SECT. XII. 



OF PRUNING. 



139 



removed to a good foil, and pruned greatly down, does 

 very well. A foil too rich of dung often occafions trees 

 to be blighted, and the remedy is to impoverish it with 

 a fharp fand. 



In order to health and Jlrengtn, a tree muft not be 

 kept too full during fummer, as it prevents the proper 

 ripening of the wood, and makes the moots long jointed. 

 If more than one fhoot proceed from the fame eye,, 

 referve only the ftrongeft and belt fituated. A crowded 

 tree cannot be healthy, and it becomes both lodging and 

 food for infefts. The blojjom buds of a tree being always 

 formed the year before, they will be few and weak in a 

 thicket of leaves, as debarred of the necefiary fun and 

 air: But in order to avoid an over-fulnefs, do not make 

 any great amputations in fummer, left the tree fhould 

 gum. 



In clearing a tree of fuperabundant wood, take care 

 not to cut off the leading {hoot ot a branch. All fhoots 

 after MidJ'utmner fhould be difplaced as they arife, ex- 

 cept where wanted to fill up a vacancy. In a too vigorous 

 tree, the Midfummer fhoots may be left for a while on 

 thofe branches that are to be cut out at winter pruning, 

 as cutting fuch trees in fummer is to be avoided as much 

 as poflible; fo that a little rudenefs in a luxuriant tree 

 may be permitted as a necefiary evil, provided it be- 

 comes not too fhady, or unfightly. Watering wall trees 

 with an engine fmartly on a fummer's evening, is con- 

 ducive to their health, and frees them from infecls. 



The fubjeft of blights is too difficult, and uncertain,, 

 to be entered upon here, though it may feem a proper 

 place for it. 



^ 3. The FRUITFULNESS of wall trees, (the 

 ultimate object of planting and training them) comes 

 now to be fpoken of. Their proper /ira.and health 

 being good, the foundation is laid, but feveral things 

 are vet to be done to obtain the end propofed, and this 



chiefly 



