Of TREES, SHRUBS, PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUTTS. 
ing further fupplies of branches, fome ftrong fnoots, 
contiguous to the vacant parts, might be (hortened in 
May, or the beginning of June, pinched or cut down 
to a few eyes ; they will produce a fupply of collate¬ 
rals the fame feafon, and thereby furnifh the vacan¬ 
cies more expeditioufly and efte&ual; however, ex¬ 
cept in the above inftance, continue the referved ge¬ 
neral {hoots intire; and the whole remaining till 
winter-pruning, when, feledling a fufliciency of the 
beft where wanted, and a leader to each branch, the 
reft muft be then cut out clofe to their origin, as ex¬ 
plained in the following directions of Winter-Prun¬ 
ing' 
The Winter-Pruning of Plums and Cherries 
trained in wall-trees and efpaliers, which may be per¬ 
formed any time from the fall of the leaves in No¬ 
vember till March, conftfts of a general regulation 
both in the old branches and young wood, in which it 
muft be obferved, that as in thefe and moll other of 
the fpur^bearing trees, or that produce the fruit 
moftly upon fmall, natural fpurs, the fame bearers 
continuing fruitful feveral years, and increafe in the 
number of fpurs as they advance in length, do not 
want a general renewal of young wood annually, as 
in trees which bear principally on the young Ihoots of 
a year old; as in Peaches, Nedlarines, Apricots, 
Vines, &c. the fame general branches are to be con¬ 
tinued from year to year, as long as they remain 
fruitful or well furniflied with a proper abundance of 
eligible fruit-fpurs for bearing, and only an occafional 
fupply of young wood is neceflary, either to furnifti 
young trees under training, with an encreafed fupply 
of branches, more or lefs, as required, or in old or 
full-trained trees, to fupply cafual vacancies, or the 
place of any unfruitful, or worn-out old branches, 
which happen either to decline bearing, or cafually 
decay. 
That, according to the above- intimations, in pro¬ 
ceeding to the operation of winter-pruning of thefe 
trees againft walls and in efpaliers, examine both the 
general mother branches and the fupply of young 
{hoots which were trained in laft fummer; if in young 
trees, requiring fupplies of branches to encreafe or 
give the head a proper expanfion, retain well-placed 
young (hoots accordingly; and if old trees, or hav¬ 
ing a full expanfion of branches, fee if any bearers 
appear of an unfruitful, worn-out, or decaying 
ftatc, or aflunie any diforderly or bad growth, they 
fhould now be retrenched, and their places fupplied 
with young wood, this being the only proper feafon 
for making any neceflary reform in the general 
branches in the operation of pruning; at the fame 
time obferve where fupplies of young wood is wanted 
in any vacant parts, or to furnilh the places of im¬ 
proper old wood, as above, let the requiftte fup- 
piy of the bell-placed fide-lhoots of laft fummer be 
*57 
accordingly felefled and retained in thq proper places, 
cutting out therefrom all the fuper-abundant and ill- 
placed {hoots, pruning them clofe off to their origin 
on the mother branches, not leaving any {lump, 
fnag, or eye thereof, to {hoot forth again unneceffary 
wood, being careful to preferve on the bearing 
branches all the natural fruit-fpurs of half an inch to 
an inch or two in length, and only of which cut away 
fuch as are decayed, or affume a too-long projecting, 
or rugged, ftumpy growth, which being cut off clofe, 
new ones will be recovered in or near the fame places; 
obferving in all vacant parts to leave fome well-fitu- 
ated middling-ftrong fhoots, as alfo retain fome in 
any void fpaces below, or near any apparently de¬ 
clining or ill-bearing main branch, in old trees, in or¬ 
der for training up between the main branches to a 
bearing flate, ready to fupply the pkces of the above 
improper old wood, when cut out in a year or two af¬ 
ter; and always, where room, preferve the main leader, 
or terminating {hoot to each principal branch or bear¬ 
er; or if more^ thhp one leading {hoot, generally cut 
off all but the principal one; or if this appears too 
long for the allotted fyace, either above or on the 
ftdes, may occafionally fhorten it, or prune down the 
branch, more or lefs, to fome^onvenient lateral flioot, 
to remain for the leader; and where any old branches 
are too crowded, or of a decayed Hate, cut them out 
either to fome lower branch arifmg on the lateral 
parts thereof, or in default of fuch, take them clean 
cut to whence they originate, retaining fome conti¬ 
guous young fhoots to fupply the place; continuing 
all the fhoots and branches intire, or at their whole 
length, at leaft, as far as there is room to extend them 
in their full growth, and they will thus emit fruit- 
fpurs all along their ftdes, for bearing. 
But likewife obferve, in winter-pruning of wall- 
tree and efpalier Cherries, that as fome forts bear 
alfo on the young {hoots of a year old, immediately 
from the eyes thereof, without forming previous fpurs, 
as more generally occur in the fmall May and Mo- 
relio Cherry Trees, and which alfo bear upon fmall 
fpurs on the older branches, it is advifeable, in thefe 
forts particularly, to retain plenty of the above-men¬ 
tioned year-old {hoots for bearing fruit the enfuing 
fummer, cutting out part of the naked, old wood in 
proportion, pruned down, more or lefs, to fome 
eligible young Ihoots, or branches furniftied therewith ; 
or fome cut clean out, leaving contiguous (hoots 
to fupply the place of the unfarviceable, old 
branches, where thought neceflary, or as circum- 
ftances may require, retaining the whole ftill at their 
full length, where room to extend them agreeable t® 
the foregoing intimations. 
Likewife obferve, in pruning thefe wall-trees, to 
preferve all the natural fruit-Tpurs as are of found, 
good growth, and only where any cafually affume a 
decayed 
