136 SYLVA BOOK m 



writes, I suppose he means fruit-trees) I leave to ex- 

 perience. Pythagoras we know prohibited the eating 

 of them to women. 



22. Cut no trees (especially having an eminent 

 pith in them, being young and tender too) when 

 either heat or cold are in extreams ; nor in very wet 

 or snowy weather ; and in this work it is profitable 

 to discharge all trees of unthriving, broken, wind- 

 shaken browse, and such as our law terms cablicia^ 

 and to take them off to the quick, 



.ne pars sincera trahatur. 



And for evergreens, especially such as are tender, 

 prune them not after planting, till they do radicate^ 

 that is, by some little fresh shoot, discover that they 

 have taken. 



23. Cut not off the top of the leading-twig or shoot 

 (unless very crooked, and then at the next erect bud) 

 when you transplant timber-trees, but those of the 

 collateral you may shorten, stripping up the rest close 

 to the stem: and such as you do spare, let them not 

 be the most opposite, but rather one above another 

 to preserve the part from swelling, and hindring its 

 taper growth : Be careful also to keep your trees from 

 being over top-heavy, by shortning the side branches 

 competently near the stem : Young plants nipt either 

 by the frost or teeth of cattle do commonly break on 

 the sides, which impedes both growth and spiring : 

 In this case, prune off some, and quicken the lead- 

 ing-shoot with your knife, at some distance beneath 

 its infirmity : But if it be in a very unlikely condition 

 at Spring, cut off all close to the very ground, and 

 hope for a new shoot, continually suppressing what- 



