144 OF PRUNING. SECT. XII. 



wanted the next year ; or this shortening may take 

 place in June, to have new shoots the present year. 

 Luxuriant shoots may be sometimes retained for a 

 time, merely as waste pipes. More concerning lux- 

 uriant wood will be found in what follows, and it 

 must be attended to. 



All diseased, damaged, very weak, or worn out 

 branches (as they occur) should be cut out, to make 

 way for better ; but if a tree is generally diseased, 

 some caution must be used not to cut out too much 

 at once, if there is any hope of restoring it. A 

 very old tree, or a young one, that does not thrive, 

 may be cut a great deal ; but prune it so as to have 

 a general sprinkling of the best of the branches, 

 and keep short lengths of an eye or two, of the 

 weaker ones, in a sort of alternate order. 



Young trees are very apt to decline, and some- 

 times lie, if suffered to overbear themselves the first 

 year or two of fruiting : The remedy is obvious, and 

 should resolutely be attended to. 



A weak tree is helped much by training it more 

 erectly than usual, as less check is thus given to the 

 sap, and the shoots are more likely to swell : such a 

 tree should be kept thin of branches, and always 

 pruned early in autumn, keeping the top free from 

 such wood as is stronger than that which is in gene- 

 ral below, and all the shoots shorter than usual. 



Old decaying trees should be lessened a little 

 every year, and constantly watched, to observe wheie 

 young and strong shoots are putting out below, in 

 order to cut down to them ; and though the time 

 for doing this is commonly at autumn or winter 

 pruning, yet it may be best done in summer, as the 

 shoots would thrive the better ; observing to put some 

 grafting clay, or cow dung, to the part to prevent gum- 

 ming, which summer pruning sometimes occasions. 

 A judicious primer may bring the oldest, and 



