134 



GARDEKIKG FOR PLEASURE* 



away a third, a half, or even more of a plant can improve 

 it in vigor and fruitfulness, or abundance and size of 

 flowers. Let us suppose that a stem which grew last year 

 has 20 buds upon it; if this is allowed to take its own course 

 in the spring, a few of the upper buds will push with 

 great vigor, and form strong shoots; those below will 

 make gradually weaker shoots, and for probably the low. r 

 third of the stem the buds will not start at all; the most 

 vigorous growth is always at the top, the buds there were 

 the last formed in the previous summer, are the most 

 excitable, and the soonest to grow the next spring, and 

 getting the start of those below them, they draw the 

 nourishment to themselves and starve the others. If, 

 instead of allowing this stem to grow at will in this man- 

 ner, it had been, before any of the buds started, cut 

 back to leave only a few of the lower ones, those hav- 

 ing an abundance of nutriment would push forth with 

 great vigor and be nearly equal in size, while the flowers or 

 fruit borne upon them would be greatly superior to those 

 upon the unpruned stem. Any one can readily be con- 

 vinced of the utility of pruning by taking two rose-bushes 

 of equal size, leaving one without any pruning to take 

 care of itself, and each spring cutting the other back se- 

 verely, pruning away one-third or one-half of the wood 

 that was formed the previous season. The result at the 

 end of two years will be very striking. No general rule 

 can be given for pruning ; the amateur should use his 

 eyes, and* notice the habit of growth of his trees and 

 shrubs. He will find that many, like the rose, produce 

 their flowers upon the new wood of the present season, 

 and that such plants are greatly benefitted by cutting 

 back more or less each spring. But there are other 

 plants for which tins treatment will not answer ; if we 

 examine a horse-chestnut-tree, or a lilac-bush, and many 

 others, we shall find that the flowers come from the large 

 buds that were formed on the end of last season's growth, 



