sect. xn. or pruning. 137 



More concerning luxuriant wood will be found in what 

 follows. 



All difeafcd, damaged, very weak, or worn out 

 branches (as they occur) mould be cut out, to make 

 Way for better ; but if a tree is generally difeafed, fome 

 caution muil be ufed not to cut out too much at once, 

 if there is any hope of reftoring it. A very old tree, 

 or a voung one, that does not thrive, may be cut 

 a great deal ; but prune it fo as to have a general 

 fprinkling of the bell of the branches, and keep fhort 

 lengths of an eye or two, of the weaker ones, in a fort 

 of alternate order. 



Young trees are very apt to decline, and fometimes 

 die, if fufferedto overbear themfelves thefirft year or 

 two of fruiting: The remedy is obvious, and mould 

 refolutely be applied. 



A weak tree is helped much by training it more 

 treclly than ufual, as lefs check is thus given to the fap 3 

 and fo the moots are more likely to fwell : Rich a tre* 

 mould be kept thin of branches, and always pruned 

 early in autumn, keeping the top free from fucn wood 

 as is ftronger than that which is in general below, and 

 all the moots fhorter than ufual. 



Old decaying trees ihould be lefTened a little every 

 year, and conflantly watched, to obferve where young 

 and ftrong (hoots are putting, out below, in order to 

 cut down to them ; and though the time for doing this 

 is commonly at autumn or winter pruning, yet it may 

 be belt done in fummer, as the (hoots would thrive the 

 better ; obferving to put fome grafting clay, or cow 

 dung, to the part, to prevent gumming, which fummer 

 pruning is apt to occafion. A judicious pruner may 

 bring the oldeft, and mod ill-conditioned tree, to a 

 healthy and bearing (late, if all is but right at the root, 

 it having a good foil about it. 



Keep all wall trees clean, and particularly weak ones, 

 from mofs, cobwebs, or other filth; and attend to 

 infetts, (hails, caterpillars, and (mother flies. Any bark 



that 



