SO TREATISE- ON THE CULTURE AND 



and Nectarines ; and they muft in like manner be headed 

 down the fir ft year. 



In pruning Cherries, never fhorten their {"hoots ; for moft 

 of them produce their fruit at the extremities, the fhorten- 

 ing, or cutting-ofT of which very frequently occafions the 

 death of the {hoot, at leaft of a great part of it. The branches, 

 therefore, fhould be trained at full length. I have often feen 

 the whole tree killed by injudicious pruning, Wherever the 

 knife is applied, it is lure to bring on the gum, and after- 

 wards the canker, which will inevitably kill the tree if no 

 remedy be applied to the wounds. 



I have headed down a great many Cherry-trees which were 

 almoft paft bearing, and fo eaten up with the gum and can- 

 ker, that what few Cherries they bore upon old cankered 

 fpurs were not fit to be fent to the table. 



In the years 1790 and 1791 I cut, or headed down, fifty 

 trees. The operation was performed in the months of April 

 and May in each year. Thefe trees made fhoots from three 

 to five feet the fame fummer, bore fine Cherries the next 

 year, and have continued to bear good crops ever fmce. 



To the above trees I applied the Composition. At the fame 

 time I cut down twelve trees in the fame row, but did not 

 apply the Compofition : thefe twelve trees all died in the fe- 

 cond and third years after. We now gather more Cherries 

 from one tree where the Compofition was applied, than we 

 did from the whole number formerly ; being alfo much finer 

 and larger fruit. 



When Cherry-trees are very old, and much injured by 

 large limbs having been cut off (which will infallibly bring; 

 on the canker and gum, and, if no remedy be applied, in a 

 fhort time kill the trees); or if there are great fpurs left (land- 

 ing 



