156 



OF PRUNING. 



SECT. XII. 



cutting. Cut clofe and doping behind the eye; neither 

 fb near as to injure it, nor fo wide as to leave a (tub. 



Digging deep with a fpade about borders fometimes 

 injures the roots, and keeps them too low in the ground, 

 when they fhould be encouraged to run higher; and as- 

 nothihg but well confumed dung* or other manure that 

 drops freely, fhould be ufed about fruit trees, it is a good 

 way to dig, or far the ground carefully with an afpa- 

 ragus fork. Wounds and bruifes hurt roots, as much 

 as branches, and though cutting fmall roots afunder by 

 a fpade, does good rather than harm, yet large ones- 

 are often much injured by this inftrument. 



The extremities of a tree will not be in vigour with- 

 out a drift attention to the middle , that it have no ftrong. 

 wood, growing erectly: this was before directed, and 

 mufi be ohferved. When the fides of a tree are well 

 extended, and full of healthy wood, then fome fhoots- 

 of- -moderate fubftance may be trained up the? middle. 



The bending of a branch much is a violence to be. 



o 



avoided ; fo that every flioot (hould be kept from the 

 ■firji in the direction it is to grow.. 



Luxuriant wood mult he particularly- attended to, to-* 

 get rid of it -in time, before it has robbed the weaker, 

 branches too much. Thai is luxuriant wood, which,, 

 according to the general habit of the tree, is much larger, 

 than die-reft % fcr a (hoot that is deemed luxuriant in 

 one- tree, mav not be Join another. It ftrong wood, 

 that is r ot very-luxuriant, .happens to be at the bottom - 

 of the tree, fo. that it can be trained quite horizon- 

 tal//, it may often be ufed to good purpofe. as this • 

 pofuion checks the fap. A luxuriant (hoot may be 

 kept in fummer where- it is not defigned to retain ir 5 

 merelv to cut it clown at winter pruning to two or three 

 eves, for getting wood where wanted the next year ; 

 or this fnortening- may take place in June, to have new 

 moots the prefent year. Luxuriant (hoots may be 

 fometimes retained for .a- time, merely, ds wsftt pipes. 



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