The Gardener's New Director. 23 



weather, for if wet or froft gets upon the wound, it will 

 greatly injure the tree. After cutting, put feme clay 

 or grafting-wax upon the wounds, to prevent their 

 bleeding. By neglecting this operation, many fine trees 

 have been loft. Tius ought regularly to be done to all 

 your young wall-trees, immediately after you cut off their 

 heads, and let the clay cr wax continue upon the wound- 

 ed parts as long as it will ftick. 



Having proceeded thus far, you mud next take tlie 

 mulch, if it is rotten, dig it into the borders, and flir 

 the ground about the roots, but be careful not to in- 

 jure them; afterwards turf them up, obferving once 

 every week to remove the fward, and water them as 

 has been diredled. By the end of A4ay or beginning of 

 yutie, the Peach and Nectarine trees will have produced 

 fhoots of fix or eight inches in length, which Ihould be 

 laid horizontally to the wall ; but if there are but two 

 long fhoots produced, they may be pinched at this fea- 

 fon, to produce lateral branches before the winter, where- 

 by the vacancies may be filled up. Obferve to remove 

 all tore-right ufelefs buds and branches with your fin- 

 gers, this being the mofl: proper feafon for that operati- 

 on. Be careful not to fuffer any of the young branches 

 to run up perpendicularlys which will not only render 

 the trees unfruitful, but unfeemly. Let the branches be 

 laid horizontally, altho' the middle part of the treemay 

 be naked for fome time, which, by this management, 

 "will be foon filled with fruit-bearing branches. Thi: 

 mufl: be your f.rfl and principal care: For if this is in 

 the leafl: negle6tcd, it will not be an eafy matter to form 

 your tree. 



In O^obert when you obferve the young trees have 

 done growing, if their fhoots are ftrong, prune then) down 

 to eight, but if they are weak fhoots fhortcn them to five 

 inches ; and negle<5l not at this lime in particular 10 train 

 them horizontally; for Peach and Nectarine-trees will 

 not bear to be fo often cut as others, th.eir wood being 

 foft and pithy, which will make them gum and go off 

 entirely in a few years. In the winter trolls and fevere 

 weather, the vpots of thefe plantations are to be protect- 

 ed as formerly, cfpecially thoTc of the preceding Icbruary 

 or Manb planting. 



C 4 When 



