surroundings of a cheerful home.

With a little pruning in the proper season, these unshapely bushes might
become things of beauty, and not only look better, but will do better,
if given a severe trimming in the spring. Hedges of Privet, Purple
Barberry, and Japan Quince, look much prettier along the walk than the
old-fashioned fences, which are now being rapidly done away with.

They should be kept pruned low as to not allow them to grow over two
feet high.

The proper time for trimming hedges of all kinds is in mid-summer, after
the shrubs have made a thrifty growth; we would advise an annual pruning
in order to have the hedge looking finely.

It is a bad plan to allow a hedge of any kind, especially an evergreen
one, to run a number of years without trimming. If a hedge is neglected
so long, and then severely pruned, it will look stubby and shabby for a
year or two after. With a pair of sharp hedge-shears, a person having a
straight eye will make a good job of the trimming every time.

The spring is the time of the year in which to do the pruning of all
kinds of plants, vines, and shrubs, that are out of doors, as they are
then dormant. Some prefer to prune grape vines in the fall, just after
they have ripened and shed their leaves. We think it unsafe to prune
anything too severely in the fall, especially the grape vine. Much
experience has taught us to select the month of March as the time of the
year most suitable for performing the operation.

Every one who has a garden should possess a pruning knife with a long
blade, curved at the end, for the operation. Armed with this implement,
let us take a walk upon the lawn, and down into the garden, while the
snow is still white upon the ground. The first thing that we meet as we
enter the garden, is the large grape trellis, with its mass of tangled
brown canes, a perfect mat of long vines and curling tendrils. How are
we to attack this formidable network of vines in order to do anything
with them? The first thing to be done is to sever all the cords and ties
that fasten the vines to the trellis, and allow them to fall to the
ground for convenience in trimming them. Spread the vines out full
length upon the ground, and beginning at one of its arms, cut each shoot
of the previous season's growth back to two eyes; if the canes are too
numerous some may be cut out entirely. After all the "arms" of each vine
have been pruned in this manner, the vine can be returned to