THE GARDENER’S VEGETABLE SYSTEM 
l5o 
rieties, either young, of one or two years old, or 
that are more advanced, which the nurfery-men call 
trained trees, being ready trained with fome confide- 
rable expanfion of branches to commence immediate 
bearers the firft year they are planted. 
• 
The planting of Apricot trees may be performed ei¬ 
ther in autumn, in October, or beginning of Novem¬ 
ber, to ftrike frelh root the fame feafon; or may be 
done any time in open weather, from October till Fe¬ 
bruary or March. 
In planting the different varieties, allot fome beft 
fouth walls, for the principal forts, others on weft and 
eaft walls; having proper borders of good earth along 
the walls of the different aipech, three, four, or five, 
to eight or ten feet broad, and of two fpades, or at 
leaft one full fpade deep of fertile foil; and if the bor¬ 
ders are naturally of good, rich garden mold, or of a 
loamy kind, it will be of particular advantage, and no 
more will be required than to dig or trench the ground, 
or only, for the prefent, to dig an aperture for each 
tree; but if the foil is bad, unfavourable, or of a Very 
poor, light, unfubftantial nature, it ihould be improved 
with fome ftrong, rich earth and rotten dung; or would 
be much benefited if augmented with a quantity of frelh 
furface loam from a common or pafture-ground; re¬ 
moving part of the bad or worft foil of the borders, 
in proportion to the quantity of frelh earth added; and 
which improvements may either be applied to the 
whole border, if thought eligible, or only to the places 
where the trees are to Hand, and the other parts en¬ 
riched afterwards by degrees, in the two or three fol¬ 
lowing years, in winter or fpring: however, it is pro¬ 
per alfo to intimate that thefe trees will profper in any 
common fertile ground of a garden, without any pre¬ 
fent additional improvement. 
For planting the wall-trees, mark out places at 
twelve or fifteen to eighteen feet afunder; obferving, 
if low walls, it is generally advifeable to allot a great¬ 
er diftance than in thofe of more confiderable height, 
that in default of good fcope of walling above, there 
may be fufficient room to extend the branches horizon¬ 
tally, and if any are aefigned for efpaliers, they ihould 
alfo be allowed the above-mentioned diftances'; and 
for both of which, have the trees digged up with all 
pofiible good roots; prune any broken parts thereof, 
and ihorten any very long ltragglers Hoping on the un¬ 
der fide; and of the head, pn ne only, at prefent, any 
irregular projecting fore-right fhoots ; or if young 
year-old trees, leave the whole head intire till 
March, or if planted in that month, may 'be headed 
foon after: dig a wide hole for each tree, in which 
place the roots in a fpreading manner, with the Hem 
thereof three or four inches from the wall, and the 
head inclining thereto; fill in the earth equally about 
the roots and fibres, fhaking the tree gently to make 
the earth fettle in clofe, and then tread it moderately 
to the roots; and if planted early in autumn, about 
October, or late in the fpring, and the ground is dry, 
give a moderate watering to the earth to moiften aiid 
fettle it clofe about the roots more effectually, and will 
alfo prove beneficial in aflifting their rooting. 
If high walls, and if defirous of having all parts 
covered as fcon as poffible, you may plant ftandard 
wall-trees in the fpaces between the common dwarf 
trees, either half ftandard?, with Items of three or 
four feet, or with five or fix feet items, for more lofty 
walls; and thus have all parts of the wall expeditioufly 
covered; the common dwarf trees furniftiing the lower 
and middle, and the half ftandards. Sec. occupy the 
upper parts, while the others are advancing below; 
and as the common wall-trees are to be confidered as 
the principal refidentiariesfor continuing, that accord¬ 
ing as they advance in a large expanfion upward, the 
branches of the ftandards may be pruned away by de¬ 
grees, or the trees tranfplanted elfewhere, to give pro¬ 
per fcope to extend the others in full growth to cover 
the wall regularly from the bottom to the top, in a 
continued expanfion of branches. 
The trees planted, if they are young, having only 
the firft main bud-fhoot of a year old, this ihould be 
headed or cut down in March, to five or fix eyes, to 
promote a fupply of lower lateral ihoots the fame year 
to form the head, nailing them to the wall, &c. at 
their whole length, all fummer; and in winter-prun¬ 
ing, or towards the following fpring, cut or ihorten 
each fnoot about one half or third, according to their 
ftrength, to obtain a further fupply of well-placed col¬ 
laterals to encreafe the head in a larger expanfion of 
branches; and then managed afterwards in thefeveral 
methods of pruning and training hereafter explained; 
and when three or four years old, will begin to produce 
fome fruit. 
But if trained trees are intended for planting, having 
been previoufly headed down in the firft ihoot, in the 
nurfery, and, in confequence thereof, are furniihejl with 
a head of feveral branches, two or three to four or five 
years growth, thefe branches. Sec. are to be principally 
retained, or only prune any fore-right or other ill- 
placed ihoots not well fituated for training regularly to 
the wall, cutting them out clofe, and the remaining 
regular ihoots be ihortened about one third of their length; 
and then the general branches and ihoots nailed to 
the wall horizontally in a regular expanfion, four or five 
inches afunder, they will probably produce fome fruit 
the firft year, but in greater abundance and perfe&ion 
the fecond, if a favourable feafon; and will increafe in 
the produ&ion annually, in proportion as they acquire 
a larger expanfion of branches and advance in age ; and 
generally in Apricot trees of fome confiderable growth, 
they bear more abundantly and the fruit richer fla¬ 
voured; 
