JAN.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 21 



is proper to shorten or head down these shoots near the insertion 

 of the bud or graft, to force out lateral branches, which is called 

 heading down the trees ; but this should not be done till February 

 or March, cutting them down to four or five eyes ; which will pro- 

 cure a production of lateral shoots near the head of the stock from 

 these remaining lower eyes or buds, the following summer, in or- 

 der for training in accordingly, that the wall or espalier may be 

 regularly furnished with branches from the bottom. After this, the 

 branches are to be trained along at their full length, except it ap- 

 pears necessary to shorten some or all of these lateral shoots, in 

 order that each may throw out also two or three lateral branches to 

 furnish that part of the tree more effectually ; training the said la- 

 teral shoots also at their full length ; btft if there appear to be still 

 more branches wanting, some of the most convenient of these last 

 shoots may also be shortened, to promote their producing a farther 

 supply of lateral branches, sufficient to give the tree its proper 

 form ; for the great article in this training-pruning is to encourage 

 and assist young wall and espalier fruit-trees in their first two or 

 three years' growth, to produce shoots in proper places, so as to 

 cover the wall or espalier regularly with branches, from the bottom 

 to the top. 



But when the trees have acquired branches enough to effect the 

 first proper formation of the head, they will afterwards naturally fur- 

 nish further supplies to cover the wall or espalier regularly every 

 way, to the allotted extent, without any farther shortening, except 

 on particular occasions, when a vacancy happens in any part, ac- 

 cording to the rule mentioned, in the article of apples and pears. 



There is one thing farther to be observed in pruning apple, pear, 

 plum, and cherry trees ; and that is, when the trees have acquired 

 branches enough to cover the wall or espalier, at the distance above 

 mentioned, then all those young shoots of the last summer's growth, 

 that are not wanted in vacancies to form new bearers, must be cut 

 off quite close to the place from whence they arise, leaving no spurs 

 but the fruit-spurs that are naturally produced, which every branch 

 will be plentifully furnished with, if the above rules are observed. 



Peaches^ Nectarines^ and Afiricots. 



In the training and pruning of peaches, nectarines, and apricots, 

 little or no difference is to be observed ; they all produce their fruit 

 principally upon the young shoots of the former summer, the fruitr 

 blossoms rising directly from the eyes of the shoots ; a plentiful 

 supply of which, must be reserved annually in every part, to train 

 in for bearing : they also sometimes bear on the small natural spurs 

 arising on the two or three years' wood, which generally occur 

 more frequently in the apricots ; and all such spurs should be care- 

 fully preserved, for they generally bear good fruit ; keeping in 

 mind, however, that the young yearling shoots are to be considered 

 as the general bearers : observing, that as the general branches and 

 bearing shoots are to be trained to the wall or espalier horizontally, 

 about three to four or five inches distance,, we must prune out an- 



