THE CULTURE OF PLANTS 



timely; and some sparing what they should cut, and 

 cutting such as they ought to spare : but the general 

 errour, even among the learned, is, that they spare 

 them when they should prune, viz. the very first, 

 and second year especially; yea, the first five or six 

 years, and then they fall a-massackering, at which 

 time the branches being growen, some of them 

 greater than others, now run away with all the 

 nourishment from the smaller, insomuch that no 

 man can reduce them into order again, having thus 

 neglected the time ; albeit you should endeavour 

 it by cutting deep, or exterminating these great 

 branches, which, I confess, is the next remeed; but 

 then as these wounds bring cankers, hollowness, 

 &c. so doth the work retard their bearing fruit. 

 And indeed it's about the time that trees ordinarily 

 begin to bear fruit that these unskilful men begin 

 to prune ; and the more they are thus cut in the 

 head, the more they spring out to wood, and the 

 less they bear fruit. But experience has taught me 

 to begin while young. 



And when you do begin, consider on the hight of 

 the body ; for, as high trees are unprofitable, so too 

 low trees in orchards are inconvenient; for aple 

 and pear standards, two or three foot ; plum and 



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