File:The American florist - a weekly journal for the trade (1901) (17952121169).jpg

Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw22amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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tgoi The American Florist. 1411 sequently entitled to higher compensa- tion for his services. On the other hand it is a well known and undeniable fact that the number of gardeners who have the proper knowl- edge and training to perform this work is very small indeed. Gardening in this country, generally speaking, I am sorry to say, is not yet recognized as a voca- tion that requires as much study, ability and personal fitness as does that of a machinist or any other mechanic. The largest percentage of those gar- deners to whom I am referring have graduan3' drifted into the ranks by serving as laborers in the caretaking of private and public grounds. They are able to take care of a horse and a cow, to do chores around the house, to keep a place clean and in good trim, are diligent and honest workers, but they lack the knowledge and experience, the under- standing and insight into the work which should bring them into closest contact with nature and its secrets. Their knowledge is simply based upon the superficial habitual performance of their daily work, but the pleasure and art of observing nature in her own works to study the life and habits of the trees, shrubs and other plants, and to become through such study and observance an expert in their business, is unknown to them. To this unscientific, barbarous and condemnable method of pruning shrubs and trees as above mentioned is due the inclination of people of better taste and knowledge, not to do any pruning at all, and it certainly is better to leave shrubs and trees alone than to mutilate them. Yet it is wrong to think that a certain amount of pruning of our shrubs and trees is not necessary or beneficial, or that it cannot be done without destroy- ing the natural appearance and beauty of the plants. Any planting of shrub- bery, no matter how appropriately and harmoniously arranged, as to character, size and adaptability of the plants used, will become overgrown and crowded within a few years, if left alone to unrestricted growth. On the other hand, by judicious pruning that same planting can be kept in prime condition, young and vigorous, for almost a lifetime. Just as well as it is possible to increase and perfect the fruit bearing capacity of our fruit trees, and to prolong their Ufe of utility, it is also possible to aid our flowering shrubs to maintain their foliage in youthful prof usion and graceful habit, and to produce their attractive, fragrant flowers year after year; namely, by proper pruning. In order to be able to do the pruning in such a scientific way as to arrive at such satisfactory results it is, of course, necessary that the gardener should know the character of the plant which he expects to prune. He must know what the plant is, whether it flowers on the young wood which the coming growth is to produce or whether the flowers are produced by the old wood. He should know whether the main attraction of the tree or shrub which he is to prune, is in its foliage or in its flowers. There are some shrubs such as Hydan- gea paniculata. Hibiscus Syriacus, etc., on which a heavy pruning is justified, if large, well developed flowering shoots and blooms are desired. In such cases the last year's shoots should be thinned out, leaving only one-third of them, and these should be cut back to two or three eyes. The pruning which, however, I have in
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CELA8TRU8 ORBICULATUS—BRANCHES PENDULOUS. mind, and about which I wish to speak, is in reference to shrub plantations as a whole, as they are as a rule established on private places, more than to that of individual plants, which for their flower- ing capacities and value, or their special qualities for foliage effect, are picked out and planted and pruned for such special purpose. In order to clearly illustrate what I have in mind, let me begin at the very beginning, at the time when we lay out our garden, plan our shrubbery and tree plantations, and lay the foundation of what we hope and intend to become a lasting, attractive feature of our home grounds. Every gardener knows, or should know, that all deciduous trees and shrubs should be properly pruned when transplanted. The main object in view when estab- lishing a new planting is to insure the life and growth of the plants, and foi that reason a radical pruning Is necessary, for it is expecting too much of the roots to support the whole upper structure as long as they have first to establish them- selves in their new quarters before they can absorb and forward the life-giving elements from the mother earth. At that period, therefore, it is necessary to cut back thoroughly without regard to flowering wood. For good, healthy stock not less than one-third is the proper scale for trimming back, the thin- ning out to be done in the same propor- tion and at the same time. Plants that have suffered through exposure to sun and wind can be cut back one-half or even more if necessary. For plantings established in fall, I prefer to postpone the pruning till spring, following the sup- position that the sap in the wood will partly recede to the stock and help to maintain the plant during this period of acclimation. In the second year very little pruning need be done; in fact, only such of the one-year-old shoots need be removed as are superfluous or cross each other. At this period of existence some of the shrubs will already bloom and the intended effect and combination of foliage will be noticeable. In all the following

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