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make a sufficient head and show. If the 
shi'ub bears altogether or chiefly at its ends, 
no shortening must take place ; but if some ot 
tiie branches are too tong, they may be 
either cut out, or quite low, leaving the 
shorter ones to bear. If the shrub "bears 
along its sides, the shortening is ot no conse- 
quence, arid the desired form may be freely 
provided for at pleasure. 
I he season for pruning shrubs is generally 
the spring ; but autumn is better, if not too 
near winter, as at this time sharp weather 
might occasion some of the sorts (as jasmines 
and honeysuckles) to die down. The time 
ot ilowering must in some measure direct the 
time of pruning. Shrubs that flower in win- 
ter (as the laurustiuus) should be cut in 
spring. Those that [lower in spring may be 
pruned immediately after their blow, or in 
summer. '1 hose that flower in summer 
should be pruned in autumn ; and those that 
■flower in autumn should be pruned either 
soon after flowering, or in spring. 
lie sure to take oil in time, i. e. as soon as 
discovered, all suckers and over-strong shoots 
from shrubs; for bv their luxuriancy they 
greatly impoverish the proper-sized branches, 
which are the fruitful ones, and such large 
•sappy wood looks very unsightly. 
The height of shrubs in certain situations 
is material, and to provide for this, the art of 
pruning is in a great measure competent. 
To keep them low, cutting down is of course 
necessary ; but it will be" well also to make 
the soil poor if too rich. To encourage 
them to mount, keep trimming off close the 
tower branches, and improve the ground by 
digging and dressing occasionally. 
Roses bear upon shoots of the present 
year, and upon those formed after midsum- 
mer in the past year, but chiefly upon the 
former. Therefore they may, or rather 
should, be cut down low, leaving only three or 
four eyes to a shoot ; except some of those 
short shoots formed the last year too late to 
blow' then, leave whole. If rose-trees are not 
close pruned, they will be unable to support 
their flowers properly. Use a sharp knife, 
and cut close behind an eye or bud. Roses 
for forcing should be pruned in July and 
August. • 
Honeysuckles flower on shoots of the pre- 
sent year, and therefore whether trained to 
walls, or kept in bushes, should be also pruned 
close ; but not so short in the latter case as the 
former, for those against walls should be cut 
down to an eye or two, and those in bushes to 
three or four eyes. 
Sweetbriars flower on shoots of the present 
year, and therefore should be cut after the 
manner of honeysuckles. These shrubs (and 
most others) are seldom pruned down enough, 
so that in a few years they get very rambling 
and unsightly ; but if kept compact, we have 
beauty as well as sweetness, to recompense 
our care. In all cases, a less number of fine 
flowers obtained by short and open pruning, 
is certainly preferable to many indifferent 
ones. 
Lilacs bear their flowers at the ends of 
shoots of the last >ear, so of course at spring 
mud not be shortened. If rambling and 
crowded, cut either clean out, or very low, 
yvhat may be superfluous. If they need 
much reduction, let them be cut down as 
P R U 
soon as (or somewhat before) they have goi 
off flower. 
r l o enter further into the detail of shrubs 
would be inconsistent with our limits. The 
reader will tind some directions occasionallv 
under the separate articles, and will coin- 
moniy act safely under the general directions 
above. 
PRl NUS, a genus of the monogynia or- 
der, in the icosandria class of plants ; and in 
the natural method ranking under the 36th 
order, pomaceav The calyx is quinquefid, 
inferior ; there are five petals ; the fruit is a 
plum, having a kernel with prominent su- 
tures. There are thirty-three species, of 
which six are cultivated in Britain : they are 
originally' natives of America and Siberia. 
1. The domestica, or common plum-tree, 
grows 20 or 30 feet high, with oval spear- 
shaped leaves, and with the pedunculi for the 
most part single, terminated by flowers, sue- 
ceeded by plums of many different colours, 
sizes, and shapes, in the varieties. 2. The in- 
sititia, wild-plum, or bullace-tree. grows 12 or 
1 5 feet high ; the branches somewhat spinous ; 
the leaves oval, hairy underneath; and the 
pedunculi by pairs, terminated by white 
flowers succeeded by small, round, plmn- 
like fruit, ot different colours in the varieties. 
3. The spinosa, black-thorn, or sloe-tree, 
grows 10 or 12 feet high, very branchy and 
bushy quite from the bottom, armed with 
strong, sharp spines, small, spear-shaped, 
smooth leaves, pedunculi growing singly, ter- 
minated by flowers, succeeded bv small, 
round, black cherries in autumn, it grows 
wild every where in hedges and woods ; and 
is very proper for planting field-hedges, be- 
ing ot very quick and close growth. 4. The 
cerasus, or common cherry-tree, grows 20 
feet or more in height, with oval clusters of 
lanceolate smooth leaves, umbellate flowers, 
succeeded by clusters of red roundish fruit, of 
different sizes and properties in the varieties. 
