P L A . 



such as are become dry and moiikls' ; suffering 

 all tbc main roots to remain^ mostly at Rill 

 length, except just .to tip oft' their ends a little 

 on the under side, sloping (jatward ; and reduce 

 any very long stragglers, and shorten long per- 

 pendicular tap-roots, more particularly ol:' fruit- 

 trees, to prevent their running down into a bad 

 soil, and to promote their throwing out others 

 horizontally. 



And \\ith regard to the preparation of the 

 heads of the trees, the principal care is to trim o.T 

 the straggling shoots and branches from the 

 stems, leaving the heads for the generality entire, 

 only just retrenching very irregular branches, and 

 shortening any very long stragglers ; always suf- 

 fering the main or leading top shoot to remain 

 at length, particularly in forest-trees, and all 

 others that are to grow to a lofty stature. 



Fruit-trees, however, sometimes require a 

 more accurate regulation of the head preparatory 

 to planting, part'icularly dwarfs for espaliers and 

 walls, if the fruit-tree is taken from the nur- 

 sery at one year old from the budding and graft- 

 ing, and with its first shoot from budding and 

 grafting entire, this first shoot must necessarily 

 be shortened or headed down to force out lateral 

 wood below, to furnish the bottom properly ; 

 but this heading down is not necessary at the 

 time of planting, but should remain till spring, 

 until the tree has taken fresh root and begins to 

 shoot; for the head remaining greatly promotes 

 the rooting; when in March or the beginning of 

 April, head it down within half a foot, or five 

 or six eyes of the insertion of the bud or graft, 

 and the shoot so headed will throw out, from 

 its remaining lower eyes, several lateral branches 

 the ensuing summer. 



If it is two, three, or more years old from the 

 budding and grafting, and the first shoots were 

 headed down in the nursery at the proper time, 

 it is proper to plant it with its whole head en- 

 tire, only retrenching any irregular branch, or 

 any very luxuriant shoot ; or thin out the worst 

 of such as are evidently too close or crowded, 

 leaving however all the regular branches at full 

 length, except just to reduce any very long 

 rambler. 



For new planting trees it is very improper to 

 retrench the branches too severely, and cut all 

 that remains short, as is very often practised, on 

 a supposition of strengthening their roots, which 

 however has often the contrary effect ; for the 

 branches and leaves imbibe the refreshing influ- 

 ence of the air,. Sec, which, being conveyed 

 to the roots, proves nutrimental, and contri- 

 butes exceedingly towards vegetation, and con- 

 sequently promotes the rooting afresh more ex- 

 peditiously and eflcctually. Besides, by a se- 



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vcrc retrenching and a general shortening, of 

 fruit-trees in particular, in most sorts the very 

 ])arts \vhere fruit would have been soon first pro- 

 duced are cut oft", and it will probably cost the 

 tree two or three years growth to furnish new 

 branches equal to those cutaway, as well as re- 

 tard its bearing in proportion. And it often 

 happens by such a general amputation of the 

 branches of all new planted trees at the time of 

 planting, that they, for want of branches to 

 collect vegetative nourishment, either make very 

 little progress in shooting for two or three years 

 after, or sometimes, when they do shoot, throw 

 out a profusion of unnecessary wood from the 

 remaining eyes or buds. 



Therefore if young fruit-trees at planting, whe- 

 ther dwarfs or standards, are furnished with five 

 or six or more good regular principal branches, 

 of one, two, or more years growth, it is im- 

 proper to retrench any part of them, and dis- 

 figure the tree, particularly apples, pears, plums, 

 ai°d cherries, which should at all times be but 

 sparingly shortened ; and since several good 

 branches being already obtained in the proper 

 parts to give the head its first regular form, they 

 in their turn readily furnish more ; and if there 

 is a vacancy in any part, it will be better to en- 

 deavour to 'fill it by stopping some of the young 

 shoots produced the summer after planting, by 

 either pinching or pruning them in May or June 

 the same year to three or four eyes, or cutting 

 themdowii to that length in the winter or spring 

 following. — Some fruit-trees, however, such as 

 peaches, nectarines, &cc., against walls, require 

 most of their young shoots to be shortened an- 

 nually. 



Forest-trees, Sec, in their preparation pre- 

 vious to planting, after being drawn out of the 

 nursery, shoulcFonly have the blemished roots 

 trimmed, and all branches from the lower part 

 of the stem pruned off, cutting the lower ones 

 close, the others to two, three, or four inches, 

 particularly the deciduous kinds, leaving the 

 head always tolerably branchy, and mostly en- 

 tire ; not to trim away all the branches to one 

 leading shoot only, as is often practised, but 

 leave a proportionable share of the upper more 

 erect branches, to form some tolerable head, and 

 only just retrenching the lower stragglers, very 

 long rambling lu.xuriants, and very irregular 

 growths, to preserve a little regularity; being 

 particularly careful to leave always the top or 

 leading shoot perfectly entire, unless it is de- 

 cayed,"or is very crooked, bending much down- 

 wards, &c., in which cases, if any straight 

 shoot is conveniently situated, the crooked part 

 may be retrenched down to the straight shoot, 

 which leave entire to run up in height, as with- 



