16 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



prevent the fun. and air from penetrating to them ; and the 

 fruit, of courfe, will not have fo fine a flavour. 



Never cut the Items of young plum-trees when firft planted, 

 but leave them till the buds begin to break ; then you may 

 head them down to five or more eyes, always obferving to 

 leave an odd one for the leading fhoot : remember to cut 

 floping towards the wall, and as near to an eye as potable. 

 Thus managed, the fhoots will foon fill the wall with fine 

 wood. If you find that fome of the fhoots are too luxuriant, 

 you may pinch the tops off with your finger and thumb, 

 about the beginning of June in the firft year after planting ; 

 by doing which you will obtain plenty of wood to fill the 

 bottom of the wall. A great deal depends on the firft and 

 fecond year's management of your trees. 



The diftance from each other at which plum-trees ftiould 

 be planted againft a wall depends on the height of the wall. 

 If the wall be ten feet high, which is the common height, 

 they may be planted at eight yards diftance from tree to tree ; 

 but if the wall be twelve feet high, or more, feven yards will 

 be fufficient. For my part, I prefer a wall of ten or twelve 

 feet, which will be found high enough, if the branches are 

 trained horizontally ; by which means your trees will be much 

 more fruitful, and not grow fo luxuriantly. 



By training an upright fhoot on your Plums, as directed 

 for Pears, you will get fine kind fhoots from the fides. The 

 leading fhoot fhould be fhortened, leaving it from one to 

 two feet long, according to its ftrength. If the leading fhoot 

 be very ftrong, you may top it twice in the fummer, as di- 

 rected for Pears, and at the fame time that you top them ; 

 repeating the fame every year till the wall is filled to the top. 

 I would always recommend, where it is convenient, to allot 



one 



