MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &c. 21 



or more eyes*, according to their strength ; then rub on a 

 little of the composition where you cut off the top, observing 

 to cut it sloping, as before directed, and as near the top buds 

 as may be, and also to rub off the fore-right shoots. If the 

 leading shoot be very strong, pinch off the top of it about 

 the beginning of June, which will make it throw out some 

 fine strong shoots. None of the shoots should be suffered to 

 grow too long during the first and second years ; which may 

 always be prevented by pinching the ends of them ; but they 

 should never be topped, when the tree sends out fine kind 

 shoots; till the spring following, when you may prune them, 

 according to the strength of the tree, and the quantity of 

 wood it has made during the preceding summer, leaving your 

 shoots from six to twelve inches long : It is too common a 

 practice to lay in the shoots at full length, taking off only 

 the points of the branches, which generally after a few years, 

 'leaves the tree quite naked : Whereas if attention were paid 

 to the training, especially for the first four years, you could 

 always fill the tree with fine bearing wood from top to bottom, 

 and they could produce a great deal more fruit, and of much 

 finer quality, than when they are run up in the former way ; 

 for those trees, in general, are so weak that they have not 

 strength to bear good fruit. The third year, if care be taken 

 to manage the trees properly in summer, you may bring them 

 into a bearing state. If the ground be strong, they will grow 

 very vigorously ; in that case you must pinch all the strong 

 shoots about the month of Junef, which will make them 

 throw out side-shoots ; these, if not laid-in too thick, will 

 make fine bearing wood for the succeeding year. If you 

 suffer the strong shoots to grow to their full length, they will 

 be large and spongy, and will neither produce fruit nor good 

 wood for the following year-l-j-. Sometimes weakly trees are 

 covered over with blossom ; but if too much fruit be suffer* 

 ed to remain on them, they will be weakened so much that 

 they will never recover. In that case, I would recommend 

 picking off the greater part of the fruit, to let the tree re- 



* This is for a wall-tree. Standards must, of course, not be headed 

 down so low. 



t Latter end of June, for America. 



tt This is one great cause of the badness of the peaches in America. 

 Ko attention is there ever paid to the direction here given. 



E 



