LUX 



in thefe forts, they would continae fliooting every year fo 

 luxuriantly to wood, that they would never form then.felvcs 

 into a proper bearing ftate : even in thofe trees where (horten- 

 inpr is necefTftrily prat^ifed in winter, in moll of the annual 

 fupplies of fhootP, as in peaches, neClannes, &c. in cafos of 

 luxuriant growth, it (hould be very fparingly performed, 

 the general (hoots not being cut very fhort, and fome of the 

 mod vigorous left almoft or quite at the full length. This 

 is the proper method to reduce luxuriant trees to a moderate 

 growth, and to a bearing Hate ; as by training the (hoots 

 thicker, and leaving them longer, and continuing it for a 

 year or two, the redundant fap, having greater fcopc to 

 divide itfelf, cannot break out with that luxuriance as when 

 it has not half the quantity of wood to fupply with nouri(h- 

 ment, as in the cafe of (hort pruning. See Espalier, 

 Wall-trees, and Phukisg. 



This ftate feldom occurs with any continuance in ftandard- 

 trees, where permitted to take their natural growth, except 

 in cafual draggling (hoots, which (hould always be taken 

 out. Over-luxuriant (hoots are mollly met with in trees 

 and (lirubs ; but require more particularly to be attended 

 to in the culture of the fruit-tree kind, efpecially thofe of 

 the wall and efpalier fort, which undergo annual pruning. 



They are fuch as (hoot fo vigoroufly in length and fub- 

 ftance, as greatly to exceed the general growth of thofe 

 ufually produced on the fame kind of plant or tree, and are 

 fometimes general, but in other cafes only happen to parti- 

 cular (hoots in different parts of a tree, &c. They are 

 difcoverabie by their extraordinary length and thicknefs, 

 and by their %'igour of growth, which always greatly im- 

 poveri(hes the other more moderate (hoots in their neigh- 

 bourhood, and likewife the fruit, &c. as well as often oc- 

 cafions a very irregular growth in the refpeclive trees. Such 

 {hoots frequently occur in wall and efpalier fruit-trees, and are 

 the effects of injudicious pruning. When they are in gene- 

 ral wholly fo, they (hould be managed as direfted above ; but 

 when only in particular (hoots here and there in a fruit tree, 

 or other tree or fhrub under training, fuch (hoots being of fuch 

 a very luxuriant nature as to draw away the nourilhment, at 

 the expence of the adjacent moderate (hoots, and which, by 

 their vigorous irregular growth, cannot be trained with 

 any degree of regularity ; they (hould for the moft part, as 

 foon as difcoverabie, in the fummer or winter prunings, be 

 cut out, taking them off as clofe as poffible to the part of the 

 branch whence they originate, that no eye may be left to 

 llioot again ; unlefs fuch a (hoot (hould rife in any part of a 

 tree or (hrub, where a further fupply of wood may be re- 

 quifite ; in which cafe it may be retained and (hortened as 

 convenient, to force out a fupply of more (hoots laterally to 

 fill the vacancy. 



Where it prevails in other trees and (hrubs than thofe of 

 the fruit kind, they (hould have occafional attention, prun- 

 ing them in regular order in their younger advancing growth, 

 or afterwards occafionally in particular forts, ds may be ne- 

 ceffary : obferving, in either, when any draggling (hoots, 

 &c. affume a very luxuriant rambling growth, greatly exceed- 

 ing the other general branches, that they may be more or 

 lefs reduced or cut entirely away clofe to their origin, as may 

 be moft expedient, according to the nature of growth of 

 the trees or (lirubs, either in fummer or winter, &c, 



Moft double flowers may be confidered as luxuriant, efpe- 

 cially fuch as have the cup or corolla multiplied, or fo aug- 

 mented in the number of their leaves or flower-petals inward, 

 as to exclude fome part of the fruftification, aS the fame 

 thing occurs in flowers as in efculent plants and fruit-trees, 

 from their over-lujturiant growth ; for, as the flower is de- 

 figned for perfefting the fruit and feed, when the petals are 



LUX 



multiplied to the diminution of the ftamina, &c. no impreg- 

 nation cnfues, and of courfe no fruit or feed is produced. 



