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fill the infecled part must, he says, be cut out. ed by the great quantity of fruit produced from 



When the tree is all prepared, the Compcsition them : they should then be cut dowTi to two 



should he inimediatelv applied, beginning at the eyes to produce new wood. He always leaves 



■top of the tree, and tiuishing with the powder of three different years' branches on the tree, 



wood-ashes and buriit bones as you descend, when the first shoot Is cut off. This is fully 



which will save it from being rubbed olf durinA shown in a plate in his useful work; and the next 



the operation ; and the Composition will prevent shoot will be full of fruit-buds, if it has not 



the sun and air from injuring the naked inner been shortened : when it begins to grow weak, 



bark. A tree thus pre|)ared, will, he adds, in it should be cut oft'; and the next cutting must 



the course of three or four years, produce more be made w hen the former branch is tired of 



and finer fruit than a maiden tree that has been bearing : by proceeding thus all over the tree 



planted ups\ards of twenty years." with care and attention, the advantages of this 



These directions, if properly attended to, will method of pruning, above the connnon mode, 



be suflicient, he thinks, to enable any one to wjll, he says, soon be perceived ; as by it you will 



bringold decayed trees into a healthy bearing slate, he able to keep the trees in a constant statcofbear- 



JHe supposes, that in large orchards and gar- ing, which, it left to nature, would only produce a 



dens, it may be necessary, at first, to head down cropot truil once in two or three years. When 



only every other tree; cutting some of the the shoot that has done bearing is cut off, the 



branches of the rest, which are in a decayed and Composition should constantly be applied, rub- 



cank<;ry state, and which bear no fruit. 'I'his bing off the shoots where they are too numerous, 



will, he says, be preparing thcni to throw out He thinks the best time to prune apple-trees 



new wood, and furnish the tree nuich sooner is in the month of April, or in May, alter the 



with bearing branches. He reeonmiends the operation has been performed on the peaches, 



jierforming tlie operation as early as possible ; nectarines, and cherries : and that soon after 



as by so doing the wood will be the stronger, as 

 in May, or the two following mouths. 



He adds, that when the trees are become hol- 

 low, the same method should be followed as di- 



this pruning, about the middle of May, it will 

 be proper to look over the trees, and to pick off 

 any caterpillars that maybe on them. It will 

 then be seen w hat shoots are infected with the 



rected for plums ; but by no means to cut them canker, and which might have escaped your no- 

 down unless the tops are quite decayed ; observ- tiee at the time of pruning; and wherever you 

 ing to cut the loose rotten wood clean out of the observe the least appearance of infection, which 

 hollow and other decayed parts, applying the may be known by the wood appearing of a. 

 Composition ; at the same time to open the brownish colour, the shoot must be cut down 

 ground, and cut out all the rotten parts that till you come to the sound white wood, 

 may be found i^n the lower part of the stem, to- The small shoots that cross each other should 

 gcther with all the decayed roots, which, if this be cut off, leaving the strongest to fill up the tree, 

 be not done, will infallibly injure the fresh wood and make a fine handsome head, 'i'he suckers 

 and bark, and prevent a cure from being effect- that spring from the root should be carefully 

 ed. He would recommend heading down all grubbed up, and the side-shoots from the stem 

 apple-trees that are much cankered and have ill- cut oft ; tor, it left to grow, they greatly weaken 

 shaped heads ; as by so doing much labour will the tree. The knobs, where old branches have 

 be saved, and the trees will amply pay the pro- been cut oft", should also be pared away, leaving 

 prietor. He advises never to shprten the young the surface of the tree as smooth as possible : 

 branches, except they are very thin, when it will after which, the Composition should be a]iplied: 

 be necessary to do so to fill the trees with young the young l>ark will soon, he says, beoin to grow, 

 MOod : nor prune any of the young shoots the and by degrees cover the old wounds with a 

 second year (he means the year after they are fresh smooth surface, and thus prevent the can- 

 cut), as many of the eyes, almost to the end of ker from gaining ground on the tree. He has 

 the shoot, will, if it be strons;, become fruit-buds seen some old wounds of considerable size heal- 

 next year; and so on every year. He says, that ed oyer intone year: and he adds, in confirma- 

 in the month of May in the first year after the tion of the utility of this practice, that " the 

 trees have been so cut, it will be necessary to go trees which he pruned and dressed, as above di- 

 over theiu, and rub off' with your finger and rected, in the course of the summer, 1705, are 

 thumb all the superfluous young shoots; leav- all perfectly cured, the wounds being filled up 

 ing from three to six eyes on each shoot, accord- with sound w ood, and covered over with new 

 ing to the size and strength of the branch cut. bark : they all continue in a healthy state, and 

 These shoots will bear from three to four years; bear fine handsome fruit," And he has advised 

 by which time they will be pretty much exhaust- several nurserymen to follow the practice^ head- 

 Vol. H. 2 T 



