The Gardener's New Director. 37 



to be tliree feet depth of good ftrong clayifh foil made 

 for them, and they {hould not be narrower than ten feet, 

 as has been formerly dire(5ted for borders in which other 

 fruits were planted. The manner of preparing them lor 

 planting, and of managing them immediately after, be- 

 ing the fame as for other fruit-trees, I need net repeat 

 it here. But the diflance, efpecially upon walls, which 

 1 would allow to them, tree from tree, fhould not be 

 iefs than twenty-five feet, on account of their long ex- 

 tending branches, which if you -fhorten, except upon 

 great necelTity, you will prevent their ever thriving or 

 being fruitful. The firfl: fummer after they are planted, 

 their branches mull be trained horizontally to the walls. 

 If they are produced too thin, you may fliorten them at 

 Michaelmas-, but I would chufe to be as fparing of this 

 operation as pofTible, and rather allow them to take their 

 full fcope at length ; for probably they may (if the trees 

 are healthful) produce lateral branches from thcfe firfl: 

 year's fhoots, abundantly to fill up the wall. If they are 

 large fruiters, their branches fhould never be laid in at 

 Iefs diflance than nine inches, branch from branch. 

 The bloflbm-buds are for the mofl: part produced at the 

 extremities of the fliocts, as well as 'upon the fpurs or 

 curfons of the branches ; therefore if you fhorten them, 

 you take away thefe blofTom-buds; fo that the longer 

 thefe branches extend horizontally, the more bloflomy 

 fpurs they will have, from which you are to expect a 

 good crop of fruit. I have often obferved the long 

 branches of Pear-trees, for the firfl: three or four years 

 after their beginning to (how bloffom and fruit, fhow 

 ihem at the extremitiesof their long horizontal branches, 

 when they had no hloflbms on any other part of thefe 

 branchesj'which makes young garder.ers think their trees 

 wili never bear good crops; but in this they are greatly 

 miftaken; for where thefe trees are well mantiged, and 

 come to be eight or ten years old, the great hurry of the 

 fap, which, when young, and on the approach of the 

 fpring, runs to the end of their branches, by age and 

 inaturity, comes gradually, and with itrtility, to be dif- 

 perfed through the intermediate fpurs, making them all 

 fruitful. The trees iTiould be often looked over in May 

 3nd Jiiney that all luxuriant and tore-right ihoots may 



D 3 be 



