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ground h mended. This k a tliethod which I have 

 practifi:d with [^rcat fucccfs, where I have been em- 

 piuycJ to mend the blunders of thefe great garden- 

 ers, as they, arc llilcd, and hereby the walls and ef- 

 aliers have been well furnifned in a few years, 

 uc ihc next thing to be done, after being furnifhed 

 v/ith proper trees, is the preparing the ground to re- 

 ceive them; in the doing of which, there fhould be 

 great regard had to the nature of the foil, where the 

 trees are to grow ; fur, if it is a ftrong IlifF land, and 

 iubjeci: to wet in the winter, the borders fhould be 

 . raifed as much above the level of the ground as you 

 conveniently can. And if under the good foil there 

 " is a fuliicient quantity of lime, rubbilh, or ftones 

 kid to prevent the roots of the trees from runninor 

 downward, it will be of great fervice to the trees. 

 The borders for thefe fliould not b? lefs than eight 

 feet broad, but, if they are twelve, it will be ftill 

 better. And as thefe borders may be planted with 

 ' fuch forrs of efculent plants as do not grow large^ or 

 Avhofe roots do not grov/ deep, or mat together on the 

 ] 'ilirface, thefe w^ill do no Harm "to the Pear-trees ; for 

 ^ thefe arc not fo nice in their culture as Peach and 

 / JMedarine-trees, fo the turning the ground, and mend- 

 ing it for thefe crops, will .rather improve than injure, 

 the trees, provided the plants do not (hade the trees, 

 or are not fuffered to ftand too long upon the fcor-* 

 . ders. But all the Cabbage kind, as alfo Beans, fhould 

 I. be excluded from thefe borders, becaufe they root 

 /.deep in the ground, arid^draV rhuch^nouriihnient 

 from the trees. 





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But if the foil is (hallow, an3 the bottom is either 

 gravel or cTialkjC^ere" mufl be a Tufficierit depth of] 

 good earth laid upon jthf. borders, fo as to rriake them 

 two feet and a half deep : for if the ground is not 

 of this depth, the trees will not thrive well. And, 



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whole depth of the borders with what they call virgjd 

 earth, that is, fuch as is taken from a paftuVe where 

 the land^ has not been ploughed ; but if this is not 

 brought irtto the garden at Icaft one year before 

 the trees are planted, that by turning it over often it 

 may be fweetened, it will not be to good as that 

 which is taken from a kitchen-garden, where the land 

 is good, and has been well wrought ; for by often 

 turning and breaking the foil, it will be better pre- 

 pared to receive the trees. 



Others recommend mixing a great quantity of rotten 

 dung with the earth of the borders, but this is not fo 

 proper ; for, by making the ground too rich, it will 

 only encourage the luxuriant "growth of the trees j' 

 therefore it is alv;ays better to mend the borders froca 

 time to time as they may require, and not to add lo 

 much dung in the firft making them. . 

 Another care is required in making the borders on wet 

 ground, which is to contrive fome covered drains to 

 convey off the water in vv'inter, otherwife, by this be- 

 ing detained about the roots of the trees, it will 

 greatly prejudice them *, and in building the walls 

 round a kitchen-garden, where the ground is inclina- 

 ble to be wet, there fhould be fome arches turned ia 

 the foundations of thofe walls which are in the loweft 

 part of the garden, to let off the wet. 

 . The manner of preparing thefe trees for planting is 

 the fame as hath been direfted for other fruit-trees, 

 viz. to cut off all the fmall fibres from the roots, and 

 to Ihortcn fome of the longeil roots, and cut off all 

 the bruifed ones, or fuch as fhoot downright ; this 

 ^being done, you fliQuld plant them in the places in- 

 .. tended at the before-menuoned diftance. The bell 





:., in doing or this, J mulr caution every perfon not to 



-J- .^g ^^^ ^^^ gravel or chalk in ap-ench, (as is by fome 

 .I'pratStifed) and fill this trench with good earth ; for by 

 y io doing, when the roots of the trees are extended to 

 the width of the trench, they will meet with the gra- 

 vel which will ftop them, fo that they will be con- 

 fined, as if they were in tubs of earth, whereby the 

 „ mcs will foon ihew their diflrefs; therefore, ,when 

 /.the gravel or chalk is removed, it fliould be entirely 

 " 'taken away over the whole border, otherwife it will 

 e better to raile the whole border above it, ^. 

