Pruning and Training the Peach and. Nectarine. 141 



prune a tree, without understanding the system he commences 

 upon, as for an architect to build a house without a plan ? 

 Yet, how often do we see men pruning trees, who are totally 

 unfit for such an office ? The consequence is, that gentlemen, 

 after building walls and making borders, instead of having 

 their expectations realised, are rewarded with barren and un- 

 sightly trees, to their own no small mortification, and, I 

 may add, to the disgrace of their gardener. Nothing in the 

 whole art of gardening demands the attention of gardeners, 

 from the highest down to the very lowest class, more than the 

 art of pruning : every gardener must practise it, whether he 

 understands it or not ; and surely where such an important 

 office is entrusted to his care, he ought to endeavour all that 

 in him lies to make himself master of as much of the art as 

 possible. In the following observations I have chosen that class 

 of trees which, in my opinion, demands the first attention, 

 not only from their fruit being the first in esteem, but also from 

 their being the most liable to be spoiled by injudicious manage- 

 ment ; viz. the peach and the nectarine. The apricot and the 

 morella cherry may, with very little variation, be subjected to 

 the same treatment. But in submitting the following plan to 

 your consideration, I by no means recommend it as the very 

 best, only as one amongst the best, it being designed more 

 particularly to illustrate the observations I have made ; and I 

 shall be happy to see it give place to better. Several other 

 methods, judiciously managed, will prove equally good, particu- 

 larly that described by W. Seymour (Gard. Mag. vol. i. 

 p. 128.): it is founded on good principles, and, if applied 

 horizontally, would be admirable for low walls. 



In the art of pruning there are two cases to be considered ; 

 the first and easiest is that wherein the operator is supposed 

 to commence with the planting of the tree, and the second is 

 where the tree has been under a course of mismanagement. 

 But before I proceed in this course of pruning, allow me to 

 make a few observations upon the method of making the bor- 

 der for the reception of the tree ; for unless that be properly 

 done, it is in vain to expect a tree to thrive for any length of 

 time, though ever so well managed with regard to pruning. 



The soil best adapted for almost every sort of fruit-tree is 

 a naturally rich sandy loam ; but as that cannot be procured 

 in all places, the gardener must endeavour to make a compost 

 as near to it as possible. In making the border it should be 

 at least two feet deep, especially where vegetables are grown 

 upon it; a practice almost generally adopted, though justly 

 condemned by all writers upon pruning. It should be at least 



