Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-09-05

will be to cut away part Of the previous
years growth. Special attention will,
Of course, have to be paid to the bal
anee Of the plant, and the operator
must, as far as circumstances will per-
nit, strive to give it natural and
graceful form. If the plant has at
tanned the desired size, the old shoots
can be thinned out and cut back to
suit the situation and taste of the par
ties Immediately concerned, and it will
be found that young shoots will at
once develop and be in the proper con-
dition to yield an abundance of flowers
the ensuing year. A specimen can thus
be kept in good shape and form for
many years without any apparent
change in its size. In mixed shrub
berry this method Is of great advantage,
as it limits each plant to its allotted
space and prevents 1t from encroaching
on its neighbor, or obscuring from
view many of the finer but less robust
growing shrubs.
Many people are under the impress
sion that such shrubs as hardy azaleas,
rhododendrons, etc., cannot be success
fully pruned, but such is by no means
the case. have myself found it quite
practicable, by judicious and careful
pruning, to transform, in few years,
tall, gaunt, unshapely plants Of the
kinds just named into beautiful and de-
sirable specimens. The pruning of this
class Of shrubs should also be executed
Immediately after they have done fow-
ering, and it will be found, as stated
above, that young shoots will at once
develop and be in the proper condition
to yield an abundance of flowers when
the appropriate time arrives.
Later Towering shrubs, such as al
theas, hydrangeas, Roginia hispida,
clerodendron, serotinum, etc., should
be pruned in the winter time. Summer
pruning would indeed be highly injuri-
GUS in this case, for the simple reason
that by cutting away any of the young
growths we would, in most instances,
be mutilating that part Of the shrub on
which the flowers are produced. Win
ter pruning is comparatively more
simple operation than summer pruning,
from the fact that at this season plants
can be cut back to almost any part, and
in the spring young shoots will break
away and produce profusion Of BIOS
SONS at the proper time.
For shrubs having an effect from
their fruit or foliage, such as berberry,
eunonymus, callicarpa, mahonia, etc.,
would recommend winter pruning. If
trimmed in the summer time it gives
them a stunted appearance, which
mars the beauty of their foliage at
time when 1t shows to the best adVan-
tage and Is most appreciated.
It will be observed that in the fore
going remarks the pruning of Towering
shrubs is simply treated in a general
manner. OF course, it goes without
saying that It would be almost impossi-
BILE, and especially in short article like
the present, to lay down hard and
fast rule that would apply in all cases,
for the fact is that in order to obtain
the best results, each species requires
special treatment, thorough knowl
edge Of which can only be acquired by
practice and training. If, however, the
hints given above be attended to, blum
dering in pruning, and the failure and
disappointment consequent thereon,
can, to very great extent, be averted,
and many a shrubbery can be trans
formed from a chaotic mass into a
thing Of beauty-at once pleasing to the
eye and an ornament in the landscape.
American Gardening.