LUX 



L U X 



merited in growth beyond their common natu- 

 ral state, and which rarelv acquire that degree of 

 ])crt'ection which is the case with those ot more 

 iiindcrate growths. This soitietin;es happens 

 from excess ot nourishment, and sometimes 

 from the nature of tlie plants. 



It is produced ditVerently ; sometimes prevail- 

 inji in the whole plant, sometimes ni particular 

 parts, as in some of the shoots, and frequently 

 in the flowers. 



Tlie lirst mav be considered such as shoot 

 much stronger than plants of the same species 

 generally do, and happens both in herbaceous 

 plants and trees, &c. which never attain per- 

 tection so soon as the more moderate growers : 

 thus many sorts of esculent plants which shoot 

 luxuriantly to leaves and stalks, Sec. as cucum- 

 bers, mckins, cabbages, cauliflowers, turnips, 

 radishes, beans, peas, &e., never arrive so 

 soon to perfection as those of moderate iirowth; 

 and such plants as appear to be naturally of 

 themselves of a very luxuriant nature, are very 

 improper to stand, from which to save seed for 

 future increase. 



This is also the case in fruit-trees ; as such 

 as are very luxuriant shooters are much longer 

 before they attain a beariiiii state than those 

 of middling growth; and liiev never bear so 

 plentifully, or have the fruit attain such per- 

 fection. This luxuriance is frequently acquired 

 by unskilful pruning, especially in wall-trees,. 

 &c., as it is often the practice, when wall or 

 espalier trees assume such a growth, to cut all 

 the shoots short; hy which, inste-ad of reducing 

 the tree to a moderate state of shootins;, it has 

 its vigour increased, as too considerable short- 

 ening of strong shoots promotes their throw- 

 ing out still stronaer, and producing more 

 abundant or superfluous wood. Therefore, in 

 pruning very luxuriant espalier and wall-fruit 

 trees, they should be assisted somewhat in 

 their own way, as it were, by irainino; in plenty 

 ot shoots annuallv for a year or two, to di\ ide 

 the redundancy of sap ; or in the summer and 

 winter prunings, always leaving them lather 

 thicker than in the common practice, and 

 mostly at full length, unless it be necessary to 

 shorten such as are of very considerable length, 

 or in some particular part of the tree, to force 

 out a supply of wood to (ill a vacancy. Some 

 sorts of fruit-trees should indeed never be gene- 

 rally shortened in the common course of prun- 

 ing, except in casual very extended irregular 

 growths, or occasionally for procuring a supply 

 of wood as mentioned above. This is particularly 

 necessary in apples, pears, plums, cherries, 

 and Iig-trees ; for, if general shortening was to be 

 practised in these sorts, thev would continue 

 shooting every year so liixuriantly to wood, iliat 



they would never form themstlvcs into a proper 

 bearing state: even in those trees wlicie sliorit n- 

 iiig is necessarily practised in winici, \a most of 

 the annual supplies of shoots, as in peach .s, 

 nectarines, &c.. in cases of luxuriant growth, 

 it mIiouUI be very sparingly performed, the gene- 

 ral shoots not being cut very short, and some 

 of the most vigorous left almost or quite at the 

 full length. 



'I'hls is the proper method to reduce luxuriant 

 trees to a moderate growth, and to a bearing 

 state ; as by training the shoots thicker, and 

 leaving them longer, and continuing it for a 

 year or two, the redundant sap having greater 

 scope to divide itself, cannot break out with 

 that luxuriance, as when it has not half the 

 quantity of wood to supplv with nourishment, 

 as in the case of short pruninsr. See Esi\a.- 

 i-iEit, WALL-TiiEKs, and Pruning. 



This state seldom occurs with -any continu- 

 ance in standard-trees, where permitted to lake 

 their natural growth, except in casual strag- 

 gling shoots, which should always be taken 

 out. 



Over luxuriant shoots are mostly met with ia 

 trees and shrubs ; but require more particularly 

 t<J be attended to in the culture of the fru:t 

 tree kind, especially those of the wall and espa 

 lier sort, whiicli undergo annual pruning. 



They are such as shoot so viivorouslv in, 

 kngth and substance, as greatly to exceed the 

 geueral growth of those nsuallv produced on 

 the same kind of plant or tree, and are some- 

 limes general, but in other cases only happen- 

 to particular shoots in diflTcreiu parts of a tree. 

 Sec. They are discoverable bv their extraordi- 

 nary length and thickness, and by their vigour 

 of growth, which aKva)S greatly impoverishes 

 the other more moderate shoots in their neigh- 

 bourhood, and liktwise the fruit, &c., as v.ell 

 as often occasions a very irresjular growth in the 

 respective trees. Such shoots frequently occur 

 in wall and espalier fruit-trees, and are the ef- 

 fetts of iniudiciokis pruning. When they are in 

 general wholly so, they should be manafied as 

 directed above : but when only in particular 

 shoots here and there in a fruit or other tree or 

 shrub under training, such shoots being of 

 such a verv luxuriant nature as to draw away the 

 nourishment, at the expense of the adjacent 

 moderate shoots, and which, by their visiorous 

 irregular growth, cannot be trained with any 

 degree of regularity ; they should i'or the most 

 part, as soon as discoverable, in the summer or 

 winter prunings, be cut out, taking them off" as 

 close as possible to the part of the branch 

 whence they originate, that no eye may be left 

 to shoot again ; unless- such a shoot should rise- 

 in any part of a tree or shrub, where, a furlhar.- 



