JAN.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 41 



lower are to be cut away close to the branch ; or, on the contrary, if 

 the lower shoot only is to be left, cut off the branch with the middle 

 and upper shoot thereon, close to the lower one j and if thought most 

 proper to leave in any place two out of the three shoots on a branch, 

 then the upper and lower are apparently most proper, provided they 

 are the best shoots, and so cut out the middle one ; or if two lower 

 shoots appear best for your purpose, cut off the upper part of the 

 branch with the top shoot close to the middle one ; and, if to retain 

 the two upper shoots, prune out the lowermost : there may not always 

 happen to be just three young shoots on every year's branches, but I 

 choose to mention that number, that I may be the better able in this 

 small compass to explain and convey some idea of the method prac- 

 tised in pruning these sorts of trees. 



At the same time observe, in the above general pruning, to retain 

 the most promising well-placed shoots of the best middling, or mode- 

 rately strong growth, and which appear the most fruitful, or likely to 

 furnish a proper supply of blossom-buds, rejecting very weakly slender 

 shoots, and such as are very long-jointed, likewise uncommonly thick 

 spongy growths, as also remarkably rank luxuriants, cutting them 

 all clean out ; likewise the foreright and others ill placed, that could 

 not be trained with proper regularity. And, as you proceed, cut out 

 some considerable part of the past bearers of the last, or two or three 

 preceding years, to make room for the above young supply, pruning 

 them down to some eligible lateral shoots, or some occasionally to 

 their origin, as it may seem expedient : also take out casual old 

 naked branches, advanced of some considerable length, without being 

 now furnished with lateral young bearers, or fruitful shoots, eligibly 

 placed for training where wanted ; pruning them either entirely out 

 to make room for the more fruitful wood, or pruned down, more or 

 less, to any more prolific well-placed young branch proceeding there- 

 from, and that is furnished with young shoots for bearing. 



Next let it be remembered, that as you proceed in pruning these trees, 

 most of those young shoots that are left to bear must be shortened, 

 especially the smaller and middling, and those of moderate growth, 

 both to strengthen them in their future production, and to promote 

 their producing more certainly a supply of successional lateral shoots 

 next summer, properly situated, so as to continue every part of the 

 tree always well furnished with bearers ; for without this precaution 

 of shortening the shoots, many of them are apt to run up, producing 

 laterals only, mostly towards the upper part, leaving the bottom 

 naked, whereby the tree in time becomes devoid of bearing shoots 

 below, so that the shortening should be performed, more or less, ac- 

 cording to their strength, and that of the tree in general. Though 

 with standard trees of these kinds, shortening the shoots is not neces- 

 sary, yet when trained to walls or espaliers, it certainly is, for the 

 reasons above assigned. 



For instance, if a t^e is weak, or but a moderate shooter, gene- 

 rally leaving the shoots about five or six inches apart, for training in 

 nearly at that distance, let them be shortened according to their 

 strength ; some of the weaker shoots to five, six, or eight inches ; 

 others of stronger growth to about ten or twelve, to fifteen or eighteen 



