The Conclujion \ 3 jt 
the leaves, *viz. to keep the growing fruit in 
a fupple dudile ftate, by defending it from 
the Sun and drying winds, which by tough- 
ning and hardening its fibres fpoii its growth^ 
when too much expofed to them 5 but when 
full grown, or near it, a little more Sun 
is often very needful to ripen it. In hot- 
ter climates fruits want more fhade than 
in this country, and here too, more fhade 
is needful in a hot dry fummer, than in a 
wet cool one. 
The confideration of the ftrong imbibing 
power of the branches of trees, and the rea- 
dinefs with which we fee the fap paffes to and 
fro, to follow the ftrongeft attraction, may per- 
haps give feme ufeful hints to the Gardiner^ 
in the pruning and fhaping of his trees, in 
checking the too luxuriant, and helping and 
encouraging the unthriving parts of trees. 
It is a conftant rule among Gardiners*" 
founded on long experience, to prune weak 
trees early in the winter, becaufe they find 
that late pruning checks them 5 and for the 
fame reafon to prune luxuriant trees late in 
the fpring, in order to check their luxuri- 
ancy. Now it is evident that this check does 
not proceed from any confiderable lofs of 
fap at the wounds of the pruned tree, (ex- 
cepting the cafe of a few bleeding trees when 
B b £ cut 
