10 HISTORY OF FRUITS'. 



plum-trees than a full south, on which they are subject 

 to shrivel, and to be very dry, and often extremely mealy, 

 if exposed too much" to the heat of the sun : in planting, 

 this should be particularly attended to; as it leaves the 

 better situations of the garden free for those fruits that 

 require warmer suns. 



The young pruner must; recollect that plums do not 

 only produce their fruit upon the last year's wood, but 

 also upon curzons or spurs, which come out of wood that 

 is many years old \ therefore it is not necessary to shorten 

 the branches, in order to obtain new shoots, as is requi- 

 site with the peach, 8cc. If plum-trees are much pruned, 

 they grow too luxuriant to produce fruit, and often gum 

 and spoil. 



Standard plum-trees should have a situation in the 

 pleasure-grounds, as the snowy petals are next in succes- 

 sion to the blushing almond, and they fill up a vacancy 

 before the lilac flowers. We observe this peculiar cha- 

 racter in the plum-tree, that it always blossoms in cold 

 weather. 



