SECT. XII. OF PRUNING. 163 



this, the head will form it/elf, fo as to need only- 

 cutting clean out a few fuperfluities : but no fhorten- 

 ing is allowed, except fome of the loweft branches, 

 or any one where wood is wanted to fill a vacancy ; 

 for which purpofe, a weak moot may do, cut down to 

 one or two eyes. 



If trees are too full of wood, the moots mull necef- 

 farily be drawn weak and long jointed, and fo be the 

 lefs fruitful, and unable to fupport the fruit they have; 

 but on the other hand, too much pruning will occafion 

 a tree to be always putting forth wood, rather than 

 fruit, and fo a medium muft be obferved. The branches 

 mould be kept about fix inches afunder; and as fuper- 

 fluous weak Ihoots will of courfe be cut out, fo let alfo 

 the over ftrong wood : for though it is defirable to have 

 ftandard trees of able wood, yet thofe moots that much 

 exceed the fize of the reft, would, if left on, infallibly 

 weaken the others, and make an awkward tree. 



Let no moots remain on the ftems, below the head, 

 nor fuckers above the roots. With refpecl to cherry 

 trees, rather than cut more than necefTary, drooping 

 branches may be fuffered, as the fruit is not heavy, 

 and the heads of cherry trees may be fuller than other 

 fruit trees. Wherever a cut is made in a full headed 

 flandard to fliorten a moot, it ihould be (general ly} at 

 an eye fituated within fide, that fo the moot from it may 

 point more ereftly, as the weight of the fruit is too 

 much for thofe branches that grow downwards, or quite 

 horizontal. 



Gooseberries and currants may be ranked under the 

 denomination of dwarf trees, and the principle of pru- 

 ning them will be the fame, as for other ftandard trees ; 

 only more frequently cutting out old wood, to make 

 room for a fucceilion of young. The keeping thefe 

 trees, or buihes, more open than they commonly are, 

 would improve the fruit in fize and flavour, and bring 

 it forwarder; yet fome of them fliould be fuffered to 

 grow rather full -of wood, in order to keep the fruit 



longer, 



