whofe Tops were cut off: And 

 from feveral Experiments made by 

 the Reverend Mr. Hales, we find, 

 that great Quantiiic^ ct Moillure 

 arc imbib'd at Wounds, where 

 Branches are cut off; fb that by 

 thus rhortcning tlic Branches, the 

 Wet, which generally flills in great 

 Plenty during the Winter Scaibn, 

 is plentifully imbib'd, and for want 

 of Leaves to pcrfpire it off, mixes 

 with the Sap ot the Trees, and 

 thereby dillending the Veffels, de- 

 ftroy s their contra6ling Force, which 

 many times kills the Tree, or at 

 lead weakens it fo much, as not 

 to be recovered again for fome 

 Years J as I have fcvcral times ob- 

 ferved. 



But being willing to try the Ex- 

 periment, in the Month of Oclober 

 172.3, I made choice of two 

 Standard Almond-Trees, of equal 

 Strength and Age j thcfc I took up 

 as caretuHy as polTible, and having 

 prepared their Roots as bctcre di- 

 rected, I prun'd their Heads in the 

 following manner, viz.. From one 

 of them 1 only cut off the imall 

 Branches, end fuch as were bruis'd 

 or broken, but prcferv'd all the 

 flrong ones entire : The other 1 

 fliortencd all the ffrong Branches, 

 and prun'd off the weak and bro- 

 ken Shoots, as is the common Pra- 

 ctice. Thefe two Trees I planted 

 in the fame Soil, and to the flune 

 Situation, gave them both equal 

 Attendance, and minag'd them both 

 as nearly alike as poffibie j yet, in 

 the Sprmg, when th:re Trees be- 

 gan to ffioot, that, whole Branches, 

 were entirely preferved, came out 

 early, continued to ff.oot ffronger, 

 and is at prefent much larger, and 

 in better Health than the other. 

 And fince this, I have made feve- 

 ral other Experiments of the like 

 Nature, vyhicii have conffantly fuc- 



P L 



cccded in the fame Manner j from 

 whence it is reafonable to con- 

 clude, that the fliortening c>f the 

 Branches is a great injury to all 

 new-planted Tiees. 



Having thus prepared the Tree* 

 for '^Uinting, we muft next pro- 

 ceed to the Placing them into the 

 Ground ; but before this, 1 would 

 ad vile, if the Trees have been long 

 out of the Ground, fo that their 

 Fibres are dry'd, to place their 

 Roots in Water eight or ten Hours, 

 before they arc fiantidy oi):crv'ng 

 to place them in flich a M.i.;n:r, 

 that their Heads may remain ey.c^, 

 and their Roors only immers'd 

 therein, which will fwell the dry'd 

 Veffcis of the Roots, and prepare 

 them to imbibe Nouriihment from 

 the Earth. In fixing of them, 

 great Regard fliouid be had to the 

 Nature of the Soil, which, if cold 

 and moift, the Trees {hould be 

 fhmtcd very fhallowj -as alfo, if it 

 be a hard Rock or Gravel, it will 

 be much the better Way to raile 

 a Hill of Earih where each Tree is 

 to be planted, than to dig into the 

 Rock or Gravel, and fill it up \\'^ith 

 Earth (as is too often praftis'd) 

 whereby the Trees are planted, as 

 it were, in a Tub, there being but 

 little Room for their Roots to ex- 

 tend j fo that after two or three 

 Years Growth, when their Roots 

 have extended to the Sides ot the 

 Hole, they are ftopp'd by the 

 Rock or Gravel, can get no far- 

 ther, and the Trees will decline, 

 and, in a few Years, die; befides, 

 thefe Holes do deiain the Moillure, 

 fo that the Fibres ot the Plants are 

 often rotted thereby. But when 

 they are raifcd above the Surface 

 of the Ground, their Roots will 

 extend, and find Nourifhment, tho' 

 the Earth upon the Rock or Gra- 

 vel be not three inches thick, as 



may 



