MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &<v 75 



headed down like maiden-trees, but only thinned off where 

 the branches run acrofs and rub againft one another, which 

 fhould never be fuffered. 



From what has been faid, I hope that gentlemen and 

 others will not be blind to their own intereft ; but that they 

 will give the practice a fair trial, which, if properly executed, 

 will not fail to turn out to their fatisf action. Independent of 

 the great advantage to be derived from the increafe of crops, 

 inftead of decayed, mofs-grown trees, bearing only a few 

 fmall hard and kernelly fruit, they will have the pleafure of 

 feeing fine healthy clean trees loaded with large beautiful and 

 well-flavoured fruit ; which, to thofe who have a tafte for 

 gardening and rural affairs, will be no fmall confideration. 



I would never recommend training of Apple-trees as Efpa- 

 liers ; for, by doing fo, the air is kept from the quarters of 

 the garden ; and by conflant pruning and cutting- off all the 

 fide-fhoots which you cannot tie to the Efpaliers, you prevent 

 them from bearing, and, moreover, bring on the canker. 



When Dwarf trees have handfome heads, you will get 

 more and much finer fruit from one of them than from fix 

 Efpaliers ; at the fame time a free air is admitted to the crops 

 in the quarters, and the conftant expence of flakes and la- 

 bour, in laying the trees to the Efpaliers, is faved. 



Efpaliers may be converted into Dwarf Standards by fhort- 

 ening the branches at different lengths, fo as that they may 

 be able to fupport themfelves without the flakes ; but not to 

 fhorten them all regularly ; and if cut with judgment, as near 

 to a leading fhoot, or an eye, as poflible, they will in the courfe 

 of two years form fine heads, and in the third year will bear 

 fix times as much fruit as they did in their former flate, and 

 of a finer flavour. 



L 2 The 



