382 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



RHODODENDRONS AT S W A NMORE HOUSE, HAMPSHIRE. 



should be thoroughly trenched, say, to a depth of 2ft. Single trees, especially important 

 ones, should never be put in holes (as is, however, so often done) barely large enough to 

 hold their roots, unless, of course, the ground has previously been cultivated. Sufficient 

 ground should be trenched for them to root in for several years. The more, in fact, 

 the better. 



PRUNING. — Whilst not in itself absolutely necessary, pruning is important. In pruning 

 the cultivator's aim is twofold. He wants to control the shape and size of the plant, and also, 

 it may be, to influence the size and character of the flowers. 



To consider first the practice in respect to trees and shrubs when the flowering question 

 does not arise. This, of course, applies mainly to the large trees of our gardens — the Elms, 

 Oaks, Beeches, etc., some of them with coloured or variegated foliage. With all these the 

 primer's aim is to obtain a finely-proportioned, well-built tree, which shall represent the species 

 in its true beauty. A perfect tree must have a clean straight trunk, the axis from which all its 

 main branches must spring. We all admire height in trees, but height in itself is a source of danger 

 to the tree. It will be noticed that very old trees — that is, those that have survived the storms 

 of more than two or three centuries — are usually low and spreading. The exceptions, like the 

 Sequoias of Western North America, which are of immense size and age, occur in sheltered 

 valleys and in groves or forests. Their trunks, moreover, are almost invariably erect and 

 unforked, consisting of one straight clean axis from which only minor ramifications extend. It 

 is from these giants that we obtain a hint of what we have to aim at in the treatment of 

 isolated specimen trees in parks and gardens.' If we want noble trees and secure against 

 storms, the forking of the main trunk- must be prevented. If this should occur low down, the 

 crown of the tree becomes divided into two halves, and during storms the swaying inevitably 

 starts a crack' at the fork by means of which water, and ultimately fungoid parasites, enter the 

 heart of the tree. Thus the first stage towards its destruction is reached. I have repeatedly 

 seen such trees, especially Beeches, rent in two by wind, and one half brought to the ground. 

 The first thing, therefore, in pruning a young tree is to obtain a well-defined leading shoot; and 

 as long as the tree is under control, or until the trunk has attained the natural height of the 



