Tbe Englifo Gardner* 
your tree towards the Spring, or in Winter, and then with 
the point of your knife flit the bark of your tree in two or 
three places, from the top, or heading place, to the bottom, 
and if you do loofen the earth about your tree, in eafe it be 
hard, it will be the better. 
Take notice, that many a good bearing tree, both Apple 
and Pear,have been much hindred by much and often prun- 
ing.Indeedfor Stone-fruit,in cafe they growold,or too thick, 
and ifthey beheaded pretty near,they will become as young, 
and recover their bearing quickly again. 
But yet in cafe your Pear or Apple-trees are grown old,and 
for want of nourifhment are not able to bring their fruit to 
that perfe&ion as formerly, in fuch a cafe, to take off fome 
ofthe raoft undeferving boughs, fuch as have leaft benefit of 
theSun,or raoft unhandfbme water-boughs,as fome call them, 
that grow altogether under the droppings of others, this 
pruning in the aforefaid cafe, hath done good, but I do not 
like it fhould be often done: fo likewife if a tree do thrive ex¬ 
ceedingly in wood,and doth not bear fruit, to thin it a little, 
that the Sun and the Air may have more free pafiage amongft 
the branches 5 but ifforall this it doth not bear fruit in fome 
confiderabie manner in a year or two after, then your beft 
and lureftway is to graft it again with fuch a fruit as you find 
doth bear well in the like air or fituation 3 the manner is 
taught before, and is worthy thepraftifing in fuch a cafe. 
And as for the opening of the ground about old trees, as it is 
ufually pra&ifed with many,about four or five foot wide,and 
letting them lye open a month or two, or more, and then 
filling them up again, adding fome Dung or Chaulk, or 
both mingled together: for my part, I do not fee any 
reafbn how it fhould advantage either the tree or its fruits, 
either as to its thriving or bearing, becaufe fuch old or great 
trees, I mean Apple or Pear-trees, that fetch their feeding or 
nourifhment at a far greater diftance, fo that the coft comes 
not near thofe roots that feed or nourifh the tree 3 indeed, 
for young trees, whofe feeding roots are within four or five 
F 2 foot 
