GENERAL CA7AL0GUE. 
87 
PRUNING. 
Pruning, as practiced by some people, has the effect to render trees and shrubs unnatural and inelegant. 
We refer to the custom of shearing trees, particularly conifers, into cones, pyramids, and other unnatural 
shapes Every tree, shrub, and plant has a habit of growth peculiar to itself, and this very peculiarity is one of its 
beauties. If we prune all trees into regular shapes we destroy their identity. The pruning knife, therefore, 
should be used to assist nature, and handled with judgment and care ; to lop off straggling branches, to thin 
the head of a tree which has become too dense, and to remove dead wood. Sometimes it becomes necessary 
to prune severely to keep a tree from attaining too great size. 
SHEARING may be practiced on hedges, but never on trees or shrubs. 
PRUNING SHRUBS. 
Many persons trim and shear them into regular shapes, imagining that regular outline adds to their 
effect and beauty. While symmetry and regularity of form are to be admired in a shrub, this quality 
should never be gained at the expense of health and natural grace. 
Each dirub has peculiarities of habit and foliage, and we should aim to preserve them as far as possible. 
Judicious pruning to secure health and vigor is necessary, but trimming all kinds of shrubs into one form 
shows a lack of appreciation for natural beauty, to say the least. Weigelas, Deutzias, Forsythias, and Mock 
Orange flower on the wood of the preceding year’s growth, hence the shrubs should not be pruned in winter 
or spring, but in June, after they have finished flowering, when the old wood should be shortened or cut out, 
thus promoting the growth of the young wood, which is to flower the following season. 
Spirseas, Lilacs, Althaeas, and Honeysuckles may be trimmed during the winter or early in spring, but 
the branches should only be reduced enough to keep them in good shape. The old growth should be occas¬ 
ionally thinned out and the suckers and root sprouts removed when they appear. The best time, however, 
for pruning all shrubs is when they haVe done flowering. The Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora should be 
severely cut back and thinned early in spring. 
PRUNING EVERGREENS. 
Use the knife occasionally to thicken the growth and preserve the shape. This can be done in April or 
May, just before the trees start to grow. 
ORNAMENTAL TREES. 
IN FOUR CLASSES. 
CLASS I.—A general Descriptive List of Deciduous Trees. 
CLASS II. —A List of Deciduous Weeping or Drooping Trees, described in their respective places in the 
Catalogue. 
CLASS III. —A List of trees possessing remarkable characteristics of foliage, in three sections—Cut-leaved, 
Variegated, and Colored, and described in their respective places in the Catalogue. 
CLASS IV. —Conifera? or Evergreens. 
In order that planters may be able to form an idea of the size which trees and shrubs attain at maturity, 
a point which should always be taken into consideration at the time of planting, so that the specimens may 
occupy the proper position, we have adopted letters to denote the proper classes, as follows : 
A. denotes trees which attain the largest size, 50 feet and upwards. 
B. “ “ “ “ “ secondary size, 20 to 40 feet. 
C. “ “ “ “ “ medium size, 9 to 15 feet. 
D. “ “ and shrubs which attain only small size, 1 to 8 feet. 
Our object in the above classification is to lessen the labor and difficulty, as far as possible, of making 
selections adapted to particular purposes. 
The botanical name of the genus or family, as well as the species or variety, is placed first in Full Faced 
conspicuous type. The English name follows in small capitals. The German and French names of the 
genus are also given in SMALL capitals. It is to be hoped that with the aid of the complete index of 
botanical and English names, to be found on the last page, no difficulty will be experienced in finding any 
tree, shrub, or plant described in the Catalogue. 
