P R U 
to grow as it is naturally difpofed, with its branches 
produced at proportionable diftances, according to 
the /uze of the fruit,) by endeavouring to make' it ex- 
actly regular at its head, focrouded with fmall weak 
branches as to prevent the air from paffrng between 
them, which will render the trees incapable to produce 
fruit. All that I intend by this flopping of luxuriant 
branches, is only when one. or two fuch happen on a 
young, tree, where they entirely draw ail the lap 
from the Weaker branches, whereby they ftarve them, 
then it is proper to life this method, which fhould be 
done in time, before they have exhaufted the roots 
too much. 
Whenever this happens to (tone fruit, which fuffer 
much more by cutting than the former forts, it fhould 
be remedied by (lopping or pinching thofe fhoots in 
the fpritig, before they have obtained too much vi- 
gour, which will caufe them to pufh out lide- 
branches, whereby the fap will be diverted from af- 
cending too faft to the leading branch (as hath been 
directed for wall- trees,) but this muft be done with 
caution. 
You muft alfo cut out all dead or decayed branches, 
which caufe their heads to look very ragged, efpe- 
ciaily at the time 'when the leaves are upon the tree ; 
thefe being deftitute of them, have but a defpicahle 
appearance $ beftdes, thefe will attract noxious par- 
ticles from the air, which are injurious to the trees, 
therefore the fooner they are cut out the better. In 
doing of this you fhould obferve to cut them clofe 
down to the place where they were produced, other- 
wife that part of the branch left will decay, and prove 
equally hurtful to the tree •» for it feldom happens, 
when a branch Begins to decay, that it does not die 
quite down to the place where it was produced ; and, 
if any part is permitted to remain long uncut, does 
often infedc feme of the other parts of the tree. If 
the branches are large which you cut off, it will be 
very proper, After Having fmoothed the cut part ex- 
actly even with a knife, chifel, or hatchet, to put on 
a piafter of grafting clay, which will prevent the wet 
from (baking into the tree at the wounded part. 
All fuch branches as run crofs each other fhould alfo 
be cut out, for thefe not only occafion a confufion in 
the head of the tree, but, by lying over each other, 
rub off their bark by their motion, and very often 
occafion them to canker, to the great injury of the 
tree •, and on old trees (efpecially Apples) there are 
often young vigorous fhoots from the old branches 
near the trunk, which grow upright into the head of 
the trees. Thefe therefore fhould carefully be cut 
out every year, left, by being permitted to grow, they 
fill the tree too full of wood ; which fhould always be 
guarded againft, finoe it is impoffible for fuch trees 
to produce fo much, or fo good fruit as thofe, whofe 
branches grow at a farther diftance, whereby the fun 
and air freely pafs between them in every part of the 
tree. 
Thefe are the general diredlions which are proper to 
be given in this place, fmce not only the particular 
methods, but alfo the proper feafons for Pruning all 
the different kinds of fruit, are fully exhibited under 
their feveral articles. 
PRUNELLA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 735. Tourn. Inft. 
R. H. 84. Self-heal. 
The Characters are, 
Tjhe flower hath a permanent empalement of one leaf . ‘ 
’with two lips ; the upper is plain, broody and Jlightly in- 
dented in three parts ; the under is erect, acute-pointed , 
and cut into two fegments ; the flower is of the ringent 
kind, having a flhort cylindrical tube with oblong chaps ; 
the upper lip is concave , nodding , and entire j the under 
is reflexed . , trifid, and obtufle. It hath flour awlfnaped 
ftamina, two of which are longer than the other , with 
flmple fummits inferted to the ftamina , and flour germen 
with a fender ftyle , inclining to the upper lip of the flower, 
crowned by an indented ftigma . The germen afterward 
become flour feeds , flitting in the empalement of the flower. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fe&ion of 
Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, intitled Didynamia Gym- 
P R U 
nofpermia, from the flowers having two long and two 
fhort ftamina, which are fucceeded by four naked 
feeds fitting in the empalement. 
The Species are, 
1. Prunella ( Vulgaris ) foliis omnibus ovato-oblonois 
petiolatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 8,37. .Self-heal with all the 
leaves oblong, oval,, having floot-ftalks. Brunella ma- 
jor, folio non diffedo. C. B. P. 260. Greater Self-heal 
with entire leaves. 
