P Y R 



P Y T 



approves of for Utes, uiilefs it be perfeftly rotten and mixed 

 up with nnoiild. 



In r -fpeii to grafting old apple-treea, he fays, it fre- 

 quently happens, that through fome midalic or other, after 

 wai ing ten or twelve years for a tree to come into a bearing 

 ftate, it is found that the fruit is neither fit for the table nor 

 kitchen ; in fuch caf s they (hould always be graft'-d the 

 following fpring, obferving tp graft on the finell and 

 healthiell fhoots, and as near as poffible to the old graft, 

 and where the crofi-flioots break, out ; as by fo doing you 

 will have fome fruit the iccond year ; and in the thud, if 

 properly managed, you will have as much as on a maiden 

 tree of fifteen years Handing ; th? canker, if any, mult be 

 carefully i)ared off the branch, and the fcion mult be taken 

 from a found healthv tree. Whenever an incifion is made 

 for buddnig or grafting, from that moment the canker 

 begins. He would, therefore, recommend to thole em- 

 ployed in budding or grafting, as foon as the incifion is 

 made, and the bud or graft inferted, to rub in with the 

 finger, or a brufh, fome of the compofition before the bafs 

 is tied on : then to cover the bafs all over with the compo- 

 fition as thick as it can be laid on with a bruih, working it 

 well in. If this operation be performed in a proper manner, 

 and in a moift feafon, it will anfwer every purpofe without 

 applying any grafting clay : as he has frequently done it, 

 and found it iucceed perfectly to his wilhes. The matting 

 which is wrapped round the bud fliould not be flackened too 

 foon ; for in that cafe you will find the incifion opened, which 

 > very often occafions the death of the bud. If, fays he, nur- 

 ferymen and gardeners would give this method a fair trial, and 

 ufe the fame compofition as he ufes for curing defefts in 

 trees, inftead of loam and horfe-dung (which binds fo hard 

 as to prevent the rain and moiiture from penetrating to the 

 graft to fnoiilen the wood and bark), they would find that 

 the grafts would fucceed much better. The compofition, 

 for this purpofe, (hould be rather fofter than grafting clay 

 generally is ; and inftead of applying fo large a mafs as is 

 generally done of clay, it need not, in molt cafes, be more 

 than two or three inches in circumference, to effeft the 

 purpofe. 



Apples come to full growth in different forts fucceflively, 

 from July until the end of Oftober : the fummer kinds con- 

 tinue but a Ihort time, but the autumn ai.d winter apples 

 keep from two or three to fix or eight months and longer, 

 in different varieties. The iigns of perfeftion or full 

 growth of the different forts of apples, are by their aflum- 

 ing a lively colour, emitting a fragrant odour, frequently 

 falling from the tree, and by quitting their hold eafily on 

 being handled. 



Gathering. — In the gathering of all the forts of apples for 

 keeping, dry weather fhould always be chofen, and when 

 the trees and fruit are alfo perfedtly dry : obferve likewife, 

 in gathering apples for the table, and all kinds of apples de- 

 figned for keeping any confiderable time, that they be pulled 

 one and one by hand. See Fruit. 



The other fpecies may be increafed by grafting and bud- 

 ding them upon the common crab-itock : they (hould have 

 fheltered lituations, as they are rather tender while young. 

 TSefe trees afford ornament aud variety in the clumps and 

 flnubbery parts of pleafuve-grounds. 



Method of Culture in the Quince Kind. — Thefe trees may be 

 raifed from the kernels of th<_ fruit fown in autumn ; but 

 there is no depending on having the fame fort of good fruit 

 from feedlings, nor will they foon become bearers. But the 

 feveral varieties may be continued the fame by cuttings and 

 .layers ; alfo by fuckers from fuch trees as grow upoi. their 

 own roots, and likewife be uicreafed by grafting and budding 



Upon their own pear-flocks, raifed froitl the kernels in the 

 fame manner as for apples. 



The raifing by cuttings, layers, and fuckers, is performed 

 in autumn, winter, or fpring, choofing young wood for the 

 cuttings and layers, which (nould be planted and laid in the 

 common method, when they will be rooted by the following 

 autumn, then planted out into nurfery rows two feet afuii- 

 der ; plant the fuckers alfo at the fame dillance, and then 

 train the whole for the purpofes intended : if for llandards, 

 run them up with a item to any defired height, from three 

 to five or fix feet, then encourage them to branch out at 

 top, to form a head ; and thofe dcfigned as dwarfs mull be 

 headed near the ground, and trained accordingly for efpa- 

 liers, or dwarf llandards, as directed under thofe articles : 

 the grafting or budding is effefted on quince or pear-docks, 

 and trained as above. When they have formed tolerable 

 heads, they (hould be planted out finally. 



Mr. Forfyth advifes that the layers or cuttings fhould be 

 planted in a (hady place, in rows at about a foot dillant 

 from each other, and about three inches from plant to 

 plant in the rows ; mulching them with rotten leaves, or 

 rotten dung, which will keep the ground about them moift ; 

 and watering them frequently in hot weather. About Mi- 

 chaelmas thofe that are well rooted may be planted out, and 

 thofe that are not fhould remain another year. They may 

 alfo be propagated by budding or grafting ; and thefe trees 

 will bear fooner, and be more fruitful than thofe raifed by 

 any other method. 



He obferves, that the quince-tree may be pruned much 

 in the fame way as an apple-tree, taking care to cut out all 

 the old difeafed and dead wood, and the crofs branches in 

 the middle of the tree, which are apt to injure each other by 

 friftion. In general you will find old trees much hurt by 

 injudicious pruning : in that cafe they fhould be headed down, 

 cutting out all the cankery parts, and alfo all the difeafed 

 and dead wood where the tree is hollow, or where large 

 branches have been cut or broken off, applying the compo- 

 fition as for apple-trees : and as quince-trees are very apt to 

 have rough bark, and to be bark-bound, in thefe cafes it 

 will be neceffary to fhave off the rough bark with a draw- 

 knife, and to fcarify them when bark-bound, brufliing them 

 over with the compofition. It is alfo advifedto plant quince- 

 trees at a proper diftance from apples and pears, as bees and 

 the wind may mix the farina, and occafion the apples or 

 pears to degenerate. 



Standard quinces, defigned as fruit-trees, may be ftationed 

 in the garden or orchard, and fome by the fides of any water, 

 pond, watery-ditch, &c. as they dehght in moilhire, fufler- 

 ing the whole to take their own natural growth : ai d as 

 efpaliers, they may be arranged in aifemblage with other 

 moderate growing trees, fuch as apples and pears on 

 paradife and quince-ftocks, cherries, &c. being trained as 

 direfted for apples and pears in efpaliers. They may alfo 

 be planted in (hrubberies, either.as fuU or low ftandards, and 

 permitted to take their own way of growth. See Or- 

 chard. 



PYSTERA, in jincient Geography, an ifland fituated on 

 the coaft of Afia Minor, over-againlt Smyrna. Pliny. 



PYTHAGORAS, in 5/o^ra/>/)v. See PYTHAGOREANS. 



Poderity has been very liberal to this philofopher, in be- 

 ftowing upon him all fuch inventions as others had neglected 

 to claim, particularly in mufic ; for there is fcarcely any 

 part of it, as a fcience, with which he has not b;en invcftcd 

 by his generous followers in biography. 



Muiical ratios have been affigued to him, with the method 

 of determining the gravity or acutenefs of lound^ by ths( 

 greater or lefs degree of velocity in the vibrations ot ilrings ; 



the 



