19S THE FRUIT GARDEN. [^jAN. 



places ; and afterwards shorten none, unless to fill 

 any casual vacancy. " First edit. p. 86. 



" It is a common practice to shorten every shoot 

 less or more. This may be proper in many instan- 

 ces, on peaches growing in the open air, as when the 

 extremities of the shoots have not bev^n fully ripen- 

 ed, and are injured by frost ; but it can only be so 

 far proper in the peach-house, as to cause the plant 

 push shoots to fill a vacancy, or to keep the bottom 

 part of the trellis furnished with a supply of young 

 wood." Fourth edit. p. 135. Now, without such 

 shortening, and indeed without training the peach 

 truly in the fan manner, by which only there can be 

 a regular distribution of young shoots in all parts of 

 the plant, what sort of looking trees shall we have ? 

 truly, very unsightly ones. Whatever theory may 

 suggest, good practice proves, that where healthy 

 shoots can be produced, tJiere can also plump, fair, 

 and wholesome fruit be produced ; and that ther^ 

 will always be a regular flow of the sap. 



Of destroying Insects on Fniit-Trees. 



The business of pruning being over, I shall now 

 give directions for a very important operation in the 

 management of fruit-trees, which is, xcashing or a- 

 nomting the branches, for tlie destruction, and to 

 prevent the breeding of insects. 



With respect to many of the insects that infest 

 wall -trees, it is in vain we attempt their destruc- 

 tion in spring and summer. They are then in such 

 vigour, and commit their ravages in a manner so sum- 

 mary, as often to baffle our best skill and endeavours 



