The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-06-16

seedsmen have brought out some very
superior varieties. j.
PRUNING ORNAMENTAL TREES AND
SHRUBS.
Of all gardening operations pruning
is probably less understood, except
among the best professional gardeners
than any other appcrtaining to garden
craft. There is a vague notion abroad
that it is as necessary to the life of "a tree
or shrub as is root nourishrncnt or wa.
ter. On the contrary, it is an operation
that requires great deal Of judgment
and skill, and il is very often better lief,
undonc than done. In the case Of orna.
mental trees it should always be attend.
ed to in the early life Of the tree, and
then only for the purpose of training
the tree for convenience sake, as where
it is not desirable TO have the lower
branches sweeping lawn, or having
90 Overhauging roadway as to inter.
ferc with passing Of carriages under
meath them. In all such cases the
growth should be watched from year 10
year, and one. or ut most two, courses
OF such branches removed. If more
arc taken off the strength Of the tree
will be materially weakened for lack of
leaf power, for without sufficient
amount of foliage the tree cannot OBJ
tain root power or development to
keep it in a vigorous, thrifty, growing
state.
The cutting off of large branches, rs
the common practice, is sure, sooner or
later, to result in the destruction of the
tree; for, in spite Of all that can be
done, the wounded part will not be
covered with new bark before decay
has coInncdced, which, once it has com
menccd, cannot be arrested and is sure
to extend into the center of the tree
and ultimately rot it away and leave
the tree mere shell, which soon dies
or is blown down by the winds. If we
go through a natural growth Of Young
forest trees we see the lower branches
generally dying off before they have at
tanned a growth of two inches in diam
eter. Nature does This by causing the
overshadowing tops and foliage to de-
prive them Of sunlight and air. This is
natures mode of pruning, and by it we
obtain timber of great strength and
free of unsound knots and similar bleln-
ishes. On lawns and similar positions
where such conditions do not come in-
to play, these lower limbs or branches
do not die OF, but keep extending them
selves horizontally and allow the tree
to develop its individual character.
Large numbers Of people are so be-
witchcd with love for stiff and formal
lines that to item tree whose outline
cannot be gagged by line or plummet is
an abomination, and hence they COM
mencc warfare with nature, cutting
and slashing until finally she succumbs
in despair. To such people the little
wooden trees made by the toy makers
are agreeable patterns, which they
studiOusly, with much cndeavo" and
trouble, strive to copy. Our people of
formal lines would take large aud cl-
egant specimen of the weeping beech
aud prune it into the shape Of a sugar
leaf To them it is not a cataract of
foliage. suggestive of cataract of wa
ter leaping from ROCK TO rock in its
downward leap. But they say "DO
you not prune fruit trecs?" Yes. GER
tainly, in order to obtain crops of fruit:
but we do not grow ornamental trees
for their fruit; we grow them for their
beauty. The fruit are grown under ar
tificial circumstances, and require arti-
fetal treatment 10 bring about certain
results, and if this Treatment is not skill
fully given the tree soon dies. There
fore, LET your ornamental trees alone,
and spare them the saw, the chisel and
the knife. The very name of the tools
suggests the proper cognomcn for the
class of people who use them SO freely.
We grow most of our shrubs for the
sake of their flowers, and not SD much |
for their form, which is secondary
in the generality of cases.
Such shrubs as bloom on wood of last
years growth should only be slightly
shortened back and even then, il the
habit of the plant is ut all pendulous, it
should not be done. as it destroys the
character of the plant. Take Forsy thia
suspense, for instance to prune it back
would destroy its half-weeping charac-
er, and at the same time cut away all
Is Towering buds. We have seen for
'ythias, dcutzias and wicgclias pruned
With shears as we would clip box-edg-
ng or shear hedge. We have seen
'eonia Mountain pruncd as Lanca-
hire goosebcrry grower would prune
lis gooscbcrry bushes to obtain prize
'SiilC> . tut icsc uushCS INV tcio |
II brought to an even height through
ut the bed being shearcd in hoop
rame at given height. The owners
f such plants wonder why their shrubs
% not flower and bctake them to the
earest florist or nurscryman, protest
ng that they have done everything nee
ssarv TO make them do so.
The habit OF each species must be
tudied in this respect and our practice
overncd accordingly. Some shrubs,
llca as roses and deutzias, flower both
IA last years growth and that Of the
ear before. In such cases the last
ears growth may be shortened back,
" one fourth or enc third of its
myth. and the side shoots OF the pre-
ious year shortened back one half.
his gives larger and finer flowers.
ut all wood that has bloomcd for two
seasons should be cut clean
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