P E 



Garden ; for if the Ground be very 

 wet, it will be advifeable to lay 

 fome Rubbifh in the Eottom of the 

 Border to drain off the Moifture, and 

 to prevent the Roots of the Trees 

 from running downward ; then raife 

 the Border of Earth at leaft a Foot, 

 or in very wet Land two Feet, 

 above the Level of the Ground, fo 

 that the Roots of the Trees may al- 

 ways remain dry : but if the Ground 

 be pretty dry, the Borders mould 

 not be raifed abovefix oreightlnch- 

 es higher than the Surface ; which 

 will be fufficient to allow for their 

 finking. 



As to the Breadth of thefe Bor- 

 ders, that can't be too great ; but 

 they mould never be lefs than fix 

 or eight Feet broad where Fruit- 

 trees are planted : for when the 

 Borders are made very narrow, the 

 Roots of the Trees will be fo con- 

 fin'd in four or five Years time, that 

 they will feldom thrive wel! af:er. 

 The Depth of thefe Borders fhould 

 not be greater than two Feet ; for 

 where they are prepared to a great 

 Depthj it only entices the Roots of 

 the Trees downward, which may be 

 the Caufe of their future Barren nefsj 

 for their Roots, being got down be- 

 low the Influences of the Sun and 

 Showers, imbibe a great Quantity 

 of crude Juices ; which only add to 

 the luxuriant Growth of the Trees, 

 and deftroy their Fruitfulnefs : be- 

 fides, whatever Fruit are produced 

 from fuch Trees, are not near fo 

 1 well-tufted, as are thofe which grow 

 upon thofe Trees whofe Roots lie 

 near the Surface, and enjoy the 

 kindly Benefit of the Sun's Heat, to 

 correct and digeft whatever Crudi- 

 ties there may be in the Earth. 



Your Borders, being thus prepa- 

 red, fhould lie about three Weeks or 

 a Month to fettle ; by which time 

 the Seafon forPlanting will be ccme, 



Vol. III. 



P E 



which fhould be performed as foon 

 as the Leaves begin to decay, that 

 the Trees may take Root before the 

 Froft comes on to prevent them. 

 In the Choice of the Trees, if they 

 are to be procured from a Nurfery, 

 never take fuch as have large luxuri- 

 ant Shoots, or that ftand in the Mid- 

 dle of the Nurfery ; but rather thofe 

 which grow near the Outfide, whofe 

 Shoots are generally of a redCoIour, 

 and the Joints clofe together : for 

 thofe which have produced very 

 large Shoots, when they are cut 

 down, very often die after the 

 Knife; or if they do moot, they 

 commonly produce luxuriantBranch- 

 es, winch are not difpofed forBear- 

 ing. Then you fhould carefully take 

 up the Trees out of the Nurfery, fo 

 as net to break or bruife their*Roots ; 

 and with a fharp Knife you muft 

 prune the extreme Parts of them, 

 and cut off fmooth any brok'.n or 

 bruifed Roots ; as alfo all the ftnall 

 Fibres Ihould be taken off, for the 

 Reafons before given. 



And having thus prepared your 

 Trees, you fhould meafure out their 

 Diftance, which ought never to be 

 lefs than twelve Feet ; but where 

 the Ground is very good, they 

 fhould be planted fourteenFeet afun- 

 der. This, I doubt not, will be 

 thought too great a Diftance by ma* 

 ny Perfons, efpec'ally fince it is con- 

 trary to the general Practice at this 

 time : but I am fatisfied, whoever 

 fhall try the Experiment, will find 

 it no more than is fufficient for thefe 

 Trees, where they are rightly ma- 

 naged ; for if they take kindly to 

 the Soil, their Branches may be fo 

 train'd, as to furni(h all the lower 

 Part of the Wall in a few Years ; 

 which is what fnould be principally 

 regirded, and not, as is too oft n 

 the Pradice, run up the Shoots in 

 Height, and leave all the lower 

 V o il Part 



