PRU 



PRU 



fruit-buds are short robust shoots, of from about 

 half'an inch to one or two inches long, arising 

 naturally in these trees, first towards the once 

 extreme parts of the branches of two or three 

 years old ; and as the branch increases in length, 

 the number of fruit-buds increases likewise ; 

 this therefore determines, that in the general 

 course of pruning all these kind of trees, their 

 branches that are trained in for bearing must 

 not be pruned or shortened, but trained at full 

 length, as where shortened it would divest 

 them -of the parts where fruit-buds would have 

 first appeared, and, instead thereof, would throw 

 out a number of strong unnecessary wood- 

 shoots, from all the remaining eyes ; therefore 

 all the shoots or branches of these trees should 

 be trained principally at full length, and as they 

 advance still continue them entire. When how- 

 ever there is a vacancy, and only one shoot, 

 where rwo or three may be requisite, pruning or 

 shortening is allowable to force out the proper 

 supply. See Dwarf Trees. 



In these trees care is necessary to preserve all 

 the proper fruit-buds or spurs, which arc readily 

 distinguished by their short, thick, robustgrowth, 

 rarelv exceeding one or two inches in length. 



In the course of pruning all sorts of wall- and 

 espalier-trees, all improper and ineffectual shoots 

 and branches, necessary to be displaced, must 

 be taken off' quite close to the place whence they 

 arise ; which in the summer pruning, if attend- 

 ed to early, while the shoots are young and 

 tender, may readily be rubbed oft" close with the 

 thumb ; but when the shoots become older and 

 woody, as they do not readilv break, it must be 

 done with a knife, cutting them as close as 

 possible : all winter pruning should however be 

 performed with a knife. 



In pruning in summer, the necessary supply 

 of regular shoots that are left for training in, 

 should never be shortened, unless to particular 

 shoots to fill a vacancy, or to reduce within 

 bounds any too long extended shoots ; as by a 

 general shortening in this season, all the shoots 

 so treated would soon push again vigorously from 

 everv eye, and run the trees into a perfect 

 thicket of useless wood; therefore all sorts, 

 whether they require shortening in the winter 

 pruning or not, should, in the summer dress- 

 ing, be lined in at full length. 



Summer Pruning. — This is a necessary ope- 

 ration, as in spring and summer wall- and espa- 

 lier-trees abound with a great number of young 

 shoots that require thinning and other reforms to 

 preserve the requisite regularity and beauty of 

 the trees, and encourage tile fruit ; and the 

 sooner it i-; performed, the better ; it is there- 

 fore advisable to begin in May or early in the 



following month, and disburthen the trees in 

 time of all redundant or superfluous growth, 

 and ill placed and improper or bad shoots ; 

 which may be then performed with more expe- 

 dition and exactness than when delayed till after 

 the trees have shot a considerable length and 

 run into confusion and disorder: besides the in- 

 jury of the fruit is prevented. It is therefore of 

 importance to proceed in this operation early, 

 when the same year's shoots are sufficiently 

 formed to enable you to make a proper choice. 



The business now is to thin and regulate the 

 unnecessary shoots, by pruning away the super- 

 fluous ones, and all such as arc ill-placed and 

 of bad growth, retrenching the most irrecular- 

 placed, weakest, and all such as are evidently 

 not wanted for use, and where two or more 

 shoots any where arise from the same eye, clear- 

 ing all away but one of the best, reserving a suf- 

 ficiency of the .moderately strong and most re- 

 gular-placed side shoots, and always a leading 

 one at the end of every branch, where it com- 

 modiously occurs ; all of which should be re- 

 tained to be regularly trained in to choose from 

 in the winter pruning, leaving more or less in 

 proportion, according to what the trees are, or 

 the mode of bearing, though in all those trees 

 that bear always on the young wood, at least 

 doubly or trebly more shoots should be left in 

 this pruning than what may appear necessary, 

 especially of peaches, nectarines, apricots, vines, 

 figs, &c, as it is highly requisite to reserve 

 plenty of regular young wood in summer, to 

 choose from in winter pruning, to lay in for 

 next year's bearers ; but as to apples, pears, 

 plums, cherries, &c, which continue bearing 

 many years on the same branches, only here and 

 there some good well-placed shoots need be left 

 towards the lower parts, or in any vacancy be- 

 tween the main branches till winter ; and if then 

 not wanted, be easily retrenched. 



Where, however, a tree is in general inclined 

 to luxuriancy, it is proper to retain as manv of 

 the regular shoots as can be commodiously 

 trained in with any regularity, in order to divide 

 and exhaust the too abundant sap, which causes 

 the luxuriancy ; as by humouring somewhat the 

 natural inclination of luxuriant trees by leaving 

 plenty of branches and these mostly at full 

 length, they may the most readily be reduced 

 to a more moderate state of growth. 



Great attention should always be paid to the 

 lower parts of the trees, as it is frequently the 

 case to find proper shoots arising in places ne- 

 cessary to be trained in, either to supply a pre- 

 sent or future vacancy, or as a reserve to re- 

 place any decayed or worn-out or other bad 

 branch, so that if moderately strong well- 



