PYRUS. 



all the rotten parts tliat may be found in the lower part of 

 the (lem, togctlicr witli all the decayed roots, which, it 

 this be not <lonc, will infallibly injure the frefh wood and 

 bark, and prevent a cure from being cffefted. He would 

 recommend heading down all apple-trees that are much 

 cankered and have lU-fliaped heads ; as by fo doin;^ much 

 labour will be faved, and the trees will amply pay the pro- 

 prietor. He advilcs never to fhorten the young branches, 

 except they are very thin, when it will be necellary to do fo 

 to fill the trees with young wood : nor prune any of the 

 young wood : nor prune any of the young (hoots the fecond 

 year (he means the year after they are cut), as many of the 

 eyes, almoft to the end of the (hoot, will, if it be ftrong, 

 become fruit-buds next year ; and fo on every year. It is 

 contended, that in the month of May in the firll year after 

 the trees have been fo cut, it will be necefl'ary to go over 

 them, and rub off with your finger and thumb all the fu- 

 perfluous young (hoots ; leavmg from three to fix eyes en 

 each (hoot, according to the fize and ftrength of the branch 

 cut. Tliefe (hoots will bear from three to fo\n- years ; by 

 which time they will be pretty much exhaulted by the great 

 quantity of fruit produced from them : they (hould then be 

 cm <l;iwn to two eyes to produce new wood. He always 

 li-j-.f:s three different years' branches on the tree, when the 

 firlt (hoot is cut off. This is fully fhewn m a plate in his 

 iifeful work ; and the next flioot will be full of fruit-buds, 

 if it has not been Ihortened : when it begins to grow weak, 

 it (hould be .cut o(f ; and the next cutting mult be made 

 when the former branch is tired of bearing: by proceedmg 

 thus all over th» tree with care and attention, the advantages 

 of this method of pruning, above the common mode, will foon 

 be perceived ; as by it you will be able to keep the trees in 

 a conftant itate of bearing, which, if left to nature, would 

 only produce a crop of fruit once in two or three years. 

 When the (hoot that is done bearing is cut off, the compo- 

 fition (hould conftantly be applied, rubbing off the (hoots 

 where they are too numerous. 



It is fuppofed, that the beft time to prune apple-trecs is 

 in the month of April, or in May, after the operation has 

 been performed on the peaches, ncftarincs, and cherries : 

 and that foon after this pruning, about the middle of May, 

 it will be proper to look over the trees, and to pick off any 

 caterpillars that may be on them. It will then be feen what 

 (hoots are infefted with the canker, and which might h.ave 

 efcaped your notice at the time of pruning ; and wherever 

 you ooferve the leall appearance of infeftioii, which may be 

 known by the wood appearing of a brownifh colour, the 

 fhoot muft be cut dou-n till you come to the found white 

 wood. The fmall (hoots that crofs each other (hould be cut 

 off, leaving the ilrongelt to till up the tree, and make a fine 

 handfome head. The fuckers that fpring from the root 

 fhauld be carefully grubbed up, and the lide-(hoots from the 

 Hem cut off ; for, if left to grow, they greatly weaken the 

 tree. The knobs, where old branches have been cut off, fhould 

 alfo be pared away, leaving the furface of the tree as fmootli 

 as poifible : after which, the compofition (hould be applied : 

 the young bark will loon begin to grow, and by degrees 

 cover the old wounds with a frefli fmooth furface, and thus 

 prevent the canker from gaining ground on the tree. He 

 . lias feen fome old wounds of confiderable fize, healed over 

 in one year: and he adds, in conurmation of the utility of 

 this pradice, that the trees which he pruned and dreflfed, as 

 above direfted, in the courfe of the fummer, l 795, are all 

 perfectly cured, the wounds being filled up with found 

 wood, and CO- L:d over with new bark : they all continue 

 in a healthy :,'. and bear fine handfome fruit. And he 

 lias advifed feveral nurferymen to follow the pradice, head- 



ing down their apple-rrees after the feafon of drawing for 

 fale is over. Meilrs. Gray and Wear have headed a great 

 many of fuch trees as were formerly thrown into the faggot- 

 pde, and have been amply recompenfeji for their trouble. 

