CULTURAL SUGGESTIONS FOR GROWING EVERGREENS (Cont’d.) 
How to Prune Evergreens 
We prune Evergreens for any of the several following reasons: 
To keep the tree within certain limits of size. 
To remove any diseased or injured part of the tree. 
To shape the tree into some special form. 
To invigorate a weak tree. 
Most plantings of Evergreens around small homes are done in 
confined areas, around buildings, small gardens and _ similar 
places, so that it becomes essential to keep the trees within cer- 
tain bounds. The first consideration, of course, is to choose 
trees which are more nearly suited by natural growth to the 
planting being done, and then to keep them, through pruning, 
in a thrifty, vigorous and attractive form. 
There is a tendency among some planters to neglect pruning 
entirely and among others to prune too severely and thereby 
create an artificial looking tree. The ideal procedure is to find a 
medium course. 
The actual method of pruning varies with different species of 
Evergreens. Such Evergreen families as Junipers, Hemlocks, 
Yews and Arborvitaes, which are made up of softer foliage 
usually with numerous stems and thick branches, can be readily 
pruned and cut without much consideration to the location of 
buds or injury to the symmetry of the tree. The pruning of such 
trees can be carried on any time during the late spring and early 
part of the summer, either with a pruning knife or shears. It is, 
naturally, better practice to take care of this pruning once or 
twice during each season rather than to neglect the matter en- 
tirely for a number of years and then expect to bring the tree 
back into form all at once. Sometimes trees which have been too 
long neglected cannot ever be developed into nice specimens. 
In the pruning of Pines, Firs and Spruces, one must follow a 
somewhat different method, keeping in mind the character of 
the branching habit of the tree. Trees of this type grow in whorls 
or layers. The pruning of this group of Evergreens is confined 
largely to correcting defects and of cutting back to make the 
tree more compact and dense in growth. To make the tree grow 

Cut Spruces and Firs near 
Buds (Right) or remove a 
portion of new growth 
(Above) 

more dense, the pruning can usually be confined to removing a 
portion of the new growth, as shown in the sketch below. 
In cutting the branches of Firs and Spruces, it is well to cut 
them at a point where there is a dormant bud, so that the little 
branch will be able to grow the following year from a new bud. 




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Repairing a Lost or Damaged Leader 
Evergreens which grow with a main stem or trunk are some- 
times injured through breaking the top. In repairing this loss, 
first select one of the side branches nearest the top of the tree 
which can be easily trained upward to start a new leader, as 
illustrated in this sketch. After a year or two the tree will show 
scarcely any sign of its defect. 
Winter Care of Evergreens 
LL of the various kinds of Evergreens which are presented 
iB in this catalog are hardy in the vicinity of northern Illinois. 
By “hardy” we mean that these trees have all been grown out- 
doors under open conditions without winter protection. Planters 
must rely in some measure on the advice of their nurserymen in 
selecting trees which may be considered dependable for their 
own climate. Many conditions have a bearing upon the so-called 
hardiness of Evergreens. Humidity, snowfall, wind-swept ex- 
posures and unusual extremes of heat or severe cold, naturally, 
govern results in a large measure. 
It is always beneficial, but not absolutely necessary, to pro- 
vide a mulch for your trees in the winter. This is usually applied 
late in the fall after the ground is frozen. This mulch ean be of 
dry leaves, hay or old stable manure placed around the tree to a 
depth of several inches. This is especially valuable when the 
trees are planted in the fall. 
There are some locations and some types of Evergreens which 
suffer from exposure to the southern sun during the late winter. 
If such damage occurs regularly on your trees, a great deal of 
protection can be afforded by placing a burlap screen on the 
sunny side of the tree during this period. 
Cultivation 
ig Isa good plan to start cultivation immediately after planting. 
This conserves the moisture in the ground and keeps grass 
and weeds from interfering with the growth and also improves 
the appearance of the planting. When cultivation is entirely 
neglected, the surface of the ground becomes hard and dry and 
the trees suffer. Keep a layer of good loose earth several inches 
deep around your trees for frequent cultivation with the hoe. 

FOR FURTHER DETAILED INFORMATION SEE “HILL'S BOOK OF EVERGREENS” DESCRIBED ON PAGE 36. 
PRINTED IN U.S.A. BY R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY, CHICAGO 
