153 OF PRUNING. SECT. XII, 



reserved may be the stronger, receiving more noil 

 rishment. 



As the lateral shoots grow, let them be t'ynely 

 nailed to the wall, close, strait, and equi-distant ; 

 but use no force while they are tender. If they are 

 quite well placed, they will need no bending ; but 

 sometimes shoots must be laid in which are not per- 

 fectly so. Lay in as many good moderate sized shoots 

 as may be throughout the summer, to have choice at 

 winter pruning, yet do not crowd the tree. As the 

 shoots proceed in length, nail them to the wall, that 

 no material dangling of them be seen; but avoid 

 using too many shreds. 



In the formation of a tree, keep each side as nearly 

 as can be equal in wood, and the shoots inclining 

 downwards, which is a mode of training necessary 

 to fill the lower part of the wall, (nne of which 

 should be lost) and to check the too free motion of 

 the sap, which wall trees are liable to from their 

 warm situation, and continual cutting. All the 

 branches should have an horizontal tendency, though 

 the upper cannot have it so much as the lower ones. 

 Those that are perpendicular^ or nearly so, mount 

 the wall too fast, and run away with the food that 

 should pass to the horizontals, which being impo- 

 verished by the vigorous jniddlt branches, gradually 

 become too weak to extend themselves, and nourish 

 the fruit. The pruner, therefore, must be content 

 to have some of the wall, over the middle of the 

 tree, unoccupied; or, at least, suffer none but weak, 

 or very moderate shoots, to find a place there. 



The idea of a well-formed tree is somewhat repre- 

 sented by the ribs of a spread fan, or the Jingers of 

 the hand extended. Regularity is allowed to be so- 

 necessary to the beauty of a wall tree, that some 

 have even drawn lines for a guide to train by; but 

 Nature, (ever free and easy), will not submit to sa 



