26 The Gardener's New Director. 



longer or fhorter, according to its own ftrength and that 

 of the tree. The other branches are to be ranged on 

 each fide, beginning to place the firfl: horizontally, lb 

 low as within half a foot of the furface of the border. 

 The other branches are to be laid on the wall, afcend- 

 ing gradually without any more inclination than that the 

 point may be placed a little higher than the lower part 

 or but of the branch. No branches are to run acrofs each 

 other, or to be placed too near one another. The diftances 

 between the branches are to be determined from their 

 number and the vigour of the tree. In order to keep the 

 tree full, he prunes a branch fhort between two long 

 ones, in both wall and dwarf-trees. This, according to 

 him, prevents confufion, and keeps the trees from af- 

 cending too quickly, and extending too faft on the fides, 

 which they naturally do, when all the branches arc 

 pruned of an equal length. 



Great judgment is required in pruning, which muft be 

 adapted to the nature of each tree, fo as to preferve it 

 in a fruitful and vigorous ftate. 



Tie great variety that is obfervable in Pear-trees, re- 

 quires different methods of pruning. In particular trees 

 the branches muft be cut fliort, when they are too vi- 

 gorous. In fome, the young wood muft be cut out, to 

 encourage the bearing of the old: in others, the old 

 wood muft be pruned ftiort, or cut out, when it is grown 

 barren, and young wood encouraged to fucceed it. In 

 fome kinds of trees, it is fufficient to deftroy fuch branches 

 r>s occafion confufion. 



Let the gardener be cautious not to hurt the bearing 

 wood in the center and lower parts of his trees ; and thefe 

 •are beft preferved, by pruning (hort the upper branches 

 of the tree, which ought particularly to be attended to 

 in Peach-trees ; for if they are not properly kept low by 

 pruning and rubbing off the buds, they will be ruined in 

 fix or feven years ; whereas, if they are properly mana- 

 ged in pruning, they will laft twenty years, or more. 



Cut off all the branches, unlefs fuch as are necefTary 

 ♦^o the beauty of the tree. Shorten all the luxuriant 

 branches to ftrengthen the branches that are weak. 



Preferve 



