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ground is mended. This is a method which I have 
pr added with great fuccefs, where I have been em- 
ployed to mend the blunders of thefe great garden- 
ers, as they are filled, and hereby the walls and ef- 
paliers have been well furnifhed in a few years. 
But the next thing to be done, after being furnifhed 
with proper trees, is the preparing the ground to re- 
ceive them •, in the doing of which, there fhould be 
great regard had to the nature of the foil, where the 
' trees are to grow for, if it is a ftrong fluff land, and 
(object to wet in the winter, the borders fhould be 
railed as much above the level of the ground as you 
conveniently can. And if under the good foil there 
is a fufficient quantity of lime, rubbiih, or (tones 
laid to prevent the roots of the trees from running 
downward, it will be of great fervice to the trees. 
The borders for thefe fhould not be lefs than eight 
feet broad, but, if they are twelve, it will be (till 
better. And as thefe borders may be planted with 
fuch. forts of efculent plants as do not grow large, or 
whofe roots do not grow deep, or mat together on the 
furface, thefe will do no harm to the Pear-trees ; for 
thefe are not fo nice in their culture as Peach and 
Nectarine-trees, fo the turning the ground, and mend- 
ing it for thele crops, will rather improve than injure 
the trees, provided the plants do not {hade the trees, 
or are not fuffered to (tana too long upon the bor- 
ders. But ail the Cabbage kind, as alfo Beans, fhould 
be excluded from thefe borders, becaufe they root 
deep in the ground, and draw much nouriihment 
from the trees. 
But if the foil is (hallow, and the bottom is either 
gravel or chalk, there muff be a fufficient depth of 
good earth laid upon the borders, fo as to make them 
two feet and a half deep ; for if the ground is not 
of this depth, the trees will not thrive well. And, 
in doing of this, I mud caution every perfon not to 
dig out the gravel or chalk in a trench, (as is by fome 
pradtifed) and fill this trench with good earth •, for by 
fo doing, when the roots of the trees are extended to 
the width of the trench, they will meet with the gra- 
vel which will flop them, fo that they will be con- 
fined, as if they were in tubs of earth, whereby the 
trees will loon fiiew their didrefs therefore, when 
the gravel or chalk is removed, it fhould be entirely 
taken away over the whole border, otherwife it will 
be better to raile the whole border above it. 
3f the garden is to be new-made from a field, then all 
the good earth on the furface ihould be carefully pre- 
served ; and, if the good ground is taken out where 
the walks are defigned to be made, and laid upon 
the borders, or in the quarters, it will add to the 
depth of the foil, and fave expence in bringing in of 
new earth. If the ground can be prepared one year 
before it is planted, the trees will thrive the better ; 
lor by laying the ground in ridges, and turning it over 
two or three times, if will looien the foil, and render 
it much better for planting •, but in trenching or 
ploughing of the ground, there fhould be great care 
taken not to go deeper than the ground is good, other- 
wile all the good foil will be buried below the roots, 
and the bad ground will be turned on the top, which 
is what I have known done at a great expence by 
perfons, who have been at the top of their profef- 
iion, and have thereby entirely ruined the gardens. 
Where there is a neceflity of bringing any frefh earth 
for the borders, it v/ill be proper to do it as foon as 
poflible, and to mix this with the furface of the earth 
of the borders, that it may be turned over two or three 
times, that the parts may be well mixed and incorpo- 
rated before the trees are planted ; and, if fome very 
rotten dung is added to this, it v/ill greatly improve 
it. In chiding of the earth which is to be brought 
into the garden, there fhould be this care, viz. That 
if the natural foil of the garden is light and dry, then 
the new earth fhould' be loamy and (tiff; but where 
the natural. ft ii is ftrong or loamy, then the new earth 
Ihould be light andfandy, which will looien the parts 
of the natural foil, and greatly mend it. 
