The Conchjion. 371 



There is another very confiderable ufe of 

 the leaves, viz. to keep the growing fruit in 

 a fupple ductile ftate, by defending it from 

 the fun and drying winds, which by tough- 

 ning and hardening its fibres fpoils its growth, 

 when too much expofed to them ; but when 

 full grown, or near it, a little more fun is 

 often very needful to ripen it. In hotter 

 climates fruits want more fhade than in this 

 country ; and here too more fhade is needful 

 in a hot dry fummer, than in a wet cool one. 



The confideration of the ftrong imbibing 

 power of the branches of trees, and the rea- 

 dinefs with which we fee the fap paries to and 

 fro to follow the ftrongeft attraction, may per- 

 haps give fome ufeful hints to the Gardener, 

 in the pruning and fhaping of his trees, in 

 checking the too luxuriant, and helping and 

 encouraging the unthriving parts of trees. 



It is a conftant rule among Gardeners, 

 founded on long experience, to prune weak 

 trees early in the w T inter, becaufe they find 

 that late pruning checks them ; and for the 

 fame reafon to prune luxuriant trees late in 

 the fpring, in order to check their luxuriancy. 

 Now it is evident, that this check does not 

 proceed from any confiderable lots of fap at 

 the wounds of the pruned tree, (excepting 



B b 2 the 



