Feb.] The Fruit Garden. 75 



in every part where poflible; fer thefe bear the fruit to be 

 expeded next fummer, leaving them five or fix inches 

 afunder ; at the fame time cut away all the iil-placed and 

 fuperfluous flioots, and very luxuria-at growths ; and as 

 you go on, let the fupply of referved ihoots be fhorten- 

 ed, each according to its ftrength. Shoots of a vigorous 

 growth fhould be fhortened buc little ; that is, you mar 

 cut off about one fourth of its original length : thole of 

 a moderate growth fhould be fhortened more in propor- 

 t"on, by cutting off about one third : for inilance, a; 

 fhoot of eighteen inches may be fhortened to twelve, or 

 thereabouts ; and obferve the fame proportion, accord- 

 ing to the different lengths of the ihoots. 



But for the more particular method of pruning thefe 

 trees, fee the work of the Fruit Garden in January. 



Nail the fiioots or branches ftraight, and clofe to the 

 wall, at the dirtance of five or fix inches from each other. 



And for the method of pruning and ordering young 

 trees of thefe forts (that is, fuch as are one, two, and 

 three years old, from the budding) fee the work of the 

 Frjiit Garden both in January and March, 



Prune Apples, Pears, in Efpaliers and Walls^ 



Prune apples, pears, plums, and cherries, againll: walls 

 or in efpaliers ; and, if poflible, let the wlioie of thena 

 be finiihed this month. 



In pruning thefe trees, obferve, as direded Lift month, 

 that as the fame b.-anches or bearers remain many years 

 in a proper fruitful ftate, continue them trained dole and 

 ftraight to the wall, or efpalier, not Ihortening their end?, 

 but ftill continue training each at full length, as far as 

 the limited fpace admits, and laying them in about fix 

 inches afunder. 



In the next place, obferve, that if the branches he any 

 where much cronded, (that is, if the bearing or princi- 

 pal branches lie clofer than four, five, or fix inches from 

 one another) fome fhould be taken out; obferving in 

 this cafe, to take off fuch as are worft fituated, and par- 

 ticularly fuch as appear to be moft unlikely to bear, by 

 being either worn out, or, at leaft, not well furnilhed with 

 fruit-fpurs or ftuds, as mentioned laft month, or not fup- 

 porting branches furnilhed with fuch fpurs. Likewife ob- 

 ferve, that when neccffary to make room in any parti- 

 E 2, cula^ 



