P E 



therefore it may not be improper 

 ^o repeat fome Things in this Place, 

 which I have before raention'd, in 

 relation to this Matter. And, 



iji, I have already faid, That the 

 Blights, which are Co often com- 

 plain'd of, do not proceed from a- 

 ny external Caufe or Inclemency in 

 the Seaibn, fb often, as from a 

 Diftemper or Weakncls in the 

 Trees : For if we obferve the Trees 

 at that Sealbn, where they are the 

 moft fubjed: to what is call'd a 

 Blight, v/e Ihall find the Branches 

 very Imall, weak, and not half ri- 

 pen'd, as alfb train'd in very clofe 

 to each other ; thefc Branches are, 

 for the moft part, full of BlolTom- 

 buds (which is chiefiy occafion'd 

 by their want of Strength.) Theie 

 Buds do indeed open, and, to Per- 

 fbns not skill'd in Fruit-Trees, fhew 

 a great Profpc6l of a plentiful 

 Crop of Fruit i whereas the whole 

 Strength of the Branches is fpent 

 in nourifliing the Flowers, and be- 

 ing unable to do any mote, the 

 BlofToms fall off, and the fmall Ef- 

 forts of the Leaf- buds are check'd, 

 fo that, many times, the greatcft 

 Part of the Branches die awayj 

 and this is cali'd a great Blight: 

 whereas at the fam.e time it may 

 be often obferv'd, that fome Trees 

 of a different Sort, nay, even fome 

 of the iame Sort which were 

 ftronger, tho' placed in the fame 

 Soil, expos'd to the fame Afpeft, 

 and lubjedt to the fame Inclemen- 

 cy of Air, have efcnp'd very well, 

 when the weak Trees have ap- 

 pear 'd to be almoft dead ; which is 

 a plain Indication that it proceeds 

 from fome Caufe within the Tree, 

 and not trom any external Blight. 

 All this will therefore be remedy'd, 

 bv oblerving the foregoing Directi- 

 ons in the Pruning and Manage- 

 went of the Trees, fo as never to 



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over-burden them with Branches, 

 nor to fuffer any Part of the Trees 

 to exhauft the whole Noiirifhment 

 from the Root, fo as to caufe the 

 other Parts to be very weak ; but 

 to diftribute the Nouriftiment e- 

 qually to every Shoot, fo thaf there 

 may be none too vigorous, at the 

 fame time that others are too 

 weak J and by continually rubbing 

 off ufelefs or tore-right Shoots, as 

 they are produced, the Strength of 

 the Trees will not be fpent to 

 ncurifli fuch Branches as muft be 

 afterwards cut out, which is too 

 often feen in the iVIanagement of 

 theie Trees. And, 



liily. It fometimes happens, that 

 the Roots of thefe Trees are buried 

 too deep in the Ground, which, in 

 a cold or moift Soil, is one of the' 

 greatefl: Difadvantages that can at- 

 tend thefe tender Fruits j for the 

 Sap which is contain'd in the Bran- 

 ch^es, being by the Warmth of the 

 Sun, put ftrongly into Motion ear- 

 ly in the Spring, is exhaufted in 

 nourifliing the Bloffoms, and a Part 

 of it is perfpired through the Wood- 

 branches, fo that its Strength is loft 

 before the Warmth can reach to 

 their Roots, to put them into an- 

 equal Motion in fcarch of frefh 

 Nourifliment, to fupply the Ex- 

 pence of the Branches, for want of 

 which, the BlofToms fall off and 

 decay, and the Shoots feem to be 

 at a Stand, until the farther Ad- 

 vance of the Warmth penetrates to 

 the Roots, and fets them in Mo- 

 tions ; when fuddenly after, the 

 Trees, which before look'd weak 

 and decaying, do make prodigious 

 Progrefs m their Shoots ; and be- 

 fore the Summer is fpent, are fur- 

 nifh'd with much ftronger Bran- 

 ches, than thofe Trees which have 

 the full Advantage of Sun and 

 Showers, and that are more fruit- 

 ful 



