F I C 



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are to remain. Tn the latter case, they liliouid 

 be ciit or headed (iown to six or tight inclies m 

 the early spring, to induce lateral shoots to be 

 tlirown out near the ground. 



The layers should he made from the well 

 ripened woody shoots of the bearing trees, and be 

 laid down in the aimmm, or early in the spring, 

 being protected from i'lost during the v.intcr 

 by tan or snnie sort of strawy material. When 

 tlie plants are sufficiently rooted, as in the follow- 

 ing autumn, tliey should be taken ort and plant- 

 ed out in the places where they arc to remain, 

 as thcv do not bear transplanting well, being 

 covered at therootswith dung, tan, or litter during 

 the \\ inter season. 



The cuttings of the well ripened woody shoots 

 ■of th.e formei- vear, without being shortened, 

 may be planted in the beginning of the autumn 

 in beds of loamv earth in a warm sheltered situa- 

 tion, to the depth of eight or ten inches, pro- 

 tecting them well during the winter with tanner's 

 bark and straw, or some other similar material, 

 the latter being removed as the spring advances. 

 \^'hen ihey have stricken good root in the follow- 

 iiiff autumn, they should betaken up and planted 

 where they are to grow. 



These trees are mostly cultivated as standards 

 in warm climates, but in this in general 

 aaainst walls or as espaliers; and only sometimes 

 as standards. 



. The sorts usually cultivated against walls, 

 are those of the blue and while kinds, but 

 several of the others succeed well in this ma- 

 natrcment. 



But for espaliers and as standards, the first, 

 second, third, ninth, and tenth varieties are 

 probably the most proper. 



In their culture as wall-trees, they should al- 

 ways he placed in sunny situations for the pur- 

 pose of the fruit being the most eRectually ri- 

 jiened, as in that of a full southern exposure, 

 but an east or west aspect will answer very well 

 when that cannot be had. 



In planting them out, where the walls are of 

 considerable, height, fifteen or eighteen feet di- 

 stant may be sufficient; but in low walls twenty 

 or mere \s not loo much space. Mr. Forsyth 

 advises from twenty to twenty-four feet as the 

 nioot suitable dislani e for plant mg these trees. 



Where the trees arc planted ngamsi firc-walls, 

 they should not Ije kept too cicjse, be drawn by 

 glasses, or have the heal too great, but have at all 

 times, when the weather is iavouraljle, a good 

 shaic of free air admitted; and if the trees are 

 yonna, care shoidd 111 taken that their roots are not 

 extended beyond the reach of the eovi ring; they 

 nuist be frcqiuiiilv watered when they begin to 

 show fruit, oiheisuse it will drop oft'; but old 



trees, whose roots are extended to a great di- 

 stance, only require to have their branches now 

 and then sp:inkled over with water. Where 

 these trees an- projieilv manat^ed, the first crop 

 of fruit is greater than upon those which are 

 exposed to the open air, and ripens si.x weeks 

 or two months earlier, and a plentiful second 

 crop may also be obtained, which ripens early 

 in September, and sometimes in August ; but 

 the iires should not be used to tb.cse trees till the 

 beginning of February ; as, when thev are forced 

 loo earlv, I lie weather is frequently too cold to 

 admit a sufTicient quantity of fresh air to set the 

 fruit ; but the covers should be put over the trees 

 a nioiitli before, to prevent the shoots from be- 

 ing injured by the frost. 



The management of the trees in the common 

 method, alter they have been headed down or 

 shortened in the manner mentioned above, 

 whether they be on walls or espaliers, is that of 

 training them horizontally, so as to preserve the 

 branches in an equal and regular maimer on each 

 side, at the distance of from six to eight inches 

 from each other, and for the most part keeping 

 their full length without any shortening, that as 

 large a proportion of young or bearing wood as 

 possii)le may be preserved. Some, however, 

 advise their not being laid in so close, considering 

 a foot or eighteen inches as little enough room. 



In the pruning of these trees, Mr. Forsyth 

 advises, that it should never be done in the au- 

 tumn or winter, but in the early spring months, 

 'I'hc best tiiTie he conceives to be about the lat- 

 ter end of April or beginning of the lollowing 

 month, as bv this period it nuy be ascertainea 

 what branches have been destroyed by the seve- 

 rity of the winter. And as the ends of those 

 branches, the wood of which has not ripened 

 well in the autumn, will be most injured, they 

 should be cut into the sound wood, as near to 

 an eye or bud as possible. 



In cases where the branches have been per- 

 mitted to run lip so as to leave the bottom in a 

 naked state, every other branch is advised to be 

 cut out as near to the ground as it can be done, by 

 which the walls or espaliers will be provided with 

 good young wood ; care being taken to stop the 

 ends oi ihe shoots in summer, as about the begin- 

 ning of .June, in order to induce side-shoots to 

 be thrown out for fruiting the following smniner ; 

 by which time plenty of Ime wood will be provid- 

 ed, and then the remainder of the old branches 

 may be cut out as before, pruning their young 

 shoots as in the preceding case, constantly pinch- 

 ing off the ends of all the strongest shoots at the 

 tup bud, except such as are leading ones. 



In the hpring prunmgs, as the fruit is pro- 

 duced near the tops, the bearing shoots should 



