SECT. XII. OF PRUNING. 1ST 



and health, yet not fruitful ; but if it is fruitful, it 

 must possess both the former qualifications. 



J. As to the FORM, or general appearances of 

 the wall-trees. If a tree is young and newly planted, 

 the first thing is to head it down, by cutting clean off 

 (if it is a nectarine, peach, or apricot) all the shoots, 

 and the stem itself down to a few eyes, that the lower 

 part of the wail may be furnished with new and 

 strong* wood. Make the cut sloping, and behind the 

 tree, taking care (by placing the loot on the root, 

 and the left hand on the stem) not to disturb the tree 

 by the pull of the knife. Plaister the part with a bit 

 of grafting clay, cow dung, or stiff earth. 



The heading down is to be made so as to leave two 

 or three eyes, or four, if a high wall, on each side of 

 the stem, from which shoots may come properly 

 placed for training. The number of eyes may be 

 also according to the strength of the tree, and its 

 roots. If there are not two well placed eyes on each 

 side of the stem, two shoots thus situated may be 

 left, cutting them short to two or three eyes each. 

 Eyes or shoots behind, or before, consider as of no 

 use, and let them be early displaced by rubbing or 

 cutting. This work is to be performed in spring, 

 when the tree is putting forth shoots ; i. e. about the 

 beginning of April. 



If towards the end of May there should be want- 

 ing shoots on either side the tree, having, perhaps, 

 only one put forth where two were expected, that 

 one shoot should be cut, or pinched down, to two or 

 three eyes ; and before summer is over there will be 

 found good shoots from them, and thus a proper 

 head be obtained. This work of shortening shoots 

 of the year may be done any time before Midsummer; 

 but in this case, all ill-placed, or superfluous growths, 

 must be rubbed off as soon as seen, that those to be 



