5 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



out, leaving the rest to bear ; by which means there will be a 

 supply of fruit while the other parts of the tree are renovating. 

 It should be remembered, however, that all the cankered bark 

 must be cut off without loss of time ; otherwise the new wood 

 will be infected. 



Old trees thus headed down will sometimes throw out very 

 strong and vigorous shoots, which it may be necessary to top, 

 as it will cause them to throw out side-shoots ; but they should 

 never be suffered to have any fore^right spurs, except little dugs. 

 The topping should be done in the beginning of June, which 

 will cause the tree to produce fine bearing wood for the next 

 year. Those trees must be pruned in March following^^ 

 shortening the shoots from fifteen to six inches, but according 

 to their strength, always leaving the strongest shoots longest. 



Wherever the knife has been used, the composition must 

 be immediately applied. 



I have a great dislike to Autumnal pruning of fruit trees ; 

 of all kinds of stone fruit in particular ; for by pruning at that 

 season you seldom fail to bring on the canker ; and no fruit 

 trees are more liable to this disease than the Apricot. The rea- 

 son is obvious : The great acidity in these trees, the exposure 

 of the wounds, and the dormant state of the sap, pre-disposc 

 to mortification ; v/hereas, in spring, when the sap is beginning 

 to flow, and will follow the knife, the lips will quickly grov/. 

 If the branches are small, a fresh bark and fresh wood will in 

 one season completely cover the wound ; but if large, a time 

 proportionate to their size will be occupied ; this process, how- 

 ever, is manifestly much accelerated by the application of the 

 composition, which excludes the air and wet from the air and 

 sap vessels of the tree. 



Of the Sorts, 



The Breda is the best and richest-flavoured for a standard, 

 although the Brussels is frequently preferred. 



The Breda, the Brussels, and the Moor-Park, should al- 

 ways be planted on an East or West aspect. Others may have 

 a South aspectf . 



* The latter end of June and March should be taken, in America for this 

 business. I will here observe, once for all, that I confine my observations to 

 the Middle States of the Union. 



t Apricots bear pretty well as standards, even in England, and it cannot 

 1)6 supposed, that, if the the above directions were well attended to, they would 

 jnot produce grcfit quantities of fine fruit in America. 



