Problem: Article: Getting your parakeet to perch on your finger is part of hand-training. Finger-perching may take a while to achieve, but the patience should pay off in the end by developing a strong bond between you and your bird and minimizing biting behavior. Follow subsequent steps in this section to achieve finger-perching. Be mindful of the bird's moodhe or she may not be interested in trying finger-perching just because you want him or her to. Keep this in mind as you begin to train the bird, and try to be aware of the bird's mood so you don't irritate or frustrate it. This does not hurt your bird, but it will make it lose its balance and coax it into putting its foot on your finger. It may not happen the first time, so if the bird flies away, try again the next day. Practice these steps each day to get the bird comfortable perching on your hand. Doing so will help put an end to biting behavior. Once your bird is comfortable perching on your finger, begin trying to bring it outside the cage on your finger. Use a vocal cue such as saying "up" in an enthusiastic voice. The bird may not want to venture too far outside the cage, but keep trying and you should be able to get him or her to go farther and farther each time. If they fly away, they will eventually go back to their cage, as that's where they feel safe. Once your bird is finger trained out-of-the-cage, he or she will trust you a lot more, so biting should cease.
Summary: Train the parakeet to perch on your finger. Put your finger on the parakeet's chest and push lightly. Finger-train your parakeet out-of-the-cage.

Problem: Article: The stems get thicker as they age, and they start to rub against each other towards the inside of the shrub. This can cause disease and infection. To prevent this, use a handsaw to remove some of your old, thick stems. Move your handsaw back and forth quickly to make your cuts. The largest stems have the thickest diameter. The oldest stems typically are also the tallest. By getting rid of them, you reduce the overall height of your shrub. If you can't reach the very middle of the shrub's base, cut it to 34in (7.610.2cm) from the ground. Do this after your plants mature to about 5-6 years old. This way, they are large enough to support such a massive pruning. Use a pair of loppers or a fine-tooth handsaw to cut your large stems. Instead of cutting them at the ground, leave about 1ft (0.30m) of the stem. This way, new stems can grow from the remaining portion of the branch. Trimming the top of the stem off helps reduce the height of your plant while promoting a spot for new shoots to grow. Sometimes, the forsythia plant grows branches toward the base. This does not look the best, since most of the flowers bloom at the canopy of the plant. To reshape your plant, simply cut off these branches using your pruning shears. Make your cut where the branch first sprouts off the other stem. If you don't remove low branches, they may start to root to the ground. As perennials grow, they often produce a few dead branches. In addition, the dense stems may start to touch or rub together. If you previously trimmed a stem, new "split stems" may grow where the cut was made. While these instances occur normally as the plant grows, they can take away nutrients and expose the plant to infection. If you notice any stems growing inward rather than outward, these should be pruned as well. Dead, bent, and split stems also change the look of your shrub. Use pruning shears or loppers to remove any excess branches towards the top of your plant. This helps preserve the natural shape of your forsythia while getting rid of the bulk. Do this for branches that point inward, branches that cross, and branches that are rubbing against other branches. In addition, cut off some of the very tall branches. Removing branches displays the natural shape of the plant. Keeping your forsythia open allows light and air into the middle of the shrub, which helps it grow healthy. Only do this if your plant is an overgrown mess and starts to take over your garden bed. Using loppers, cut all of your stems to the ground. Make your cuts about 45in (1013cm) from the ground so new shoots can start to grow. After this, remove excess branches to keep your plant open and airy. For best results, do this in late winter or early spring. Blooming will be reduced or nonexistent after a dramatic pruning. After a few years, your plant will look full again.
Summary: Remove a quarter of the oldest stems by cutting them at ground level. Cut the stems to 12in (30cm) or more if you want to encourage growth. Remove branches low to the ground to maintain the shape of the plant. Get rid of any dead, bent, or split stems to keep your plant healthy. Cut branches back to their point of origin to thin out the canopy. Crop the stems to 45in (1013cm) if they are drastically overgrown.

Problem: Article: In Spanish, unlike in English, you write the date by putting the day first, followed by the month and then the year. The numerals can be separated by periods, dashes, or slashes. For example, if you wanted to write the date December 30, 2017 on a document, you might write "30/12/2017" or "30-12-2017." Use the same "day, month, year" format when you're writing the date out. The day and year are represented by numerals, while the month is spelled out. The elements of the date are separated by the word "de," translated as "of." For example, if you wanted to write the date "October 3, 2017" in Spanish, you would write "3 de octubre de 2017" (literal translation: third of October of 2017). There's no need for a comma in Spanish as there is in English. In Spanish, unlike in English and some other languages, there is no need to capitalize the month name. When you're writing the date, make sure the month is all lower-case. For example, you would want to write "3 de octubre de 2017" and not "3 de Octubre de 2017." Typically when you're writing the long form of a date in Spanish, you'll use a numeral for the day. This changes with the first of the month, when the word "primero" (meaning "first") typically is used. For example, you could write January 1st as "primero de enero." If you wanted to write the first of the month with a numeral, you would use a "1" followed by a superscripted "o," like this: 1 de enero de 2017. Each month of the year has a three-letter shortened form in Spanish. Occasionally you will see the date written with this numerals for the day and year with this three-letter abbreviation for the month. For each month, the three-letter abbreviation used is the first three letters of the name of that month. For example, you might see the date "July 11, 2017" abbreviated in Spanish as "11-jul-2017." You could also write the date like "11/7/2017."
Summary:
Put the day first. Write the date out in long form. Don't capitalize the name of the month. Write "primero" for the first of the month. Abbreviate the date using letters and numbers.