c 
ELLWANQER <fe BARRY'S CATALOGUE. 
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 out¬ 
line 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 shrub 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 these 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. 
Spineas, 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 occasionally be 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 Plumed Hydrangea 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. 
