20 



OF PRUNING, ETC. 



IFeh. 



Climbing shrubs, and others that are trained against out- 

 buildings', walls, or such as are sheltered thereby, and not 

 now in danger of suffering by frost, may be pruned and 

 dressed. These should be neatly trimmed, and the branches 

 moderately thinned out, tying in all the shoots straight and 

 regular. Avoid, at all times, the crossing of any shoots. 



There is not a shrub in the garden that agrees so well 

 with close cutting as the Alfhea, and all its varieties. These 

 can be made either bushes- or trees, and kept at any desired 

 height. Where the wood of last year is cut to about two or 

 three inches from the wood of the former year, the young 

 shoots of the combing season will produce the largest and 

 finest flowers, and likewise more profusely. When they have 

 attained the desired height, let them be kept in the most 

 natural and handsome shape that the taste of the operator 

 can suggest. They will bear cutting to any degree. 



Honeysuckles, of every description, may, with all free- 

 dom, be trimmed, providing the frost is not very severe. 

 These are very frequently allowed to become too crowded 

 with wood, and then superficially sheared or cut. The flow- 

 ers would be much finer, and the bush handsomer, if they 

 were regularly thinned out, divesting them of all naked and 

 superfluous shoots. Of those that remain, shorten the shoots 

 of last year. Where any of the honeysuckle kind has be- 

 come naked at the bottom, and flowering only at the top of 

 the trellis, or extremities of the shoots, one-half of the bush 

 should be cut to within four inches of the ground. It will 

 throw out plenty of fine, young wood, which give room for, 

 and train them straight, and to the full extent, during sum- 

 mer. These shoots will flower profusely the following sea- 

 son, and in like manner, when thought proper, the other 

 half can be cut. 



Koses of the hardy kinds (termed garden roses) that were 

 not attended to in November, should, if the weather permit, 

 be dressed and pruned forthwith. In small gardens, where 

 these are generally attached to the walls and fences, neatness 

 should be a very particular object. If any of such bushes 

 have got strong and irregular, the most proper method to 

 bring them to order will be to cut down each alternate shoot 

 of the bush to within a few inches of the surface, thereby 

 renovating it, and, in part, preserving the flowers. Those 

 that are cut down will put out several luxuriant shoots, 



