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this being feldom pradlifed in Eng- 

 land, the Cafe is widely different ; 

 nor indeed lhould we fetch our Ex- 

 amples from that Nation, where the 

 Profeflbrs of the Art of Gardening 

 are at leaft a Century behind the Eng- 

 lijb ; and, from their prefent Difpo- 

 fuion, feem unlikely to overtake 

 them ; for they depart from Nature 

 in almoft every Part of Gardening, 

 and are more pleafed with introduce- 

 ing their little Inventions of pruning 

 and managing their Fruit-trees, ac- 

 cording to their ownFancy, than they 

 are careful to draw their lnftruclions 

 from Nature, from whence the true 

 Art is to be obtained ; fo that in 

 very few Inftances Gardeners mould 

 deviate from Nature, unLfs it be in 

 thofe Particulars, where Art may be 

 prattifed to the greatest Advantage ; 

 which is in the procuring many Sorts 

 of efculent Plants and Fruits earlier 

 and better flavoured than can be ob- 

 tained without; in which they are 

 extremely deficient ; and herein they 

 truft too much to Nature, and ufe too 

 little Art. 



In one of the moft celebrated of 

 their Authors, who treats very par- 

 ticularly of Fruit-trees, there are 

 Directions for planting of Peach- 

 trees twelve Feet afunder : and at 

 the fame time he advifes the plant- 

 ing of Pear-trees but nine or ten 

 Feet Dillance ; and yet he fays, 

 That a Pear tree in Health will 

 Ihoot three Fee" on each Side every 

 Year : therefore he does not allow 

 room for thefe Trees to grow more 

 than two Years before they meet. 

 There is alfo another thing pofitive- 

 ly laid down by the fame Author; 

 when, is, never to lay any Dung 

 upon the Borders where Fruit-trees 

 are growing ; which he fays will 

 lender the Fruit ill-tailed : and this 

 Opinion has too generally prevailed 

 in England ; but this has been explo- 



ded by one of his own Countrymen* 

 who affirms that, from upward of 

 twenty Years Experience, thofe Trees 

 where the Borders had been conflant- 

 ly dung'd, always produced the moft 

 delicious Fruit ; and the Trees were 

 in the greater! Vigour : and the fame 

 Gentleman mentions the Practice of 

 the Gardeners at Montreuil, near 

 Paris, who have for fome Genera- 

 tions been famous for the Culture of 

 Peaches ; and are as careful to dung 

 the Borders where their Peach trees 

 grow every other Year, as the 

 Kitchen gardeners are for their Le- 

 gumes. 



And from a long Experience it is, 

 that I can i jbferibe to the Truth of 

 this ; for in fome particular Gardens, 

 where the beit Fruit grew that I have 

 yet tailed, the Ground was conftantly 

 dunged every other Year; therefore 

 it is what I mut recommend to the 

 Practice of every curious Perfon ; 

 with this Caution, always to ufe 

 fuch Dung for their Borders, as is 

 well rotted ; and to dig it into the 

 Borders in November, that the Rain 

 may wafli down the Salts before the 

 Spring comes on ; and where the 

 Ground is very loofe or fandy, it 

 will be the bell way to make ufe of 

 Neats-dung, which is cooler than 

 that of Horfes ; but for cold ftrong 

 Lard the latter is to be preferred. 



If the Ground is well trenched 

 every Year, about the Roots of the 

 Trees, it will be of great Service to 

 them ; and where the Soil is fubjedt 

 to bind very clofe, if it is forked two 

 or three times in a Year, to loofen the 

 Surface.it will greatlyhelp theTrees: 

 the Borders mould not be croud- 

 ed with any large-growing Plants, 

 which will draw away the Nourifh- 

 ment from the Trees; therefore when 

 any Sort of Kitchen-herbs are plant- 

 ed on thefe Borders, they mould be 

 only fuch as are of fmali Growth, 



and 



