P Y R 



P Y R 



all the infected part must, he says, be cm out. 

 \\ hen the tree is all prepared, the Composition 

 should be immediately applied, beginning at the 

 top of the tree, and finishing with the powder of 



wood-ashes and burnt bones as you descend, 

 which will save it from being rubbed off during 

 the operation ; and the Composition will prevent 

 the sun and air from injuring' the naked inner 

 bark. A nee thus prepared, will, he adds, in 

 the course of three or four years, produce more 

 and liner fruit than a maiden tree that has been 

 planted upwards of twenty vears." 



These directions, if properly attended to, will 

 be sufficient, be thinks, to enable anv one to 

 bring old decayed trees into a healthy bearing state. 



lie supposes, that in large orchards and gar- 

 dens, it may be necessary, at lirst, to head down 

 only every other tree; cutting some of the 

 branches of the rest, which are in a decayed and 

 cankery state, and which bear no fruit. This 

 will, he says, be preparing them to throw out 

 new wood, and furnish the tree much sooner 

 with bearing branches. He recommends the 

 performing the operation as early as possible ; 

 as by so doing the wood will be the stronger, as 

 in May, or the two Following months. 



lie adds, that w hen the trees are become hol- 

 low, the same method should be followed as di- 

 rected for plums ; but by no means to cut them 

 down unless the tops are quite decayed ; observ- 

 ing to cut the loose rotten wood clean out of the 

 hollow and other decayed parts, applying the 

 Composition ; at the same time to open the 

 ground, and cut out all the rotten parts that 

 may be found in the lower part of the stem, to- 

 gether v. itli all the decayed roots, which, if this 

 be not done, will infallibly injure the fresh wood 

 and bark, and prevent a cure from being effect- 

 ed. He would recommend heading down all 

 apple-trees that are much cankered and have ill- 

 shaped heads ; as by so doing much labour will 

 be saved, and the trees will amply pay the pro- 

 prietor. He advises never to shorten the young 

 branches, except they are very thin, when it will 

 be necessary to do so to till the trees with young 

 wood: nor prune any of the young shoots the 

 second year (he means the year alter they are 

 cut), as many of the eyes, almost to the end of 

 the shoot, will, if it be strong, become fruit-buds 

 next year; and so on every year. He savs, that 

 in the month of May in the first year after the 

 trees have been so cut, it w ill be necessary to go 

 over them, and rub off with your finger and 

 thumb all the superfluous young shoots; leav- 

 ing from three to six eyes on each shoot, accord- 

 ing to the size and strength of the branch cut. 

 These shoots will hear from three to four years; 

 bv which timethev will be pretty much exhaust- 



Vol. II. 



cd i>y the- great quantity of fruit produced fi m 



them: they should then be cut down to two 

 eyes to produce new wood. He alwavs leaves 

 three different years' branches on the ti 

 when the first shoot is cul off. This \$ fully 

 shown in a plate it: hi> useful work; and the next 

 shoot will he full of fruit-buds, if it has not 

 been shortened : when ;t begins to grow weak, 

 it should be cut off; and the" next cutting roust 

 be made when the former branch is tired of 

 hearing: by proceeding thus all over the tree 

 with care and attention, the advantages of this 

 method of pruning, above the common mode, 

 will, he says, soon be perceived; ashy it you will 

 he able to keep the trees in a constant stateof bear- 

 ing, which, it left to nature, would only produi • 

 crop of fruit onee in two or three years. When 

 the shoot that has done bearing is cut oft", the 

 Composition should constantly be applied, rub- 

 bing oil'the shoots where they are too numerous. 



He thinks the best time to prune apple-trees 

 is in the month of April, or in .May, after the 

 operation has been performed on tlie peaches, 

 nectarines, and cherries : and that soon alter 

 this pruning, about the middle of May, it will 

 be proper to look over the trees, and to pick off 

 any caterpillars that may be on them. It will 

 then be seen what shoots arc infected with the 

 canker, and which might have escaped your no- 

 tice at the time of pruning; and wherever you 

 observe the least appearance of infection, which 

 may be known by the wood appearing of a 

 brownish colour, the shoot must be cut down 

 till you come to the sound white wood 



The small shoots that cross each other should 

 be cut oft", leaving the strongest to (ill up the tree, 

 and make a line handsome head. The suckers 

 that spring from the root should be carefully 

 grubbed up, and the side-shoots from the stem 

 cutoff; for, if left to grow, they greatly weaken 

 the nee. The knobs, where old branches haw 

 been cut oft", slmuld also be pared away, leaving 

 the surface of the tree as smooth as possible": 

 after which, the Composition should be applied: 

 the young bark will soon, be says, begin to grow, 

 and by degrees cover the old wounds with a 

 fresh smooth surface, and thus prevent the can- 

 ker from gaining ground on the tree, lie has 

 seen some old wounds of considerable size heal- 

 ed over in one year: and he adds, in confirma- 

 tion of the utility of this practice, that " thr 

 trees which he pruned and dressed, as above di- 

 iceted, in the course of the summer, 170;,, are 

 all perfectly cured, the wounds being filled up 

 with sound wood, and covered over with new- 

 bark : they all continue in a healthy state, and 

 bear fine handsome fruit." And he has advised 

 several nurserymen to follow the practice, head* 



e T 



