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fan of their Growth ; but there will 

 require fome Skill and Attendance 

 on the Trees, to help Nature, or 

 iupply the Deficiency of the Sea- 

 fons: for befide the pruning and 

 training the Trees, in the manner 

 before directed., there will alfo be 

 wanting fome Management of their 

 R«ots, according to the Nature of 

 the Soil, and the Difference of Sea- 

 sons, fn all ftrong Land, where the 

 Ground is apt to bind very hard in 

 dry Weather, the Surface of the 

 Borders fhould be now -and -then 

 forked over, to loofen the Earth ; 

 which will admit the Showers, and 

 large Dews, to penetrate and moiften 

 the Ground, and be of great Service 

 to the Trees and Fruit, and alfo 

 prevent the Growth of Weeds. And 

 if the Soil is light and dry, and the 

 Seafon mould prove hot and dry, 

 there mould be large Hollows made 

 round the Stems of the Trees, to 

 hold Water ; and into each of thefe 

 there mould be poured eight or nine 

 Pots of Water ; which mould be re- 

 peated once a Week during the 

 Months of June and July, if the 

 Seafon mould continue dry. There 

 ihould alio be fome Mulch laid over 

 the Surface of thefe Hollows, to pre- 

 vent the Sun and Air from drying 

 the Ground. Where thi? is practis'd, 

 the Fruit will be kept conftantly 

 growing, and prove large and plump; 

 whereas, if this is omitted, die Fruit 

 will often be fmall, grow crooked, 

 crack, and fall off from the Trees. 

 For if the Fruit is once itinted in 

 their Growth, and Rain mould fall 

 plentifully after, it will occafion a 

 great Quantity of the Fruit to fall 

 off the Trees ; and thofe which re- 

 main to ripen, will not keep fo 

 long, as thofe which never receive 

 any Check in their Growth ; and it 

 is from this Caufe, that fome Years 

 the Frai: in general decays before 



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the ufual time. For after it has been 

 for fome time Itinted in its Growth, 

 and then the Seafon proves favour- 

 able, whereby it receives a fadden 

 Growth, it becomes fo replete with 

 Juice, as to diftend the Veflels, 

 whereby a Mortification often en- 

 fues : therefore it is always bell to 

 keep the Fruit conftantly in a grow- 

 ing State, whereby it will acquire a 

 proper Size, and be rendered better 

 flavoured. 



There will alfo require fomeDrefT- 

 ing to the Ground near the Fruit- 

 trees ; but this mould be laid on in 

 Autumn, after the Trees are pruned. 

 This DrelTing fhould be different, ac- 

 cording to the Nature of the Soil : 

 if the Land is warm and dry, then 

 the Dreffing mould be of very rotten 

 Dung, mixed with Loam ; and if 

 this is mixed fix or eight Months be- 

 fore it is laid upon the Borders, and 

 three or four times turned over, it 

 will be the better : as v. ill alfo the 

 Mixture, if it is made with Neats- 

 dung, or Hog-dung; both which 

 are colder than Horfe-dung, fo more 

 proper tor an hot Land. But in cold 

 ftiff Land, rotten Horfe-dung, mixed 

 with light fandy Earth, or Sea-coal 

 Ames, will be the molt proper, as 

 this will loofen the Ground, and add 

 a Warmth to it. 



Thefe DrefTings mould be repeat- 

 ed every other Year, otherwife the 

 Trees will not thrive fo well, nor 

 will the Fruit be fo good. For, not* 

 withstanding what many Perfons 

 have advanced to the contrary, yet 

 Experience is againft them ; for the 

 fineft Fruit in England, both as to 

 Size and Flavour, is producd on 

 Land which is the molt dunged and 

 worked. Therefore I would advife 

 the trenching of the Ground about , 

 the Fruit-tr'ees very well every Win- 

 ter ; for I am fure they will find it 

 anfwer their Expectations, who will 

 practife 



