PRUNING EVERGREENS.

Patea Mail, 3 July 1882, Page 4

PRUNING EVERGREENS.

No one should cut a branch, large or small, evergreen or deciduous, without having & clear idea of what he does it for. Pruning may be done to accomplish the most opposite ends. We may prune to promote growth of limb, or we may prune to check the growth, and so on. Let us say, in the first place whatever else is done to an evergreen, do not cutit away below. Left to themselves, these trees form pyramids of verdure of the greatest beauty. A tree with its broad base resting upon the ground, and tapering gracefully upwads, is a most pleasing object, and gratifying in its symmetry and apparent stability to every person of. taste. Cut away the lower limbs, leaving a naked trunk of 6 feet, and all beauty and symmetry are destroyed, and we have an object as graceless as a hay-cock upon a gate-post, a horticultural horror. This treatment is often excused by the plea that the trees were at first planted too closely and now light and air are shut out, hence this cutting away of the lower branches. We admit the necessity for light and air, but have seen no case of close planting which might not be better remedied by taking out a portion of the trees altogether, than to multilate all by removing the lower branchesIf trees are not too near the house, either remove or cut them down—but do not cut them up. There is no proper time for pruning of this kind. If a tree grows onesidad, or irregularly, and it is desired to have an increased growth at any point the proper way to secure this is to cut the branches back toinduce a new growth to push vigorously. Firming for tills purpose should, be done when the season of growth is well matured in early autumn. If the irregularity is due to an excess of growth and it is necessary to repress this, then the proper time to do it is immediately after the growth in length has been completed, but before the wood has become hardened and matured. Much may often be done to improve the form of a tree, and fil out their places by bending some of thl branches and tying them in the proper position, taking care that the ligatures are nowhere so tight as to check enlargement of the branches. If held thus for a few years, they will retain tbeir position.