46 



TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



Suficient insti-uctions have alreadv been given f / > 

 paring the borders* and planting the trees ; -which ' 

 be appacable here. The same directions for head:::: v 

 be observed, according to the season and time of ir.z l s 

 breaking iorth, leaving the number accordmg to the streni:." 

 of each tree ; cutting as close as possible to the tor bud. :r.„: 

 the leading shoot may the more easily cover the v. : 

 constantly observing to rub off all the buds that ccriit u : ^ 

 the side of the leading shoot, which vrould otherwise rob i: "i 

 its nourishment and strength, and so prevent it f : : " 

 a fine leader. [See Flate 6, Fig, ].] Re mem t 

 annually to the length of from nine to eighTr i". : : :- 



cording to its strengtli, till the tree is got to a: x^.c:,^.:: : 3 

 which you would have it run, and according to the extent 

 of the ground ; which height may be from eight to twelve 

 feet. By these means the trees will throw out horizontal 

 branches on everv side, and soon form handsome heads for 

 Dwarfs. 



I would advice not to suffer the Dwarf- trees to run higher 

 than twelve feet ; otherwise they will become naked at bot-^ 

 fom, the fruit will be liable to be blown down, and tlie tops 

 broken by high winds. 



In heading old decayed apple-trees, for the sake of 

 symmetry, it will be necessaiy to cut at the forked branches 

 as near as can be to the upper side of the fork, cutting them 

 in a sloping manner to cai-rj- off the wet, at the same time 

 rounding the edges. You may begin at the lower branches, 

 cutting just above the lower fork ; and, proceeding upwards, 

 cut the rest of the branches from one to six joints, or forks, 

 according to their sti-ength, till you have finished cutting-in 

 the whole head. If any of these branches should have the 

 canker, all the infected part must be cut out. "WTicn the 

 tree is all prepared, apply the composition immediately, be- 

 ginning at the top of the tree, and finishing with the pow- 

 ^ der of wood-ashes and burnt bones, as you descend ; which 

 win prevent it from being rubbed off during the operation ; 

 and the composition will prevent the sun and air from injur- 

 ing the naked inner bark. A tree thus prepared wi'il, in the 

 course of three or four 5'ears, produce more and finer fruit 



• He is here speaking of the grotmdls for DwaTf-Apples, in gardens ; 

 bnt, nearly the same rules wiiJ apply to others. He treats of orchards 

 licreafter, though he may not, perhaps, repeat all the directioos, which are 



common to all apple-trees, in all forms and situations. 



