142 OF PRUNING. SECT XII. 



off the lefs. If a luxuriant tree were to have its flioots 

 much fhortened, it would throw out nothing but wood; 

 and if a weak tree were not pretty much cut, it would 

 not have ftrength to bear. From vigorous flioots one- 

 four.hmay be cut off; from middling ones, one-third; 

 and from weak ones one half. 



In fhortening, make the cut at a leading fhoot bud, 

 which is known by having a bloffom bud on the fide of 

 it, or, which is better, one on each fide. Bloffom buds 

 are rounder and fuller than leaf buds, and are difcern- 

 ible even at the fall of the leaf, and plainly feen early 

 in the fpring. It is defirable to make the cut at twin 

 blcffbms, yet as this cannot always be done, the due 

 proportion of length mull generally determine. It often 

 happens, that the bloffom buds are chiefly, and fome- 

 times all, at the end of the fhoot ; but Hill it fhould be 

 fhortened, if it is at all long. Never cut where there 

 is cnly a bloffom bud, and prerer thofe flioots that are 

 fliortelt jointed, and have the bloffoms moil' in the 

 middle. The flioots that lie well, and are fruitful, or 

 healthy, and but a few inches long, may be left whole. 

 Always contrive to have a good leader at the end of 

 every principal branch. 



Young trees (as of the firft year of branching) fhould 

 have the lower moots left longer in proportion, and the 

 upper fhorter, in order to form the tree better to the 

 filling of the wall : the lower flioots may have three or 

 four eyes more than the upper. 



In furnijhing a tree, confider where it wants wood, 

 and cut the nearer! unbearing branch (or ifneceffary, 

 a bearing one), down to one, two, or more eyes, ac- 

 cording to the number of flioots defired, for in fuch 

 clofe fhortening, a fhoot will come from each eye. 

 With a view to wood for filling up a naked place, a 

 fhoot formed after Midjummer may be thus fhortened ; 

 though the general rule is, to difplace all fuch late 

 flioots as ufelefs; the dependence for bloffoms being on 

 the early formed flioots. 



The 



