Jan.] The Fruit Garden'. 19 



ones J but in full trained or old trees, ftill retaining the for- 

 mer-trained or fame individual bearing branches for many 

 years, as long as they continue fruitful; and only examine 

 any old branch that appear worn out or decayed, or not in 

 a condition to bear, or any that are too much crowded or 

 very irregular, and let fuch be now pruned out; at the 

 fame time oblerve where any of the laft fummer's Ihoots 

 are wanted to fupply any vacant fpace, and retain them ac- 

 cordingly ; cutting out clofe to the main branches, all the 

 fuperfiuous or over-abundant thereof, not now wanted for 

 training as above : likewife let all foreright and other irre- 

 gular placed (lioots be cut away ; carefully retaining the lead- 

 ing flioot to all the main branches, where there is fcope to 

 run them ; fo retaining the general branches and the neceiTary 

 fupply of young wood, about five or fix inches afunder, to be 

 trained in all at full length, as aforefaid ; and according as 

 they advance in length, ilill continue extending them to the 

 wall and efpalier, without {hortening, if room admits. 



In the courfe of this pruning have particular care to pre- 

 ferve all natural fruit-fpurs ; but cut away all thofe form- 

 ed of the flumps of (liortened flioots, for thefe rarely pro- 

 duce any thing but a confufion of unneceffary wood flioots 

 every fummer : and for which reafon be careful in pruning 

 the fuperfiuous and irregular fhoots, always to cut them 

 quite clofe to whence they originate. 



Then train in all the remaining proper branches and 

 fhoots «t full length, fix inches afunder, as aforefaid, with- 

 out reducing them in length either in the fummer or win- 

 ter pruning. 



By the above pradice the fhoots or branches of thefe trees 

 will, about the fccond or third year after they are laid in, 

 begin to produce fliort fnoots or fpurs (as they are general- 

 ly termed) about an inch or two in length ; feme not above 

 half an inch ; and from thefe the fruit is produced. 



But if the branches of thefe trees were to be (liortened, it 

 would cut off the very parts where blofTom-buds or fpurs iirft 

 begin to appear ; and inilead of thofe fruitful parts, they 

 would fend forth a number of ftrong wood (hoots. This 

 plainly (hews that the flioots which are intended for fruit- 

 bearing, muil not be fhortened ; for if that is pra6tifed, 

 the trees would conftantly run to wood, and never produce 

 any tolerable crop of fruit. 



If, indeed, there is a want of wood in any part of thefe 

 trees, then pccafional (liortening is neceffary. 



For 