1 here are iome perfons who recommend laying the 
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whole depth of the borders with what they call vkriri 
earth, that is, fuch as is taken from a pailure where 
the land has not been ploughed ; but if this is not 
brought into the garden at leaft one year before 
the trees are planted, that by turning it over often it 
may be (weetened, it will not be fo good as that 
which is taken from a kitchen-garden, where the land 
is good, and has been well wrought •, for by often 
turning and breaking the foil, it will be better pre- 
pared to receive the trees. 
Others recommend mixing a great quantity of rotten 
dung with the earth of the borders,- but this is not fo 
proper ; for, by making the ground too rich, it will 
only encourage the luxuriant . growth of the trees ^ 
therefore it is always better to mend the borders from 
time to time as they may require, and not to add fo 
much dung in the firft making them. 
Another care is required in making the borders on wet 
ground, which is to contrive feme covered drains to 
convey off the water in winter, otherwife, by this be- 
ing detained about the roots of the trees, it will 
greatly prejudice them ■, and in building the walls 
round a kitchen -garden, where the ground is inclina- 
ble to be wet, there fhould be fome arches turned in 
the foundations of thofe walls which are in the lowed: 
part of the garden, to let off the wet. 
The manner of preparing thefe trees for planting is 
the fame as hath been diredted for other fruit-trees, 
viz. to cut off all the fmall fibres from the roots, and 
to fhorten fome of the longed roots, and cut off all 
the bruifed ones, or fuch as (hoot downright ; this 
being done, you fhould plant them in the places in- 
tended at the before-mentioned diftance. The beft: 
time to plant thefe trees (if upon a middling or dry 
foil) is in Qdtober or November, leaving their heads 
on till fpring, which fhould be fattened either to the 
walls or flakes, to prevent the wind from difturbing 
their roots •, and in the beginning of March their heads 
fhould be cut off in the manner already directed for 
Peaches and other fruit-trees, obferving alfo to lay 
fome mulch upon the furface of the ground about 
their roots when they are planted, as hath been feve- 
ral times already dire&ed for other trees ; but in wet 
ground the trees may be planted in February, or the 
beginning of March, at any time before the buds are 
much fwelled, but thefe may be cut down when they 
are planted. 
The firft fummer after planting, the branches fhould 
be trained to a wall or efpalier (againft which they 
are planted) in a horizontal pofition, as they are pro- 
duced, without Shortening them •, and the Michael- 
mas following, fome of thefe (boots ihould be (hort- 
ened down to five or fix eyes, in order to obtain a fuf- 
ficient quantity of branches, to furnifh the lower part 
of the wall or efpalier •, but the (hoots ought not to be 
fhortened, unlefs where there is a want of branches to 
(ill a vacancy • therefore the lefs a knife is ufed to thefe 
trees, the better they will fucceed •, for, whenever the 
(hoots are (lopped, it occafions the buds immediately 
below the cut to fend forth two or more (hoots, where- 
by there v/ill be a confuiion of branches, and rarely 
any fruit, is produced with this management. 
The diftance which the branches of Pears (houldrbe 
trained, muft be proportioned to the fize of their fruit •, 
therefore fuch forts, whofe fruit are fmall, may be 
allowed five or fix inches, but the larger forts muft 
not be lefs than feven or eight inches afunder. If this 
be duly obferved, and the branches carefully trained 
horizontally as they are produced, there will be no 
occafion for fo much cutting as is commonly pradtifed 
on thefe trees, which, inftead of checking their 
growth, does, on the contrary, caufe them to (hoot 
the ftronger. 
It is very furprifing to read the tedious methods, 
which moft of the writers on fruit-trees have directed 
for pruning thefe trees ; for, by their prolix and per- 
plexed methods, one would imagine they had endea- 
voured to render themfelves as unintelligible as poffi- 
ble and this, I am fure, may be affirmed. That 
it is next to impoffible for a learner ever to arrive at 
1 1 B any 
