THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
349 
PRUNING EVERGREENS 
Ernest Hemming 
“Do not prune evergreens,” is pretty safe advice for a 
nurseryman to give his customers, but there are times 
and conditions which sometimes make it advisable. Most 
evergreens have a very symmetrical habit of growth, and, 
if allowed to grow unrestricted in any way, will usually 
form a tree that cannot he improved upon, as far as 
symmetry and beauty are concerned. 
Pruning is more likely to mar this beauty than enhance 
it. Very young plants in the nursery do require a little 
clipping to get them well formed and trained in the way 
they should go, but even this is better done with pruning 
knife rather than shears. 
Evergreens of the Retinispora type often make three or 
four leaders; if left to themselves one will eventually be¬ 
come the main leader, but the secondary ones will make 
such a strong growth that it forms a cleavage in the 
branches of the tree that is a weakness in the trees in 
snows and storms. This should be corrected in the young 
tree by pruning. 
In trees of Spruce and Fir type no pruning at all is 
necessary, unless it he to repair an accident, such as the 
breaking of the leader by a bird alighting on it while it. 
is still very young, when they are very tender. 
In such an event the tree will likely form two or more 
shoots to take the place of the broken one. In this event 
cut back all but the strongest and best-placed shoot, 
which will form the new leader or main stem of the tree. 
Sometimes trees of this type are thin and not well fur¬ 
nished. If it be desired to thicken them up, it can be 
done by pinching back the new growth while it is young 
and tender. It should be done while the shoots are still 
so young that they can be pinched off by the thumb and 
finger. 
The same remarks are equally applicable to the Pine 
trees, which are identical in growth to the Firs and 
Spruces. 
When evergreens are planted for hedge purposes the 
situation is entirely altered, as the natural habit of the 
plant is entirely suppressed. Under such conditions it 
is well to thoroughly understand what might be termed 
their adaptability to pruning. 
For convenience, they may be divided into two groups: 
Group No. 1, such as Pines, Spruces, Firs and Hem¬ 
locks, cannot be depended upon to break from the old 
wood to any very great extent, and it naturally follows 
that if they are cut back very hard they will be bare 
stumps for a long time, if they ever recover. All the 
pruning or clipping that should be done consists of short¬ 
ening back the new growth just about as it is completed 
in May or June. It can be readily seen that hedges 
should be formed of young plants that will grow togeth¬ 
er and be gradually formed by the annual clipping. 
Group No. 2, such as Yews, Hollies, Box Arborvitaes, 
Portugal and English Laurels, Osmanthus, Retinisporas, 
break rather freely from the old wood, and may be cut 
back more severely with good prospects of their clothing 
themselves with new foliage. They, of course, make 
closer and more compact hedges. Larger plants—accord¬ 
ing to their kind—may be used, although if you want a 
perfect hedge without gaps and holes, well furnished 
right to the ground, you must start with rather small 
plants, say, not much higher than eight feet. 
The clipping should be done about May and June, as 
with Group No. 1. 
It is sometimes advisable, for the purpose of getting 
the very best color effects, to prune Retinisporas and 
evergreens used for this particular purpose. Practically 
all of them show their best color on the young wood. To 
get this young wood and to keep an abundance of il, it is 
advisable to prune after the plant has made about half 
its growth. This, as already noted, gives best color effect 
and also keeps the plant compact. This pruning, how¬ 
ever, should be very carefully done, so that the general 
character of the plant is not destroyed. Pinching back, 
as already described in this article, is perhaps the best 
method. 
NURSERIES IN THE WAR ZONE 
Hazebrouck, France.—In the district north and west of 
this place, extending into Belgium, there are many hun¬ 
dreds of nurseries and glasshouse establishments, great 
numbers of which have been destroyed by the armies. 
Not only has glass been destroyed, but plants have suff¬ 
ered, the asphyxiating gas of the Germans having disas¬ 
trous effects on all plant life. In many cases leaves be¬ 
came covered with great white patches from which the 
colour had completely disappeared; they did not resemble 
foliage discoloured by the action of gas proceeding from 
large factories where hydrocyanic acid or sulphuric acid 
is manufactured; but, after remaining white for some 
time, they turned brown, dried up and fell off. As a re¬ 
sult of experiments with the gas which produced these 
results, it was found that it was capable of penetrating 
into houses of the nature of chlorine, the effects being 
similar to those produced by free chlorine. This asphyx¬ 
iating gas proved which were closely shut and produced 
effects varying acording to the stage of growth attained 
by the plants and the temperature of the house. In un¬ 
heated houses, where the plants were covered with morn¬ 
ing dew, the damage done was serious. In houses where 
the atmosphere was dry, the gas did not destroy the tis¬ 
sue of the plants, but it caused a complete cessation of 
growth for a week. When the fumes of gas had cleared 
away, growth was resumed, and continued in a normal 
manner. Horticultural Advertiser. 
As we go to press we learn of the marriage of Mr. Paul 
C. Stark, Louisiana, Missouri and Miss Theodosia A. Bar¬ 
nett, St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, September 9th, 
1916. 
The National Nurseryman takes this opportunity to 
congratulate Mr. Stark and to wish them both happiness 
and prosperity. 
Nurserymen will be interested to hear of the announce¬ 
ment of marriage of Mr. Louis A. Berckmans, Augusta, 
Georgia, and Miss Laura A. McGloine, New York, which 
is to take place in the late fall in New York. 
We feel sure all who are acquainted with Mr. Berck¬ 
mans will join with the National Nurseryman in wish¬ 
ing them much happiness. 