2. Prunella ( Laciniato. ) foliis ovato-oblongis petiola- 
tis, fupremis quatuor lanceolatis dentatis, Lin. Sp. 
Plant. 837. Self-heal with oblong oval leaves having 
floot-ftalks, whofe upper part of the leaves are cut into 
flour fegments, Brunella folio laciniato. C. P. B. 261. 
Self-heal with cut leaves . 
3. Prunella ( Hyjflopifolia ) foliis lanceolato-linearibus 
ciliatis fubfeffilibus. Sauv. Monfp. 141. Self-heal with 
linear flpear-flhaped leaves fitting clofe to the ftalks. Bru- 
nella Hyffopifolia. C. B. P. 261. Self-heal with an 
Hyjflop leaf. 
4. Prunella {Canadenjis) foliis linearibus feflilibus gla- 
bris, internodiis longiffimis, fpicis interruptis. Self- 
heal with linear flmooth leaves flitting clofe to the ftalks, 
the J paces between the joints very long, and the flpikes of 
flowers broken. 
5. Prunella {Sulphured) foliis oblongis pinnato-incifis 
viilofis, infimis petiolatis, fummis feflilibus. Self-heal 
with oblong hairy leaves cut in form of winged leaves , the 
lower having floot-ftalks , but the upper Jit clofe to the 
ftalks. Brunella folio laciniato, Bore fuiphureo ele- 
gantiffimo. Boerh. Ind. alt. 
6 Prunella ( Caroliniana ) foliis lanceolatis integerrimis, 
infimis petiolatis, fummis feflilibus, internodiis prse- 
longis. Self-heal with entire flpear-Jhaped leaves, the 
lower having^ long floot-ftalks, but the upper Jit clofe to 
the ftalk, and the joints of the ftalk are diftant. Brunel- 
la Caroliniana magno flore dilute cteruleo, internodiis 
pradongis. Ad. Phil. N° 395. 
7. Prunella {Nova Anglia) foliis oblongis mucronatis 
petiolatis, fpicis fiorum crafliffimis. Self-heal with ob- 
long pointed leaves having floot-ftalks, and very l thick 
flpikes of flowers. Brunella Novae Anglke major, fo- 
liis longius mucronatis. Hort. Chelf. 
There are feme other varieties, if not diffind fpedes, 
of this genus, than are here enumerated ; but it is 
difficult to determine the fpecies, forr.e of them ap- 
proaching fo near to others, as lcarcely to be diftin- 
guifhed from them ; the firft fort grows naturally in 
England, and is ufed in medicine ; the dried herb is 
frequently imported from Switzerland, among thofe 
which are called vulnerary herbs, of which this is fup- 
pofed to be one of the beft. 
The fecondfort is lefs common than the firft, and of 
this there are two or three varieties, which fome wri- 
ters on botany have enumerated as diftind fpecies ; 
one of thefe has narrov/er leaves, which are cut into 
finer fegments •, this is titled Verbennae folio ; but as 
the plants raifed from the fame feeds are very fubjed 
to vary, fo it is difficult to determine if it is really a 
different plant. 
The third fort grows naturally in Italy and the fouth 
of France; the leaves of this fort are narrower than 
thofe of either of the, former, and are covered on both 
(ides with fine hairs, and have very fhort foot-ftalks ; 
the fpikes of flowers are (lender, and are of a pale blue 
colour ; this flowers in July, and the feeds ripen in 
the autumn. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in North America ; 
the leaves of this are pretty long and narrow, ihaped 
like thofe of the third fort, but are fmooth, fitting 
clofe to the ftalk ; the fpikes of flowers are longer, 
and the whorls of flowers are feparated. 
It is uncertain where the fifth fort grows naturally, 
though I think Dr. Boerhaave, late profeiTor of bo- 
tany at Leyden, told me, he received the feeds from 
Auftria ; the ftalks of this fort generally fpr^ad open, 
and proftrate near the ground ; thefe are hairy, and 
garnifhed with oblong leaves, which are alfo hairy, 
and cut on their edges fomewhat like winged leaves; 
the ftalks are terminated by clofe fpikes of flowers, of 
a fulphur 
1 
