214 THE FRUIT GARDEN. [MAR. 



three or four of the best branches, and shortening 

 the last year's shoots on each, back to three or four 

 buds. 



Of heading down stinted Fruit-Trees. 



When trees become diseased and stinted through 

 age, or by improper treatment, and produce bad 

 fruit, few, and irregularly, it is often more proper 

 to head them quite down to the graft, or bud, than 

 to spend time in trying to recover them by a better 

 mode of culture ; that is to say, trees of a good 

 kind ; for otherwise, it would be more advisable to 

 stub them up, and plant better sorts in their places. 

 If their roots be examined, and be pruned and dres- 

 sed, as noticed below, the success attending such 

 heading down would he the greater. Under pro- 

 per management afterwards, a fruitful, healthy 

 tree, might suddenly till the space occupied by dis- 

 ease and barrenness. 



This operation, however, must be carefully per- 

 formed ; observing to cut to within a few inches of 

 the graft or bud ; making clean wounds, in a sloping 

 manner, so as to shoot off wet ; covering the wounds 

 with a little tar or mild paint, in order to keep 

 out rain and exclude air, until they be cicatri- 

 zed, 



The training of the new shoots differs in no re* 

 spect from that of training the shoots of strong, 

 healthy, young trees of the same sorts ; the rules 

 for shortening, for the purpose of filling the wall, 

 &c. according to their strengths, next winter prun? 

 ing, and so forth, being carefully observed. 