 Trees thus headed down, provided the (lems be (Irong, will, 

 he thinks, in the firll and fecond year, produce as much 

 fruit as will refund the purchafe-money ; befides, a great 

 deal of time will be faved, which would be loll by planting 

 younger trees : as, where you can procure trees of the 

 above defcription that have been headed dov. n three or more 

 years, they will be all covered with fruit buds ; and, if care- 

 fully taken up and planted in the autumn, if the feafon 

 proves favourable, tliey will have a tolerable crop of fruit 

 the firll year. Such trees mull not be headed down like 

 maiden trees, but only thinned off where the branches run 

 acrofs and rub againll one another, which (hould never be 

 fuffered in thefe cafes. He fays, he would never recom- 

 mend training apple-trees as efpaUers ; as by doing fo the 

 air i? kept from the quarters of the garden ; and by con- 

 llant pruning and cutting off all the lide-flioots which you 

 cannot tie to the efpaliers, you prevent them from bearing, 

 and, moreover, bring on the canker. And when the dwarf 

 trees have handfome heads, more and much finer fruit will 

 be gotten from one of them than from fix efpaliers ; at the 

 fame time, a free air is admitted to the crops in the quarters, 

 and the conltant expence of the (lakes and labour, in laying 

 the trees to the efpaliers is faved. Efpaliers may, he ob- 

 ferves, be converted into dwarf flandards by fhortening tlie 

 branches at different lengths, fo a'; that tliey may be able to 

 fupport themfelves without the ftakes ; but not to (horteu 

 them all regularly ; and if cut with judgment, as near to a 

 leading (hoot, or an eye, as polfible, they will in the courfe 

 of two years form fine heads, and in the third year bear fix 

 times the fruit as they did in their former ftate, and of a 

 finer flavour. The fame method of pruning as already laid 

 down for ilandard apple-trees is alfo apphcabie to efpaliers. 



It is remarked, that the borders- wher- you make your 

 crofTmgs in gardens (hould be fix or eight feet broad at leait, 

 to let the trees fprcad on each fide, at the dillauce of twelve 

 feet from tree to tree, and they (liould be well trenched, two 

 feet and a half deep at leaft. If tliere (hould be gravel, or 

 four clay, it mull be taken out, and good mould put in its 

 place ; leaving the ground as rough as poflible for the frolt 

 and rain to mellow it. Wiien you level the ground it (hould 

 be done after rain ; you may then fow fome fmall crops in 

 the border ; fuch as lettuce or Tpinach, or cabbage for tranf- 

 planting ; but let not any of the braffica tribe come to full 

 growth. Leaving cabbage and broccoli on borders, near 

 fruit-trees, draws the ground very much, fills the borders 

 with infetls, and alfo prevents the fun and air from penetrat- 

 ing into the ground. And when the fun can have free ac- 

 cefs to the border, it adds much to the flavour of the fruit. 

 If you can fpare the ground on the crofs-borders in winter, 

 it will be of great fervice to the trees to ridge it up as loofe 

 as you can, and let it lie in that ftate all winter, to mellow 

 and fweeten. 



Where the foil is ilrong, he would recommend planting 

 of apple-trees that are grafted on paradife Hocks; *^ut if 

 the foil be light, free (locks will do mucu better : and when 

 the ground is (Irong clay or brick-earth, it (hould be mixed 

 with old lime-rubbi(h or coal-a(hes, (Ireet-dung, or fa.rd : 

 but what he ufes for the borders againll the walls, and 

 which he prefers to every other manure, is a vegetable 

 mould produced from leaves of trees. Of this a good coat 

 (hould be given on^-e in two or three years, which will be 

 fufffcient, he thinks, for the borders where tr.e wall-trees 

 ftand, and much better than dung, which he by no means 



appro veB 



