Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-14
PRUNING OF SHRUBS
THIS MONTH Is THE BEST FOR
ALMOST ALL PLANTS.

IT HIS is the great pruning month.
For pruning you need an extreme
ly sharp knife with q thick
backed blade that is not too long alu
with a good fat handle that can be grip
ped firmly. The knife has to be held in
such unusual positions often that there
is always danger of injury from a slip
ping or turning knife or from a breaking
blade. Do not. therefore, depend on an
ordinary pocket knife. For small shrubs
a pruning shear Is most convenient but
IL is not absolutely necessary.
20 around the garden and cut of all
the small shoots or suckers that sprout
from the main stems of trees or woody
SHRUBS from the ground up. Cut away
everything that is below the first
branches that are to stay.
II you have fruit trees, cut away ALI
or nearly all the small twigs that grow
out from the main branches. Wherever
the largest branches grow in such a way
.sat they interfere with each other. cut
on one entirely. Do not content yourself
with cutting 1t off partially. but take n
on at the main trunk. and cut IT orr
clean, SO that there shall be a perfectly
smooth place left where It has been am
putated. Leaving little "nubs'' is one Of
the cardinal sins. not only OF amateurs.
put even OF professional gardeners. These
nubs' die back in the course of time
ana rot from the inside. The uecay
works backward. just like a sore, and
N, "A
the nu6' drops off and leaves a hole Ia
the trunk. NA'
Before looping off anything. ALWAYS
stand back and try to form an idea Just
particular branch gone Very often the
amputation of one branch will make the
plant look SO lop-sided that YOU would
nave to cut off other branches to even
each branch back SO that Won can see -
Its removal will injure the shape of the
growth. e
Most fruit trees will do best with a
t lilinum OF branches. They are fruit
bearing machines. and not garden trees
and must be treated quite differently
from ornamental trees If they are to pro-
duce maximum amount For the anna
=; ;eur inc easiest way to prune fruit trees
Is to give them the vase shaped appear
ance. which is done by letting the three
or four lowest branches grow longest So
that their tips will reach nearly or quite
to the top of the tree crown. The series
OF branches next above them is trimmed
at the tips to be even with the TIPS of the
first series, and so on.
AS nearly as possible the branches that
are left on should alternate-that is, il
the first series of four branches IA act
north, east. south and west. the second
series should set northeast, southeast,
southwest and northwest. The third Sc
rles, again. may set between these points,
and so on.
This assures each branch all the sun
light possible. and means that each fruit
will have a full chance TO ripen.
Tips of branches that show signs of
having been winter-killed, which gives
them the characteristic appearance OF
dead wood. must be cut back to the liv-
ing growth. All large scars should be
smeared thoroughly with tree wax. AL
ways grease the hands before using it, so
that it will not stick to your fingers. In
the absence Of tree wax use hot tar, shell
lac, varnish or thick paint. Should il be
impossible to get any Of these, knead
clayey earth till 1t is soft and putty-like
and plaster it over the cut. Then tie a
thin piece of cloth over it to keep 1t there.