 If the garden is to be new-made from 'a field, then all 

 the good earth on the ftyface fliould be carefully pre- 

 \ierved ; and, if the ijobcl'eround is taken out where 



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the walks are deflgned to De""ma3e, "and laid"upon' 

 the borders* or \n the quarters, it will add to the , 

 ^ xlepth 01 the loii, and lave expence in bringing in or 

 ■liew earth. ;.,Jf the ground can be prepared one year 



before it is planted, the trees v;ill thrive the'beti;eri 

 ,.. for by layin-x the eround in ridges, and turning it over 

 - two or three times, it wiil looten the lou, and render 

 ,.. jt much better tor plantings but in trenching or 

 '1' ' plou^hins of the ercund, there fhould b^ sreat care 

 ..^ taken not to go deeper than the ground is good, other- 

 ■ ^^' wife all the good foil will be buried below the roots, 

 -V.^^hd the bad ground will be turned on the top, which 

 r is what I have known done at a great expence by 

 »^^„ perfons, who have been at the top of their j)rofef- 

 . fioh, and have thereby entirely ruined the gardens. 

 ^l&'heri^ thire Is a neceffity 6f bringing any frefli earth 

 for the borders, it v/ill be proper to do it as foon as 

 poliible, and to mix this with the furrace of the earth 

 ^f the borders, that it may be turned over two or three 

 tim^s, that the parts may be v/ell mixed and inc9rpo- 

 ..rated before the trees are planted ; and, if fome very 



is, it will greatly improve 

 In cKufing of the earth which is to be brought 



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rotten duns; is added to t 



time to plant thefe trees (if upon a middhng or "dry 

 .. foil) is in Odober or November, leaving their heads 



■ on till fpring, which fhould be fattened either to the 

 walls or Itakes, to prevent the wind rrom dnturbing 

 their roots -, and in the beginning of March their heads 



- fhould be cut off in the manner already direded for 

 Peaches and other fruit-trees^ obferving alfo to lay 

 fome mulch upon the furface of the ground about 

 their roots when they are planted, as hath been feve- 

 ral times already dire£led for other trees •, but in wet 

 ground the trees may be planted in February, or the 



■ beginning of March, at any time before the buds are 

 . much fwelled, but thefe may be cut down when they 



are planted. 

 ^ The firll fu m me r after planting, the branches Ihould 

 /--"^ Retrained to. a wall or efpalier (againft which they 



■ • ar'epTanredy'in^a horizontal pofition, as they are pro- 

 ^-^■"duced, without fliortehing thefn 1 and the Michael- 

 ^Vxnas following, fome pf.th^fejhopts ihould be^Ihort- 

 ".Tened down to five or fix eyes, in o'rcier to obtain a fuf- 

 ' ficient quantity of branches, to furnilh the lower part 

 *-*of the" wall or efpalier ; bu^ the Ihpots ought not to be 

 ... fhortened, unlefs where there is a want of branches to 



fill a vacancy •, therefore the'Iels a knife is ufed to thefe 



trees" the better they will fucceed ; for, whenever the 



fhoots are flopped, it occafions the buds immediately 



below the cut to fend forth two or rnore fhoots,' wKere- 



", Tby there will be a confufion of branches,'and rarely 



\"~any Fruit is prodiiced with this nianagement 



; ./The diflance which the branches of Pears fhould be 



; trained!, mufi be proportioned to the fize of their fruit -, 



'/therefofeTuch'fortSjwhofe fruit are fmall, maybe 



'fallowed five' di* fix inches^ but the larger forts muft 

 '^ not be lefs than feven or eight inclies afunder. If this 



be iluly obferved, and the branches carefully trained 

 ,'liorizontally as they are produced,, there will be no 

 ' occafion for fo much cutting as is commonly praflifed 



on thefe trees, whicfi, inftead of checking their 

 ' growth, does, on the contrary, caufc them to fhoot 



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.into the garden, there fiiould be this care, viz. That 

 jf the natural foi} of the garden is light and dry, then 

 the new earth' fhould be loamy and fViffj but where 

 the natural foil is ftrong or loamy, then the new earth 



l^iould be light and fandy, )|v,hlch \till loofen the parts 



of the natural foil, and g"eatly rncjid it. .; 



There are fome perfons who recommend laying the 



the flronger. 



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It is very furprifing to read the tedious m.ethods, 

 which mofl of the writers on fruit-trees have diredted 

 for pruning thefe trees ; for, by their prolix and per- 

 plexed methods, on? would imagine they had endea- 

 voured to render themfelves as unintelligible as pofTi- 

 ble J and this, T am fure, may be affirmed, That 

 it is next to impolTible for a learner ever io arrive at 

 ' ' II B any 



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