ORCHARDS. 41 



ness of pruning an orchard from the rapidity of ve- 

 getation, which is generally ascribed to the nature of 

 our climate, excessive priming is very apt to generate 

 an infinite number of suckers from the limbs of apple 

 trees; which, if suffered to grow, are more injurious to 

 the production of fruit, than the woody branches 

 which are removed : our great heat, and dry atmos- 

 phere, render close pruning less necessary here than 

 in England, whence we derive most of our instruction 

 on this point. A good general rule is, never to shorten 

 the branches, unless to improve the figure of the tree; 

 and then to take them off at the separation, very 

 close, so that the wound may heal well & soon : the 

 branches should shoot as much as possible in increas- 

 ing distances, as they proceed from the common cen- 

 tre, inclining a little upwards, by which means the 

 sap will be more evenly impelled, and better distrib- 

 uted : the ranges should not approach too near to each 

 other ; for the admission of the rays of the sun is neces- 

 sary to the production and perfect maturity of fine flav- 

 oured fruit in cutting off a branch, it should be done 

 as close as possible, never leaving a stump, for the 

 bark cannot grow over it, and disease in the wood will 

 inevitably follow. If the wound produced by the se- 

 paration be very large, cover it with tar or thick paint; 

 if small, fresh cow dung will be the best plaister : I 

 have healed very large wounds from the gnawing 

 of calves, horses and sheep, by a liberal applica- 