Hanbury says, “ were this tree scarce, and 
with much difficulty propagated, every man, 
though possessed of a single tree only, would 
look upon it as a treasure; for besides the 
charming appearance these trees have when 
besnowed, as it were, all over with bloom in 
the spring, can any tree in the vegetable tribe 
be conceived more beautiful, striking, and 
grand, than a well-grown and healthy cherry- 
tree, at that period when the fruit is ripe ?” 
The cherry-trees afford an almost endless 
variety ; all differing in some respect in their 
manner of shooting, leaves, flowers, and fruit: 
two in particular demand admission into the 
pleasure-garden, the double-blossomed and 
the red-flowering. The pleasing show the 
common cherry-tree makes when in blow is 
known to all; but that of the double-blos- 
somed is much more enchanting. It blos- 
soms like the other in May ; the flowers are 
produced in large and noble clusters; for 
each separate flower is as double as a rose, 
is very large, and placed on long and slender 
footstalks, so as to occasion the branches to 
have an air of ease and freedom. They are 
of a pure white ; and tire trees will be so’ pro- 
fusely covered with them, as to charm the 
imagination. Standards of these trees, when 
viewed at a distance, have been compared to 
balls of snow; and the nearer we approach, 
the greater pleasure we receive. These trees 
may be kept as dwarfs, or trained up to stan- 
dards ; so that there is no garden or plan- 
tation to which they will not be suitable. 
By the multiplicity of the petals, the organs 
oi generation are destroyed ; so that those 
flowers which are really fail are never suc- 
ceeded by any fruit. 
The red-flowering cherry-tree differs in no 
respect from the' common cherry-tree, only 
that the flowers are of a pale-red colour, and 
by many are esteemed on that account. Be- 
sides the ornament and utility afforded us 
by the flowers and li cit of the cherry, its 
timber is a further inducement for propagat- 
ing it ; more especially that of the small black 
wilding sort, which may perhaps with pro- 
priety be considered as the genuine species, 
and a native of tills island. Be this as it may, 
it will grow in a soil and situation it affects, 
to be a large timber-tree ; and if taken in its 
prime before it becomes tainted at the heart, 
will turn out perhaps not less than a ton of 
valuable materials, peculiarly adapted to the 
purposes of furniture. r i he grain is line, and 
the colour nearly approaching to that ma- 
hogany, to which valuable wood it comes 
nearer than any other which this country 
produces. 5. The avium, or great wilding 
cherry-tree, grows 40 or 50 feet high, having 
-oval or spear-shaped leaves, downy under- 
neath, with umbellate sessile clusters of white 
flowers, succeeded by small round fruit of 
different properties in the varieties. 6. The 
padus, or common bird cherry-tree, grows 
15 or 20 feet high, of a shrub-like grow th, 
with a spreading head, large, oblong, rough, 
serrated leaves, having two glands at the 
back of the base like the other, and with 
shorter, more compact, clusters of flowers, 
succeeded by large red fruit. This grows 
wild in hedges in the north part of England. 
7. '1 he Virginiana, or Virginian bird-cherry, 
grows 30 feet high, dividing into a very 
branchy head, having a dark-purple bark, 
oval, slightly serrated, shining green leaves, 
having two glands at the fore part of the base, 
and long clusters of white flowers, succeeded 
by small, round, berry-like, black fruit. 8. 
Canadensis, or Canada dwarf bird-cherry, 
grows but four or five feet high, branching 
horizontally near the ground with smooth 
branches; broad, spear-shaped, rough, downy 
leaves- without glands; and long clusters of 
white flowers, succeeded by small, round, 
berry-like black fruit, ripe in autumn. 9a 
The mahaleb, or perfumed cherry, grows 10 
or 15 feet high, with smooth whitish branches, 
small, oval, shining, green leaves, and co- 
rymbous clusters of white flowers, succeeded 
by small fruit. 10. The armeniaca, or apri- 
cot-tree, grows 20 feet high, with a large 
spreading head, having reddish shoots, large, 
nearly heart-shaped leaves, close-sitting pale- 
red flowers rising all along the sides of the 
young branches, succeeded by large round- 
ish fruit of a yellow and reddish colour in dif- 
ferent varieties. The fruit and the kernels of 
the primus Siberica, when eaten, excite a 
continued head-ache: the kernels, infused in 
brandy, communicate an agreeable flavour. 
All the different varieties of plums have at 
first been raised from the stones, and are af- 
terwards preserved by budding and grafting 
on any plum-stock. The same method is 
applicable to cherries; only these are grafted 
to most advantage upon stocks of the wild 
black and red cherry raised from the stones 
of the fruit. The apricot-trees are propa- 
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