Mar.] The Fruit Garden. 139 



wall, and fevere froft afterwards deftroy many of the ihoots, 

 you have then no refource left for Ihoots to fupply thefe 

 vacancies. 



The bell way, therefore, is to let thefe trees remain 

 unpruned till this feafon, leaving the whole fupply of 

 young fhoots till this time ; and if fevere frolus fhould 

 happen in winter, there will be a chance, out of the 

 whole, to find enough that have efcaped the froil:, to lay 

 in to furnilh the wall. 



In pruning fig-trees, obferve to leave a fufHcient fup- 

 ply of the lall fummer's wood, from the bottom to the 

 extremity, every way, in every part where poffible, and 

 where there is proper room to train them, fo as the tree 

 may be equally furnilhed with bearers, at moderate dif- 

 tances, for thefe young fhoots bear the figs the enfuing 

 feafon ; fig-trees always producing their fruit on the one 

 year old wood only. 



Leave the branches and fhoots in general about feven 

 or eight inches afunder, with all the fhoots at full length ; 

 and the fuperabundant fhoots, or fuch as are not wanted, 

 and cannot be trained in without being too near together, 

 ihould be cut off quite clofe, leaving no fpur or ftump ; 

 being careful to cut out the worfl, and leave the flrongell 

 and moll promifmg well placed fhoots, at the diftance 

 above-mentioned, with a leading one to each branch. 



Take care always, in particular, to train in every year 

 fome young fhoots, at or near the bottom, that thete 

 may be a fupply of young branches coming up regularly 

 one after another, to fupply the places of old naked 

 branches, which will appear every feafon in fome part 

 or other of the tree ; for fuch branches as are old, and 

 have no young wood on them, fliould be cut out, that 

 there may be fufhcient room to train the bearing branches 

 neatly, and at proper dillances. 



In cutting out any of the large branches of thefe trees, 

 fuch as are too high for the wall, or fuch as appear ufe- 

 lefs, by having no young wood on them, fhould be either 

 €ut off to the place from whence they proceed, or to 

 fome convenient lower young fhoot or branch, cutting 

 tli^m quite clofe, leaving no ilump. 



The young branches of fig-trees mull not be fhorten- 

 ed or topped, but leave each at full length; for were 

 they to be fnortened^ it would not only cut away the 



part 