In tlie double varieties of moft kinds of flowers produced 

 on ornamental flowering plants, this luxuriance is generally 

 confidered as a fupcrior degree of perfeftion ; and has diffe- 

 rent modifications. 



The higheft degree of this fort of luxuriance is met 

 with in carnations, anemones, ranunculufes, the poppy, 

 lychnis, peony, narcilTus, violet, and fome others. 



LUXURY, fays Mr. Hume, (Efl". vol. i. p. 285.) is a 

 word of an uncertain fignification, and may be taken in a 

 good as well as a bad fenfe. In general, it means great re- 

 finement in the gratification of the fenfes ; and any degree of 

 it may be innocent or blameable, according to the age, or 

 country, or condition of the perfon. The bounds between 

 the virtue and the vice cannot here be exaftly fixed, more 

 than in other moral fubjeft s. To imagine, that the gratifying 

 of any fenle, or the indulging of any delicacy in meat, drink, 

 or apparel, is of itfelf a vice, can never enter into a head, 

 that IS not difordered by the frenzies of enthufiafm. " I 

 have, indeed," fays our author, " heard of a monk abroad, 

 who, becaufe the windows of his celiopencd upon a noble 

 profpeift, made a covenant with his eyes never to turn that way, 

 or receive fo fenlual a gratification," Such is the crime of 

 drinking Champagne or Burgundy, preferably to fmall beer 

 or porter. Thefe indulgences are only vices, when they are 

 purfued at the expence of fome virtue, as liberality or 

 charity ; in like manner as they are follies, when for them 

 a man ruins his fortune, and reduces himfelf to want and 

 beggary. When they entrench upon no virtue, but leave 

 ample fubjeft whence to provide for friends, family, and 

 every proper objeft of generofity or compalfion, they are 

 entirely innocent, and have in every age been acknowledged 

 fuch by almoft all moralifts. To be entirely occupied with 

 the luxury of the table, for inftance, without any relilh for 

 the pleafures of ambition, ftudy, or converfation, is a mark 

 of ftupidity, and is incompatible with any vigour of temper 

 or genius. To confine one's expence entirely to fuch a 

 gratification, without regard to friends or family, is an indi- 

 cation of a heart deftitute of humanity oV benevolence. 

 But if a man referve time fufiicient for all laudable purfuits, 

 and money fufiicient for all generous purpofes, he is free 

 from every (hadow of blame or reproach. Since luxury- 

 may be confidered either as innocent or blameable, one 

 may be furpriled, fays Mr. Hume, at thofe prepofterous 

 opinions which have been entertained concerning it ; while 

 men of libertine principles bellow praifes even on vicious 

 luxury, and reprefent it as highly advantageous to fociety ; 

 and on the other hand, men of pure morals blame even the 

 moft innocent luxury, and reprefent it as the fource of all 

 the corruption, diforders, and fadions incident to civil go- 

 vernment. This author endeavours to correft both thele 

 extremes, by proving, ift, that the ages of refinement are . 

 both the happieft and the moft virtuous; and zdly, that 

 wherever luxury ceafes to be innocent, it alfo ceafes to be 

 beneficial ; and when carried a degree too far, is a qua- 

 lity pernicious, though perhaps not the moil pernicious to 

 political fociety. In proof of the firft point ,._■ confiders 

 the effe£ls of refinement both on private and public life. For 

 his reafoning we muft refer to the Elfay, above cited. In- 

 duftry, knowledge, and humanity, fays our author, are 

 linked together by an indiffoluble chain, and are found, 

 from experience as well as reafon, to be peculiar to the 

 more polilhed, and, what are commonly denominated, the 

 more luxurious ages. He adds, that thefe advantages are 

 not attended with any difadvantages that bear any prppor- 

 tion to them. The more men refine upon pleafure, the 

 . 4S 2 lefs 



