FRUIT-T R EES. 215 



made flioots , but few of which ripen in 

 this nation the firft year,- except fome par- 

 ticular kinds, as the catalogue mentions, 

 tho' I don't doubt but there are many 

 which do in more fouthern cUmates, as in 

 Barbary, Spain, and Italy, vvheie I am in- 

 formed they are in great perfection. 



I can't think it proper to take off the 

 live end of a branch in the fpring -, for 

 that part is moft certain to produce ripe 

 fruit y neither do I approve the ending of 

 young flioots in June, tho' it is praclifed 

 by fome people, to procure a great num- 

 ber of branches, but they may be obtained 

 by laying ftrong ones horizontally, and 

 if they are old make nicks on their upper 

 fides, which will caufe young ones to 

 come through the rind. The fpring, or 

 what may be called winter-pruning, I 

 think the propereft time for taking out 

 large branches, which I generally do about 

 the middle of March, when the weather 

 is dry. Then fhould all dead fruit be 

 pulled off, and the young ilioots that are 

 left fhould be chofen with live ends, if pof- 

 fible 5 if not, the dead ends muft be taken 

 P 4 off 



