496 A M Y G 
for, let the feafons prove ever fo favourable, yet thefe trees 
will continually (hew the fame diftemper, which many 
perfons are fo weak as to fuppofe a frefti blight, whereas 
in reality it is no other but the remains of the former fick- 
nefs, which are fpread and intermixed with all the juices 
of the tree ; fo that whatever buds are taken from fuch 
trees will always retain a part of the diitcmper. Upon 
the care which is taken in the choice of the buds, the 
whole fuccefs depends; in general no more -is regarded by 
thofe nurferymen who are the mod careful in propagating 
the feveral forts of fruit-trees, than the taking their buds 
or grafts from the true kinds of fruit-trees; but there is 
Hill more care required to have found healthy trees, efpe- 
cially in peaches and nectarines; for, if the buds are taken 
from young plants in the nurfery which have produced 
fruit, the (hoots of which are generally very (trong and 
vigorous, thefe buds will have fo vicious a habit, as rarely 
to be corredted and brought into good order; for they will 
(hoot more like the willow than the peach, the joints be¬ 
ing extended to a great diftance from each other, the (hoots 
very grofs, and the wood pithy; therefore, where the 
practice of taking the buds from nurfery-trees is long 
continued, there can be little hopes of the trees foraifed. 
I would therefore recommend it to every curious perfon, 
to procure their buds from fuch trees as have been long 
growing, whofe fruit is well flavoured, and the trees per- 
fedlly found ; as alfo never to make choice of the ftrong- 
ed or mod luxuriant (hoots of thefe trees, but fuch 
lhioots as are well conditioned, and whofe buds grow pretty 
clofe together. And, although thefe do not make fo 
■ftrong (hoots the following years as thofe which are ta¬ 
ken from luxuriant branches, yet they will be better dif- 
pofed to bear fruit, and will make much better trees. The 
cuttings with which you are thus to be provided, (hould 
always be taken from the trees either in a morning or even¬ 
ing, or elfe in a cloudy day ; for, if they are cut off when 
the fun is very hot, the (hoots will perfpire fo freely, as 
to leave the buds deditute of moidure, which is often the 
■caufe of their mifcarrying; and, the fooner they are put 
into the docks when cut from the trees, the better they 
will take. 
In the choice of the trees, you (hould obferve the 
docks upon which they have been budded, that they are 
of the right fort, whether plumb or apricot; that they 
are found and young;, not fuch as had been budded the 
■preceding year and failed, nor thofe which have been cut 
down. If the fize of the dock is near that of a man’s 
finger, it will be better than if they are larger; thefe 
(hould be clear of mofs or canker. The buds diould be 
of one year’s growth only, and not fuch as have been cut 
down in the fpring, and made a fecond (hoot; nor (hould 
thofe trees be chofen whofe (boots are very drong and 
luxuriant, but fuch as have clean (hoots, of a moderate 
fize, whofe joints are not too far afunder ; and thofe trees 
which dand on the outljde.rows, or near the ends of the 
rows, w here they have mod air, are generally fuch; for, 
where they dand clofe in the nurfery, their (hoots are drawn 
up in length, their joints are much farther afunder, and 
their buds or eyes are flat; for which reafon, we have be¬ 
fore advifed the planting of the docks at a greater didance 
than the nurferymen generally allow them; and, if a care¬ 
ful difcreet nurferyman would be at the trouble and ex- 
pence in the raifing of his peach-trees according to this 
method, he would better deferve three (hillings per tree, 
than one in the manner they are commonly raifed; for 
every perfon who is at the expence of building walls for 
fruit, (hould not think of diving a few (hillings in the pur- 
chafe of their trees; becaufe, if they are bad, or not of 
the right kinds, there is a great lofs of time and expence 
to no purpofe, and the difappointment will be fo great, 
after waiting three or four years, as to difcourage many 
from making; farther trials, thinking thenifelves liable to 
the fame ill-fuccefs. When the trees are chofen in the 
nurfery, the next care mud be to have them carefully ta¬ 
ken up out of the ground, fo as not to break or tear their 
D A L U S. 
