 



ORNAMENTAL TREES 



IN FOUR CLASSES. 



CLASS L — A general Descriptive List of Deciduous Trees. 



CLASS IL — A List of Deciduous Weeping or Drooping Trees, described in their respective places in the 

 Catalogue. 



CLASS in. — A List of trees possessing remarkable characteristics of foliage, in three sections — Cut-leaved, 



Variegated, and Colored, and described in their respective places in the Catalogue. 

 CLASS IV. — Coniferae or Evergreens. 



In order that planters may be able to form an idea of the size which trees and shrubs attain at maturity, 

 a point which should always be taken into consideration at the time of planting, so that the specimens may 

 occupy the proper position, we have adopted letters to denote the proper classes, as follows : 



A. denotes trees which attain the largest size, 50 feet and upwards. 



B. " " " " " secondary size, 20 to 40 feet. 



C. " " " " " medium size, 9 to 15 feet. 



D. " " and shrubs which attain only small size, i to 8 feet. 



Our object in the above classification is to lessen the labor and dilificulty, as far as possible, of making 

 selections adapted to particular purposes. 



The botanical name of the genus or family, as well as the species or variety, is placed yf;\r/ in Full Faced 

 conspicuous type. The English name follows in small capitals. The German and French names of the 

 genus are also given in small capitals. It is to be hoped that \\-ith the aid of the complete index of 

 botanical and English names, to be found on the last page, no difficulty will be experienced in finding any 

 tree, shrub, or plant described in the Catalogue. 



