Jan.] The Fruit Garden. 21 



bloflbm buds would have otherwlfe firft made their appear- 

 ance. Therefore, in the courfe of pruning apple, pear, 

 plum, and cherry trees, never fhorten or top the young Ihoots^ 

 that are left for a fupply of bearing wood, nor any of the 

 bearing branches, if room to extend them ;^ and they will thus 

 all gradually form themfelves into a plentiful bearing ftate. 



But if Ihortening was generally pradifed to thefe kinds of 

 fruit-trees, as is the cafe with many pruners, it would prove 

 the manifeft dcftrudion of the trees ; for, in the places 

 where fruit-buds would otherwife naturally appear, there 

 would advance nothing but ftrong wood (hoots ; {o that the 

 trees would be continually crowded with ufelefs wood, and 

 produce little or no fruit. 



When, however, there Is at any time a fupply of wood 

 wanted, then fliortening particular (hoots may be proper, as 

 obferved above, for the apples and pears. 



General Ohfcr-vations In Prunhig all the ahove Tre's. 

 We obferved above, that fhortening the branches of ap- 

 ples, pears, plums, and cherry trees, was not proper in the 

 general courfe of pruning ; it however, in fome particular 

 cafes, is mofl neceiiary, for which take the following hints : 

 for Inftance, vvhen the trees, for walls and efpaliers parti- 

 cularly, are about one year old from the budding or graft- 

 ing, either in the nujfery, or newly planted againll walls or 

 eipaliers, with their firil flioot Innnediately from the bud- 

 ding, or grafting, at full length, it is proper to fliorten or 

 head down thefe flioots near the infertion of the bud, or 

 graft, toiorceout lateral branches, which is called heading 

 down the trees ; but this fliould not be done till fpring, 

 cutting them down to tour or five eyes ; which will procure 

 lateral flioots near the .ground, in order that the wall or cfpa- 

 licr may be regularly furniihed with branches from the bot- 

 tom ; alter this the branches are to be trained along at their 

 full length, except it appears neceifary to fliorten fome, or 

 all, of thefe lateral flioots, in order that each may throw 

 out ulfo two or three lateral branches, to furnilh that part 

 of the tree more effectually ; training the faid lateral flioots 

 alfo at their full length ; but if there appear to be ftill 

 more branches wanting, fome of the moit convenient of 

 thefe laft flioots may alfo be (hortened, to promote their 

 producing a farther fupply of lateral branches, fufiicient to 

 give the tree its proper form ; for the great art is to encou- 

 rage and airill young fruit-trees in their iiril two or three 



year.* 



