The Conclufion. 371 



the leaves, viz. to keep the growing fruit in. 

 a fupple du&ile flate, by defending ir from 

 the Sun and drying winds, which by tough- 

 ning and hardening its fibres fpoil its growth, 

 when too much expofed to them 3 but when 

 full grown, or near it, a little more Sun 

 is often very needful to ripen it. In hot- 

 ter climates fruits want more (hade than 

 in this country, and here too, more lhade 

 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 t he fap paffes to and 

 fro, to fallow the ftrongeft attra&ion, may per- 

 haps give lome ufeful hints to the Gardiner, 

 in the pruning and fhaping of his trees, in 

 checking the too luxuriant, and helping and 

 encouraging the unthriving partsof trees. 



It is a conftant rule among Gardiners,foun- 

 ded on long experience, to prune weak trees 

 early in the winter, becaufe they find that 

 late pruning checks them 5 and for the 

 fame reafon to prune luxuriant trees late in 

 the fpring, in order to check their luxuri- 

 ancy. Now it is evident that this check does 

 not proceed from any confiderable lofs of 

 fap at the wounds of the pruned tree, ex- 

 B b z cepting 



