CHAPTER XVIII 



Pruning 



Its Advantage— Pruning Briers and Roses for Landscape Effect — 

 Climbing and Polyantha Roses — ^Hybrid Perpetuals — Hybrid 

 Teas — Shrubs — Hedges — Fruit Trees — Evergreens — List of 

 Subjects with Pruning Instructions 



PRUNING, when practiced properly, is an aid to trees and shrubs. 

 It not only stimulates growth, but increases fruitfulness at cer- 

 .tain seasons; it keeps the plant full of healthy, disease-resistant 

 growth, and gives us the privilege of changing the habit. We do ad- 

 mire symmetrical, dense trees, graceful shrubs or stocky hedges, all 

 of which are maintained by pruning. Many times we even admire 

 the picturesque results that can be obtained by making a tree grow 

 out of its natural development. Pruning does stimulate growth be- 

 cause it tends to send the energy to the part of the plant in which it is 

 most wanted. It is well known that a pruned plant inclines to resume 

 its natural habit and that there is always a tendency to grow from 

 upper buds. Checking growth ususally causes an increase in flower 

 production. 



What Pruning Includes 



Besides the general removal of large branches, pruning includes 

 the process of pinching, or removing undeveloped eyes to check growth 

 in a certain direction; trimming, shortening top and roots at trans- 

 planting; topping, removing the leader or a flower stalk to retain the' 

 energy in the plant rather than in making a strong leader or seeds; 

 suckering, the removing of shoots at base of plant to throw the strength 

 into the plant itself. This would include the cutting of shoots from 

 the stock in grafted plants; disbudding, removing of small buds at 

 sides of main ones to throw the food into the perfect production of 

 the larger flower; ringing, the cutting out of a narrow ring of bark from 

 a branch of a tree (in the case of fruit the result is the production of a 

 large specimen due to the fact that the food is all kept at the place be- 

 yond the ring) ; root-pruning, the cutting of roots at planting time so 

 that they may be symmetrical and have clean, undecayed surfaces, but 

 the top must always be shortened proportionately when this is done; 

 sprouting, the cutting out of all sterile, unfruitful branches, which are 

 usually 'calledVater' sprouts. 



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