May.] the fruit GARDEN. 335 
vigorous growths arising in the middle of the tree, unless where 
necessary to be preserved for similar purposes. 
Where any considerable opening appears, and that but one or 
two shoots otter in such place, you should, after these have grown 
about a foot long, shorten them to three or four eyes, and they will 
soon after shoot out again, probably one from each bud, to furnish 
the vacancy. 
Be very particular as to apples, pears, plums, and cherries, not 
to shorten or rub oft' such advancing buds as nature has intended 
for fruiting-spurs, which are very distinguishable by their short 
thick growth. 
Espaliers. 
All unnecessary, ill-placed, and fore-right shoots on espalier 
trees of every kind, should now be rubbed off" or cut away; they 
are only robbers, and should consequently be discarded; but, in 
doing this, discretion ought to be observed, and an abundant sup- 
ply left to furnish the trees, and to discharge such parts of the as- 
cending juices as are not convertible into wood or fruit. 
Apples, pears, plums and cherries, continue bearing many years 
on the same spurs or branches, and do not require such a general 
annual supply of young wood as peaches, nectarines, &c., which 
always, with very few exceptions, produce their fruit from the pre- 
ceding year's shoots; yet a sufficiency should be left to train in 
between the main branches, and a leading or terminal one to each 
branch, unless the tree has already extended as far as you desire; 
for it is essentially requisite to leave a sufficient number of the best 
placed shoots to choose from in the general winter pruning. The 
shoots now preserved, should be trained in regularly to the espalier 
at full length, for the reasons assigned in the winter pruning, see 
the Fruit Garden in January. 
Where there is any great vacancy, it is proper, towards the latter 
end of this month, to shorten some of the adjoining young shoots 
of the year, to three or four buds, to cause them to produce a sup- 
ply of lateral branches to fill the vacant places. 
Young wall and espalier trees that are advancing in a training 
state, shouTd also be attended to now, in their early shooting, to 
displace the improper and ill-placed growths, and retain all the 
well placed shoots, both for an additional supply of branches in the 
general formation of the trees, and to form future bearers for pro- 
duction of fruit. 
Thinning of Fruit. 
Apricot, peach, and nectarine trees, in favourable seasons, some- 
times set superabundant crops of fruit often in thick clusters, and 
in greater quantities than they can supply with a sufficiency of 
nourishment; and wiiich, if suffered to remain, would not only be 
poor and miserable, but would so exhaust the trees, as to render it 
impossible for them to produce good and sufficient shoots, capable 
3 A 
