whom he gets them, is not as honed and careful ds 
himfelf, it is a great chance if the trees prove to be 
of the right kinds. 
The trees fhould alfo be chofen in the autumn, be- 
fore others have drawn out the bed •, for thole who 
go fil'd to the nurferies, if they have fkill, will always 
draw the fined plants. In the choice of the trees, 
you fhould obferve the docks upon which they have 
been budded, that they are 'of the right fort, whether 
Plum or Apricot ; that they are found and young, 
not fuch as had been budded the preceding year and 
failed, nor thofe which have been cut down. If the 
fize of the dock is near that of a man’s finger, it will 
be better than if they are larger •, thefe fhould be clear 
of mofs or canker. The buds fhould be of one year’s 
growth only, and not fuch as have been cut down in the 
fpring, and made a fecond fhoot; nor fhould thofe 
trees be chofen whofe fhoots are very drong and luxu- 
riant, but fuch as have clean fhoots, of a moderate 
fize, whofe joints are not too far afunder ; and thofe 
trees which dand on the outfide rows, or near the 
ends of the rows, where they have mod air, are 
generally fuch ; for, where they dand clofe in the 
nurfery, their fhoots are drawn up in length, their 
joints are much farther afunder, and their buds or 
eyes are flat ; for which reafon, I have before advifed 
the planting of the docks at a greater didance than 
the nurferymen generally allow them •, and, if a care- 
ful difcreet nurferyman would be at the trouble and 
expence in the rafting of his Peach-trees according 
to this method, he would better deferve three fhillings 
per tree, than one in the manner they are ufually 
raifed •, for every perfon who is at the expence of 
building walls for fruit, diould not think of laving a 
few fhillings in the purchafe of their trees ; becaufe, 
if they are bad, or not of the right kinds, there is a 
great lofs of time and expence to no purpofe, and 
the difappointment will be fo great, after waiting three 
or four years, as to difcourage many from making 
farther trials, thinking themfelves liable to the fame 
ill fuccefs. 
When the trees are chofen in the nurfery, the next 
care mud be to have them carefully taken up out of 
the ground, fo as not to break or tear their roots, 
nor injure their bark •, for as thefe trees are very apt 
to gum in thofe places where they are wounded, there 
cannot be too much care taken of this. If the trees 
are to be tranfported to a didant place, their roots 
fhould be clofely wrapped either with haybands, draw, 
or Peas-haulm, and mats fewed over thefe, to prevent 
the air from drying their roots and branches. If 
the leaves of the trees are not fallen when they are 
taken up, they Ihouid be carefully dripped off, before 
the trees are packed up ; for when there are many of 
thefe left, they are very apt to heat, if they are long- 
in their pafiage, and often occafion a mouldinefs very 
hurtful to the branches. 
