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rest to bear ; by which means there will he a 

 supply of fruit while the other parts of the tree 

 are renovating: it should be remembered, how- 

 ever, that all the cankered bark must he cut off 

 without loss of time ; otherwise the new wood 

 will be infected. Old trees thus headed down 

 will, he says, sometimes throw-out rcry strong 

 and vigorous shoots, which it may be necessary 

 to top, as it will cause them to throw out side- 

 *h iots. and soon till up the wall with fine bear- 

 ing wood ; .)iit they should never he suffered to 

 have any fore-right spurs, except little dugs: 

 the topping should be done in the beginning of 

 June, which will cause the tree to produce line 

 bearing wood for the next year : those trees 

 must he pruned in March following, shortening 

 the shoots from fifteen to six inches, but ac- 

 cording to their strength, always leaving the 

 strongest shoots longest. And wherever the 

 knife has been used, the Composition must, he 

 says, be immediately applied." 



It is also observed hat, "■ after the fall of 

 the leaf, it will be proper to unnail the youn«- 

 shoots, leaving only a tew to prevent the tree 

 from being broken by the wind. By this method 

 they will he more exposed to the son and air, 

 which will ripen and harden the wood much 

 more speedily than if they he left nailed." lie 

 adds that " he has a great dislike to autumnal 

 pruning of fruit-trees, of all kinds of stone- 

 fruit in particular; for by pruning at that season 

 you seldom fail to bring on the canker: and no 

 fruit-trees are more liable to this disease than 

 the Apricot : the reason is obvious, — the ercat 

 acidity in these trees, the exposure of the 

 wounds, and the dormant slate of the sap, pre- 

 dispose to mortification ; whereas, in spring, 

 when the sap is beginning to flow, and will fol- 

 low the knife, the lips will quickly grow: if 

 the branches are small, a fresh bark and fresh 

 wood will in one season completely cover the 

 wound ; but if large, a time proportionate to 

 their size will be occupied : this process, how- 

 ever, is manifestly much accelerated by the ap- 

 plication of the composition, which excludes 

 the air and wet from the air- and sap- vessels of 

 the tree." 



In regard to the standard-trees, thev some- 

 times in favourable seasons bear plentifully, 

 particularly the Breda and Brussels Jipricot, 

 either in half or full standards : tli half si I- 

 ards arc more out of the power of the winds 

 and cold air. 



These should be planted in a sheltered warm 

 situation in the lull sun, that tb ■• raiaj have 

 the greater chance of setting a good crop of 

 fruit, and of ripening more effectually with a 

 rich flavour: their culture is nearly the same U 

 8 



Tint of other Standard fruit-trees: thev require 

 but little pruning, only just i<> reduce or re- 



li any very irregular growth or out-grow- 

 ing rambler, or occasionally to regulate con- 

 fused crowding branches, and to cut out decaud 

 wood; all which should be performed general!) 

 in winter* 



( 01 ei protecting the Blossom mid young 



Fnnt.--\* tins of this kind planted aj 

 walls blossom very early, both bios. mi ami 

 young fruit are very liable to be injured by frosts 

 and cutting blasts; it is therefore useful to afford 

 occasional protection, in unfavourable sei 

 to some of the forwarder and most valuable 

 kinds, either with mats suspended over the 

 trees, or twigs ol .evergreens stuek betwei n 

 branches, beginning the covering as soon s 

 the blossom becrins to expand, and continuing 

 it till the frail is fairly set: the mats to be used 

 only on nights and in bad weather, but the 

 evergreens to remain constantly till all danger 

 is n 



Forsyth remarks that, " in severe wea- 

 ther, they ought to be covered before the flowers 

 begin to :pand; for he has often seen the blos- 

 soms drop off before they ope: .d : and he as- 

 serts that the be:-t cowring is old fish-nets, 

 which should he put on three-fold ; and if a 

 few branches of dry fern are stuck in among 

 the branches before the nets arc put on, they 

 will assist greatly in breaking the force of the 

 high winds.* 1 The common practice of cover- 

 ing with mats in the night, and lakine: them off 

 in the day, by frequently exposing the trees to 

 the cutting winds, does, he thinks, more harm 

 than good. And the covering with branches of 

 spruce-fir and vew, by being too close, he sup- 



. encourages a blight, and causes the leaves 

 of the trees to curl, and the shoots to break 

 very weak ; whereas the nets admit a lire < ircu- 

 lation of the air, and at the same time break 

 the force of the wind : when it happens to rain 

 or snow in the fore part o{' the night, and freeze 

 towards the morning, the drops are, he savs, 

 found hanging in icicles on the meshes, while 

 the tree is almost dry : when the shoots become 

 prettj long, and the leaves expand to cover the 

 fruit, it will be necessary, he savs, to keep the 

 in t clear from the tree, by placing forked sticks, 

 from six inches to a foot long, between it and 

 t wall : this will prevent the shoois and leaves 

 from growing through die net : the forked end 

 of the sticks should ie-i again t the meshes of 

 the int. Set A J1 <.i> \u"-. 



Thinning out the fruit. — In some Beasons 

 iluse trees set many more fruit than can attain 

 perfei ion j and as thev sometimes are placed 

 very close, or often in clusters, and -it close to 



