The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26

If you are not growing by this plan and desire to change to it you must lose one seasons bloom, as the cutting of one portion of the bearing wood should be done in the spring to assure full sea- sons growth for the following year. Gle matis should be well branched below the porch floor, so that half the shoots may be made to carry blooms each year, while the other half is cut back to grow shoots for the following year. This annual re- newal system has been found to work well.
 Preserve the Shape
 In trimming the shrubs take care to pre- serve their shapeliness The last stem on each branch should point outward. Stems that cross others, and those inside point ing toward the center. should be cut out unless this would too much weaken the plant, as in the case of young shrubs. As rule shrubs are started in life either as a standard or as a pyramidals and this shape should be kept in mind in the mid summer pruning.
 How to Prune Li,acs
 The amount of pruning to be done va ries with the kind of shrub, it's age and the purpose for which it is grown. As an example, take the lilac: Some persons grow lilacs as an ornament to the lawn or shrubbery border; others have them for cutting. In the former case the plants should be branched as much as possible interior should be kept out and all the efforts of the plant devoted to making a mass of bloom on the outside shoots. But if you are growing for the vase have few one-year-old shoots on which, in the cast of the Persian varie- ties, masses of flowers two feet in length can be produced.
 To Renovate Old Shrubs
 Radical treatment should be given to the old and run-out shrubs of the kinds that require summer pruning. When clumps of lilacs or similar shrubs get too old 1t Is not possible to make much of them. They should then be cut back to foot high and branched in low. It Is best to run up four buds until the head Is formed; then to cut again at this time of year and grow from four to six buds from each of these. In four or five years you should get a mass of bloom on new punches from four to six feet high.
 How to Now Your Lawn
 The young grass should be cut as soon as the lawn mower set to two inches will catch 1t, and should be kept moved to that height during the first summer in or der to make it stand out and thick. In case of prolonged draught, when artif- cial water must be resorted to, give a good soaking and no more until the soil Is dry an inch from the top. If the seed 10 good and the soil and work is up to standard, the new grass should be an Inch high in ten days after sowing
 Do Your Pruning Now
 The pruning of the early towering shrubs demands attention now The aga lea. dogwood. hawthorn, laurel. lilac and many others bloom on wood of the pre- vious year. This also applies to some of the climbing vines. such as Clematis Mon- tana and Standishi.
 To keep these shrubs in order and in- sure the proper amount and placing of the blooms for next season, pruning should be done with a purpose. The best blooms of next season will be produced on wood grown this summer. Consequent ly the aim should be to have as much one year old wood as possible each spring. To do this. the shrubs should be grown bushy. Start right with the young plant and make 1t bush out as 1t grows. Then. when it comes in to bloom and is the size desired, there should be an annual vuttinG out of the excess oi branches that have outgrown thslr fsllowA Next oe