4^2 The Fruit Garden. 0£l ] 



rage them to produce next funimer, as well as fruit, a 

 due fupply alio of bearing fhoots, to bear fruit another 

 year. 



^ For by iliortening thefe fhoots in the winter pruning, 

 it makes them more ceriainly produce next fummer a 

 fuccefiional fupply of new ilioots in proper places ; and the 

 fhoots which are then produced, bear the' fruit to be ex- 

 pedled the year after that. 



But in fhortening the flioots, mind to let every one be 

 Shortened according to its growth and original length ; 

 for inftance, a (hoot of about a foot long, may be pruned 

 from about fix or feven to eight or nine inches, accord- 

 ing to its ftrength ; one of fifteen or fixteen inches, to 

 about ten ; and a (hoot of eighteen or twenty inches 

 long, may be cut to about twelve or fourteen; and fo in 

 proportion to the length and ftrength of the different 

 ihoots, leaving the ftrong fhoots the longeft. 



The general rule of fliortening thefe trees is, to cutpfF 

 from about one half to one third or fourth, or there- 

 abouts, of the original length of the fhoots, according 

 to their ftrength; being careful, however, not to prune 

 below all the bloffom buds, except where you prune 

 principally for wood : the weak Ihoots is to be pruned 

 fhorteft, and the ftrong left longer in proportion. 



But fuch peach, nedarine, and apricot trees as produce 

 ftrong and vigorous fhoots, muft be treated accordingly; 

 the ihoots of fuch trees muft be left fomcwhat clofer than 

 the diftance above pre/cribed, aed muft alfo be fhortened 

 lefs in proportion. The rule to be obfcrvedin thefe, is, 

 leave the fhoots four or five inches afunder, and, on fhort- 

 ening them, cut oft' no more than about one fourth of 

 their original length ; but indeed fome of the moft vi- 

 gorous fhoots fhould be fhortened but very little, and 

 ibme not at all. 



This is the only method of pruning to bring a vigo- 

 rous fhooting tree to a good order, fo as to produce rno- 

 derate fhoots, fuch as will bear fruit. 



For the more wood you cut out of a vigorous tree, and 

 the more the fhoots are fhortened, the more vigorous 

 will the tree fhoot. 



By what is above hinted, the pruner will not be at a 

 lofs to know in what manner peach, nedarine, and apri- 

 cot trees are, according to their different growths, to be 

 treated in the ai-ticle of pruning; and the rule here men- 

 tioned 