We come next to the preparing of the ground to re- 
ceive the trees. The bed earth for Peach-trees is 
futh as is taken from a padure-ground, that is nei- 
ther too diff and moid, nor over dry, but of a mid- 
dling nature, fuch as is termed hazel loam. This 
fhould be dug from the furface of the ground about 
ten inches deep, taking the turf with it, and diould be 
laid in heaps eight or ten months at lead ; but that 
which is prepared one year or more is dill better be- 
fore it be ufed, that it may have the winter’s frod, and 
dimmer’s heat to mellow it; during which time it 
fhould be often turned, to rot the turf and break the 
clods, whereby it will be rendered very light and 
eafy to work ; and about the beginning of September 
you fhould carry it into the garden, and make the bor- 
ders, which mud be raifed in height proportionable 
to the moidure of the garden ; but if the ground be 
very wet, it will be advifeable to lay fome rubbifh in 
the bottom of the border to drain off the moidure, 
alfo to prevent the roots of the trees from running 
downward ; and in this cafe it will be proper to make 
fome under-ground drains at the bottom of the border, 
to convey off the fuperfluous moidure; which, if 
detained about the roots of the trees, will greatly 
prejudice them ; then raife a border of earth at lead 
a foot, or in very wet land two feet above the level 
of the ground, fo that the roots of the trees may al- 
ways remain dry ; but if the ground be pretty dry, the 
borders fhould not be raifed above fix or eight inches 
higher than the furface, which will be fufficient to al- 
low for their finking, 
As to the breadth of thefe borders, that cannot be too 
great ; but they fhould never be lefs than fix or eight 
feet broad, where fruit-trees are planted, for when 
the borders are made very narrow, the roots of the 
trees will be fo confined in four or five years time, that 
they will feldom thrive well after. The depth of thefe 
borders fhould not be greater than two feet and a 
half ; for when they are prepared to a great depth, it 
only entices the roots of the trees downward, which 
may be the caufe of their future barrennefs ; for their 
roots being got down below the influences of the 
fun and fhowers, imbibe a great quantity of crude 
juices, which only add to the luxuriant growth of ' 
the trees, and deftroy their fruitfulnefs ; befides, 
whatever fruit are produced from fuch trees, are not 
near fo well rafted as thofe are which grow upon thofe 
trees whofe roots lie near the furface, and enjoy the 
kindly benefit of the fun’s heat, to correct and digeft 
whatever crudities there qray be in the earth. 
Where the natural foil of the garden is fhallow, and 
either chalk, clay, or gravel lies near the furface, 
thefe fhould not be dug out to make pits to receive 
the earth for the border, as is by fome praduifed, for 
this will be no better than planting the trees in tubs 
or cafes, for their roots will be confined to thefe 
pits ; fo that when they are extended to the fides, and 
can get no farther; the trees will blight and decay ; 
and if it is clay on the Tides, the wet will be detained 
as in a bafon; and the earth of the border will be like 
mud in very wet feafons, fo unfit for the roots of thefe 
trees. Therefore, whenever it fo happens that the 
ground is of either of the forts before-mentioned, it 
will be the beft way to raife the borders of a proper 
thicknefs of good earth over thefe, rather than to 
fink down into them •, for when the roots of the trees 
lie near the furface of the ground, they will extend to 
a great diftance in Search of nourifliment ; but if they 
get below the ftaple of the land, they can find no- 
thing but four crude pafture very unfit for vegetation. 
Your borders being thus prepared, fhould lie about 
three weeks or a month to fettle, by which time the 
feafon for planting will be come, which fhould be 
performed as foon as the leaves begin to decay, that 
the trees may put out new roots, before the froft 
comes on to prevent them. Your ground being ready, 
and the trees brought carefully to the place, the next 
work is to prepare them for planting, which is to be 
performed in the following manner : you mutt fhorten 
all the roots, and cut off fmooth and broken or 
bruited roots, as alfo all the final! fibres fhould be 
taken off, for the reafons before given ; and where 
any of the roots crofs each other, the worft of them 
muft be cut out, that they may not inj are the other. 
And having thus prepared your trees, you fhould mea- 
fure out their diftance, which ought never to be lefs 
than twelve feet ; but where the ground is very good, 
they fhould be planted fourteen feet afunder. ^This 
I dojibt not, will be thought too great a diftance by 
many perfons, efpecially fince it is contrary to the 
general practice at this time ; but I am fatisfied 
whoever fhall try the experiment, will find it no more 
than is iuffiaent for thefe trees where they are rightly 
managed ; for if they take kindly to the foil, their 
branches may be fo trained as to furnifh all the lower 
part of the wall in a few years, which is what fhould 
be principally regarded, and not, as is too often the 
practice, run up the fhoots in height, and leave all the 
lower part of the tree deftitute of bearing wood, fo 
that in a few years there will not be any fruit but up- 
on the upper part of the trees ; which alfo muft be the 
cafe where they are planted too clofe, becaufe there 
being no room to extend the branches on either fide. 
