468 The Fruit Garden; 061:» 



ef thefe young Ihoots left on each of the general branch^ 

 es ; one of which muft be left fo as to terminate and be 

 a leader for the branch, and the others only left below in 

 vacancies; or if not wanted, cut quite out* 



Therefore mind always, in particular, in pruning, to 

 let every oranch, whether ihort or long, have, if poffible, 

 a laft fummer's fhoot for its leader ; and this fhould be 

 obferved both in fuch branches as are advanced long and 

 draggling, fo as to require fliortening, as well as thofe 

 that are not to be flicrtened ; for when a branch is to 

 be Ihortened, it Ihould, if polTible, be pruned in fuch a 

 manner, that the iame branch may Hill terminate in a 

 yoang fhoot. 



For inilaiice, fuppofe a branch having two, three, or 

 mere yoang llioots on i^,. and that the faid braneh be too 

 long, obferve, in fuch a cafe, to cut it oiFdofe, if pof- 

 fible, to a lail fummer's (he ot; or, otherwife, to fome 

 convenient branch that have fuch a ihoot for its leader;, 

 which ilioot or bras<:h mull be left to fupply the place of 

 the part cut away. 



But if the branch do not want Ihorteningy and there be 

 a young ftioot at its end, leave the faid fhoot, cutting 

 off all other on that branch, except any is wanted to 

 fupply a vacancy. 



Bvit all very old and ufelefs branches fhould always be 

 cat ofl'clofe to the place from whence they proceed, and 

 ihe trees fhould every way be kept within due bounds, 

 and in fomewhat regular form ; which is always to be ef- 

 fected by leaving young, and cutting out old and ftrag- 

 gling branches, and fhortening others as you ihall fee it 

 ccLVcn'ent. 



Let it alfo be obferved In pruning thefe fhrubs, that 

 the lafl fummer's fhoots, which are now left, fhould be- 

 but very little ihortened, particular the goofeberries^ 

 Seme cut the Incots very fhoit, but that is wrong, for it 

 makes them flicot too vigorously, and fills the trees next 

 fummer with numberlefs ufelefs fhoots, to the great pre- 

 judice of the fruit- 

 To avoid this, let the fhoots be always fhortened with 

 difcretion : never cut more off an ordinary fhoot than 

 about one third of its length, and about one fourth of a 

 vigorous fhoot. 



But this fhcrtening of the young (hoots fhould not be 

 general, butpraftifed occafionaily ; that is, for inllance, - 



if 



