The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1905-05-27

Use Fearless Hand When You Begin
the Work But Take Care to Leave
Lowest Branches.

The lilac is one of those dear old.
fashioned shrubs that everybody loves
and nobody wants to do without but II
is often mishandled and thus fails ia
be as beautiful as it might be, Julia
Rogers, in the March number of Coun-
try Life, gives some directions for
pruning that may be put In practices
this month, and which we commend
to those who have lilacs. Mrs. Rogers
says:
THE ideal lilac bush of any variety
is an oval Of green leaves that is COW
cred at blooming time with its char
acteristic flower clusters. I do not
mean literally covered, for each clus-
ter needs background of green. And
the beauty of the bush Is further en-
HANGED by the room proviued for eacn
limb, not only to develop it's best TO-
liage and largest flowers, put to swing
and nod In every breeze that goes by.
Color, fragrance and form in bloom
ing lilac bush are all good points: add
grace OF motion and its charms are
doubled.
"Lilacs have their blossom clusters
in their winter buds. II our bush has
never seen the pruning shears, it is
badly choked with limbs. The strug-
gle Of these has produced a vast num-
Der Of inferior twigs and flower clus-
terss
1T Is March and we stand beside the
bush and hesitate. IT. is dreadful to
sacrifice buds which In a few weeks
Will burst into radiant bloom. Let us
remember that the bush will concen-
trate all its forces to maze the best
possible flowers on the branches we
leave. The sun will get In and do its
perfect work, enabling the leaves to
make more starch than was possible
in their crowded condition. This addi-
tional food makes finer flowers.
First, cut out at the ground the
gnarled limbs whose knotty twigs and
stunted buds prove that they have out
lived their usefulness. These dragged
out, the bush has a younger, more
hopeful look. Now prune away, every
twig, great or small, that is. broken or
rubbed, or is in any respect unhealthy
looking. Cut clean and close-leave NO
rough edges to delay the healing proc
ess. Next cut the weakest among In
terfering twigs. Cut back Maynard
limbs to bring the bush into symmet-
rical shape. Cut on root suckers. They
come from below the graft, and would
therefore bear the inferior flowers of
the stock.
Nov, II You have left a clean,
thrifty bush of good shape and plenty
OF room you may consider that you
have done good job, though half OF
the wood lies in q brush neap along
side. Remember, the brush had been
neglected; the first printing was neces-
sarily radical and severe. Watch
through the summer, and the bush
will show you whether or not you
trimmed it too well. Lilacs have op-
posite leaves; therefore, opposite
branches. Every twig you cut back has
sent out two end shoots to replace the
one lost. These cover the bush with
fresh leaves the first of the year, and
form flower buds for the next. There
is no danger of the top remaining
scant.
The principal thing not to do in
lilacs and in ali other shrubs is to cut
on the lower branches. A bush should
rest upon the ground-its foliage and
flowers should meet the green grass.
A 'leggy' underpinning of matted stems
is an eyesore, no matter what wealth
Of vegetation surmounts it."