Of TREES, SHRUBS, PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUITS. 
running greatly to rank wood, and not producing any 
tolerable crops of fruit, the (hoots (hould be left 
clofer, or in greater abundance, and (hould moftly be, 
but very moderately (hortened, or fome of the mod 
luxuriant not (hortened at all; or others, lefs vigorous, 
cut only about one fourth, or lefs, or fome only juft 
topped, or the fmall, upper part pruned only a few 
inches; and thus, in general, cut the retained (hoots 
very little, or the (Irongeft left moftly intire; as, in 
fuch vigorous trees, if much (hortened, they would 
(hoot with greater luxuriance to rank wood, and not 
become fruitful; but, in which, leaving the feled 
(hoots more abundant than in moderate (hooting trees, 
and thcfe but little (hortened, agreeable to the above 
intimations, the redundant nouri(hment will thereby be 
more divided and expended amongft a greater expan- 
(ion and extent of branches than in a fmaller num¬ 
ber and lefs extenfion of wood ; and nailing all the 
(hoots as much horizontally as poffible, v.liich alfo 
contributes, in fome degree, in checking the luxuri- 
ancy, the trees, by thefe means, will be reduced, by 
degrees, to a moderate (late, productive of fruitful 
(hoots adapted for general bearing. 
Likewife, in this pruning, if any trees as are ge¬ 
nerally of moderate growth, have produced cafual, 
veryrrank (hoots, confiderably more vigorous than the 
generality of the others of the fame tree, they (hould 
moftly be cut out clcfe, that they may not exhauft, or 
draw the nouri(hment too much from the adjacent, mo¬ 
derate (hoots ; except any are produced in or near fome 
vacant fpace, or upon the lower parts of old branch¬ 
es, where a future fupply of young wood will be ap¬ 
parently wanted, fome may be retained fingly, and 
pruned down, more or lefs, to furnilh feveral colla¬ 
terals next fummer, which, feparately, may prove of 
a more moderate, kindly ftate. 
Though, where any tree of a generally ftrong 
growth, inclines rather to commence a vigorous habit 
of (hooting, and that fome (hoots occur that are con¬ 
fiderably more luxuriant than the reft, one or more 
might be retained in different parts, to carry off part 
cf the exhuberancy of fap from the others, to pre¬ 
vent, as much as poftible, too great luxuriancy taking 
place in the general expanfion ; and, likewife, to aftift 
further in preventing the production of rank wood, it 
is advifeablc, in retaining the requifite fupply of pro¬ 
per (hoots, to leave them clofer, or more abundant 
than in trees of moderate growth, and the (hoots in 
general but moderately (hortened, and thefe trained 
down as much horizontally, as room admits, in which 
they generally (hoot lefs vigorous than in a more up¬ 
right pofition. 
Or, in winter-pruning fuch trees as affume a weak¬ 
ly ftate, either (hooting reluClantly, or producing 
moftly fmall, weak (hoots, it is eligible to cut out 
mod of the fmaller, infirm twigs, and retain princi- 
167 
pally only the ftrongeft (hoots for the genera? fupply; 
and that to promote their furnilhing a production of 
llrcnger wood, they (hould be (hortened more than in 
trees of a free growth; or fome, in the mod vacant 
prrts, may be cut to one half, or others, a little more 
or lefs, according to their ftrength and refpeCtive fix¬ 
ations, or as fupplies of future wood may be required 
in particular parts of the trees ; giving proper atten¬ 
tion to keep the lower and middle parts fupplied as 
well as poffib’e; where, in vacancies, or where room 
to train between the mother branches, cut particular 
(hoots to a few eyes, to obtain fome collaterals of 
ftronger growth, next fummer. 
In the general winter-pruning, it being moftly ad- 
vifed, in cutting out the fuper-abundant (hoots, to 
prune them clofe to the old wood, yet, in fome cafes, 
it may be proper, in particular parts below, and the 
middle, &c. in fuch as are produced on the fides of 
the larger, parent branches, or in places where future 
fupplies of young wood may be the mod apparently 
wanted, fome of the fmaller (hoots, thus placed in 
different parts, lower and higher, &c. may be pruned 
to one, two, or three eyes, to furnilh one or more- 
laterals next fummer, in cafe they (hould be wanted, 
and trained up between the principal branches, till 
winter-pruning; and if not then required, may be 
cut away, or fome retained as a referve, ready to 
fupply any unforefeen vacancy; and by this means 
may have all parts of the trees always furnilhed with 
young wood, both for prefent bearing and future 
emergencies. 
For in thefe wall-trees, as obferved of the Peaches 
and Neftarines, (hould give good attention always to 
have a general fupply of young wood in all parts of 
the trees, quite from the bottom and middle, to the 
upper expanfion, advancing in regular gradation, as 
it were, one under or after another, at proper, mo¬ 
derate diftances; and always keep the lower and va¬ 
cant parts well furnilhed with requifite fupplies of 
proper (hoots, by the means explained in the general 
prunings; and thus the trees, even when advanced 
to a great age, may be continued every where abun¬ 
dantly fruitful. 
And it may be obferved of old Apricot wall-trees, 
when well managed, as above, they are particularly 
valuable, in being generally more prolific than younger, 
and the fruit attains greater perfection in richnefs of 
flavour, and therefore (hould give particular attention 
to encourage their growth, by preferving proper fup- 
pUes of young wood; and as decayed, or worn-out, 
old branches occur, having young ready to lupply 
their place, (hould be cut out, now, in the winter- 
pruning, either to the origin, or to fome lower, fruit¬ 
ful branch, or good (hoot eligibly fituated; and thus 
keep all parts well furnilhed with bearing wood, by 