roots, nor injure their bark; for, as thefe trees are very 
apt to gum. in thofe places where they are wounded, there 
cannot be too much care taken of this. If the trees are 
to be tranfported to a didant place, their roots (hould be 
clofely wrapped either with hay-bands, draw, or peafe- 
haulm, and mats fewed over thefe, to prevent the air from 
drying their roots and branches. If the leaves of the trees 
are not fallen when they are taken up, they diould be 
carefully dripped off before the trees are packed up ; for, 
when there are many of them left, they are very apt to 
heat, if long in their paffage, and often occafion a moul- 
dinefs very hurtful to the branches. 
We come next to the preparing of the ground to receive 
the trees. The bed earth for peach-trees is fuch as is 
taken from a padure-ground, that is neither too diff and 
moid, nor over dry, but of a huddling nature, fuch as is 
termed hazel loam. This diould be dug from the furface 
of the ground about ten inches deep, taking the turf witli 
it, and (hould be laid i:i heaps eight or ten months at lead ; 
but that which is prepared one year or more before it be 
ufed is ftill better, that it may have the winter’s frod, 
and fummer’s heat, to mellow it; during which time it 
(houlu be often turned, to rot the turf and break the clods, 
whereby it will be rendered very light and eafy to work; 
and about the beginning of September you (hould carry it 
into the garden, and make the borders, which mud be 
raifed in height proportionable to the moidure of the gar¬ 
den; but, if the ground be very wet, it will be advifeable 
to la)- fome rubbiili in the bottom of the border to drain 
off the moidure, and to prevent the roots of the trees 
from running downward; and in this cafe it will be proper 
to make fome under-ground drains at the bottom of the 
border, to convey off the fuperfluous moidure; which, if 
detained about the roots of the trees, will greatly preju¬ 
dice them; then raife a border of earth at lead a foot, or 
in very wet land two feet, above the level of the ground, 
fo that the roots of the trees may always remain dry ; but, 
if the ground be pretty dry, the borders diould not be 
raifed above (ix or eight inches higher than the furface, 
which will be fufficient to allow for their (inking. As to 
the breadth of thefe borders, that cannot be too great; 
but diould never be lefs than fix or eight feet, where fruit- 
trees are planted, for, when the borders are made very- 
narrow, the roots of the trees will be fo confined in four 
or five years time, that they will feldom thrive well af¬ 
terwards. The depth of thefe borders diould not be 
greater than two feet and a half; for, when they are pre¬ 
pared to a great depth, it only entices the roots of the trees 
downward, which may be the caufe of their future bar- 
rennefs; for, their roots being got down below the influen¬ 
ces of the fun and (bowers, imbibe a great quantity of 
crude juices, which only add to the luxuriant growth of 
the trees, and defiroy- their fruitfulnefs; befides, whate¬ 
ver fruit are produced from fuch trees, are not near fo 
well tailed as thofe are which grow upon trees whofe roots 
lie near the furface, and enjoy the kindly benefit of the 
fun’s heat, to correct and diged whatever crudities there 
may be in the earth. Where the natural foil of the gar¬ 
den is fnallow, and either chalk, clay, or gravel, lies near 
the furface, thefe diould not be dug out to make pits to 
receive the earth for the border, as is by fome pradlifed, 
for this will be no better than planting the trees in tubs or 
cafes, for their roots will be confined to the(e pits; fo 
that when they are extended to the ddes, and can get 
no farther, the trees will blight and decay ; and, if it is 
clay on the (ides, the wet will be detained as in a bafon, 
and the earth of tlie border will be like mud in very wet 
feafons, unfit therefore for the roots of thefe trees. When¬ 
ever then it fo happens that the ground is of either of the 
forts before-mentioned, it will be the bed way to raife the 
borders of a proper thicknefs of good earth over thefe, 
rather than to (ink down into them; for, when the roots 
of the trees lie near the furface of the ground, they will 
extend to a great didance in fearch of nourifhment; but, 
if they get below the daple of the land, they can find 
2 nothing 
