P E 



if the Nouriflimcnt had been equal- 

 ly diftributed to a regular Quanti- 

 ty of Branches, there would be no 

 Sign of their too great Strength) 

 until, by often cutting off thefe vigo- 

 rous Branches, the Trees are cither 

 intirely deftroy'd, or at leaft rendered 

 ib weak as not to be able to pro- 

 duce Fruit : For altho' by thus wea- 

 kening the Branches, it is often the 

 Means to produce a good Number 

 of BlofToms (as may many times 

 be oblerved alfb upon autumnal 

 Shoots) yet the utmoft of their 

 Strength is fpent in expanding the 

 Flowers, fo that they rarely pro- 

 <Juce Fruit, and very often the 

 greatcft Part of the Branches die 

 ibon after, which is fuppos'd to be 

 occafion'd by a Blight (as I have 

 dfewhere faidj when in reality it 

 is nothing lefs than the Fault of 

 thofe who have the Management 

 of the Trees. It is therefore of 

 the greateft Confequence to Wall- 

 Trees, efpecially of thefe Sorts, to 

 go over them two or three times 

 in the Month of A/^^, to rub off 

 all irregular Shoots, and to train in 

 the Branches that are left in due 

 Order to the Wall, that each Shoot 

 may have an equal Advantage <3f 

 Sun and Air, both of which are 

 abfolutely necefTary to ripen and 

 prepare the Wood for the next 

 Year's Bearing. 



And by duly obferving the Trees 

 at this Seafon, there will not be 

 Occafion for (6 much Cutting, as 

 is often pra£i:is'd on Feach-Treesy to 

 their great Injury j tor their Wood 

 Branches are generally foft, tender, 

 and pithy, which, when greatly 

 wounded, arc not healed over again 

 fb fbon as many other Sorts of 

 Trees j and the Wet inlinuating in- 

 to the wound<;d Parts, doth ofcen 

 caufc the Branches to canker and 

 die j which may be entirely avoid- 



P E 



cd, by tlic gentle, eafy Method of 

 Pinching and Rubbing off the Bwh 

 in the Spring-fealbn, which never 

 makes any Wounds on the Tree; 

 and hereby a vaft deal of Labour 

 is iaved ; for one Perfbn who is 

 ready at this Bufinefs will go over 

 a great Quantity of Walling m a 

 Day i whereas if the Trees are per- 

 mitted to grow rude all the Spriaj^ 

 they will require lix times the La- 

 bour to reduce 'em into OrdcEa 

 Befides, it is a great Difadvantage 

 to the Fruit, in permitting the 

 Branches of the Trees to cxtefi^l 

 from the Wall, and Ihade 'em ; ani 

 when they have grown under the 

 Shelter of thefe Branches and Leaves 

 -all the Springs until Midfummcr^, 

 then by pruning off feme 'of thdb 

 Shoots, and nailing the otliers cb&: 

 to the Wall, the Fruits ar^e fudden- 

 ly expos'd to the Sun and AJi^ 

 w^hereby they receive a veiy great 

 •Check, and are not only retarded 

 in their Gr«)wth, but often ren- 

 der'd ill-tafted, and Jiave tougfe 

 Skins. 



The Diftance which theSrandk^ 

 of thefe Trees fhould be allow'd a- 

 gainft the Wall muft be preporci*- 

 on'd to the Size of the Froait, o:* 

 the Length ot the Leaves: For if 

 we obferve how the Branches oif 

 Trees are naturally difp©s'd to grow^ 

 we fhall always find them p!ac'd m. 

 a greater or lefs Diftance, as thck 

 Leaves are larger or .fmaller {as ff 

 have already obferv'd under the 

 Article of Leaves:) And ther<e ic 

 no liircr Guide to a curious ArtiiS,, 

 than Nature, from whence a Gar- 

 dener l"houId always be dirc^ed ise. 

 every Part of his Profeiiion ,• iincc 

 his Bulinefs is to aid aiad aflid Na- 

 ture, where fhe is nat capable vof 

 bringing her Productions to Matu- 

 rity, oi- where there is Raam tvOp 

 make <:oQUdei-abIe impjovemcats'bi" 



