PPvU
( £04 )
PRU
£fven to a Proflor by a Client to manage a Caufe in his be- half. See Proctor.
PRUiNA,inPhyfiology, J&^-ire/J 5 a Concretion of the Dew, made by the violence of the external Cold. See Dew and Freezing.
PRUNELLA, in Medicine, a drynefs'of the Tongue, and Throat, happening in continued Fevers, efpecially acute ones ; accompanied with a heat and rednefs of the Throat, and a Scurf covering the Tongue ; fo me times whi- tifh, and fometimes blackifh. See Fever.
Some give the Name 'Prunella to the Quinzy. See Sq.uim ancy.
PRUNELLA Sal, in Pharmacy, is a Preparation of pu- rify'd Salt-Petre ; call'd alfo Laps Prunellce, and Cryjlal Mineral. See Salt Petre, Crystal, $$e.
H is prepared, by feparating and absorbing fome of the more volatile parts of the Salt-Petre; which is done by burning upon ir, when melted in a Crucible over the Fire, about a thirtieth part of its Weight of Flower of Brim- ilone.
'Tis given to cool, and provoke Urine in Fevers, and Quinsies ; tho fome think that Salt-Petre, purify'd three or four times, would be a better Medicine.
The Sal Primely is frequently adulterated with Alum 5 the Deceit is known by its Whitenefs and Glittering.
PRUNES, are Plumbs dried, and baked in an Oven, or in the Sun.
The Prunes chiefly ufed among us, are black, and large 5 brought from Soztrdeaux : Great Quantities are ufed by the Engtijh and -Dutch.
The Word comes from the Latin Prima, Plumb. The Juice of Fruncs is efteem'd laxative.
PRUNIFEROUS Tree's, or Shrubs, the "Plumb-bearing kind $ are thofe whofe Fruit is pretty large, and foft, with a Stone m the middle. See Tree and Fruit.
In this kind, the Flower adheres to the bottom of the Bafe of the Fruit.
PRUNING, in Gardening, and Agriculture, the Opera- tion of lopping, or cutting off the fuperfluous Branches of Trees ; either to difpofe them to bear better, to grow higher, or appear more regular. See Tree, ££e.
Pruning is one of the mofl important Branches of the Gardeners Province; and that whereon the Weal, or Woe of his Fruit-Trees, as well as the Air and Regularity of his Garden, in great meafure depends. See Garden.
'Tis fometimes praclis'd, purely, for the trimming or adjuring of Trees to the Eye, by taking away irregular Branches; as in Box, Holly, Yew, $$c.
Sometimes to make the Stem grow fairer, and rife higher ; by taking off all the large Branches arifing out of ir 5 and thus fending the Sap, which would otherwife be expended by them, to the Top of the Tree, to nourifli, and prolong the fame.
But its more ordinary ufe is to render the Tree more fertile, and to mend its Fruit 5 by retrenching fuch ufelefs Branches as might impoverish the Trunk, and confume the Juice neceffary to nouriJTi the Branches that bear. See Ve-
c ETATION.
Pruning is an annual Operation; the Amputation is Ho- ping; fometimes flump- wife. Its beft Seafon is about the end of February 3 tho' it may be begun as foon as the Leaves are off, viz. in November; and continu'd to the time fre/h Leaves come on, viz,, in April.
As the Gardener has ufually three kinds of Trees to manage, viz. fome too weak, others too ftrong, and others in a juft plight; he will find J 'riming Work thro' all that fpace ; it being proper 10 prune fome fooner, and fome later. The weaker and mote languifliing a Tree is, the fooner it ought to b& -pruned, to eafe it of its offenfive Branches : and the more vigorous the Tree is, the longer may the pruning be defer'd. See Pinching and Branch.
Practice of Pruning Fruit-Trees.
For Priming a Tree of the firfi Tear 5 I e. a Tree plan- ted the Year before : If it have only fhot one fine Branch from the middle of the Stem, it mufl be cut to that Branch ; and the Branch fhorten'd to four or five Eyes, or Buds : the effect of which is, that the next year, there will be at leaft two fine Branches oppofite to each other.
If the Tree produce two fine Branches, well plac'd with weak ones among them ; all required is to ihorten them equally, to the Compafs of five or fix Inches "in length : Care, however, being taken, that the two lafl Eyes, or Buds, of the Extremes of the Branches thus fhorten'd, look on the right, and lefr, on the two bare fides; that each may bring forth at leaft two new ones, and the four be fo well plac'd, that they may be all preferv'd. If one of the two Branches be much lower than the other ; or both on one fide, or the like ; only one is to be preferv'd, and that the fitteft to begin a fine Figure : The other to be cut off fo clofe, as that it may never be able to produce thick ones
the fame place. If a Tree have put forth three or
four Branches, all in the Extremity, or a little beneath ; they mufl be all pruned by the fame Laws as the two a- bovemention'd : If they be equally thick, they are to be ufed alike; if fome of them be fmaller than the reft, they mufl only ht primed with a profpect of getting a fin- gle Branch each ; taking care to have it on that fide which ftiall be found empty : in order to which, they fhould be fhorten'd to an Eye, or Bud, that looks on that fide 3 and the fame care to be taken in the larger, in order to begin to fill up the better. If thefe fine Branches flioot a little below the Extremity, 'tis but fliortemng the Stem to 'em: On the contrary, if the Branches be mofl ot them ill ones ; two, at leaft, if pcflible, are to be preferv'd, and pruned in the fame manner as the two fine ones, above. Good, weak Branches, are to be carefully preferv'd for Fruit ; on- ly cutting them a little at the Extremity, when they appear too weak for their length : Not failing to take away all the
faplefs Branches.- If the Tree has produe'd five, fix,
or feven Branches; 'tis fufficient to preferve three or four of the befl : the reft to be cut quite off, at leaft if they be thick ; for if they he weak, i, e. fit for Fruit-Branches, they mould be kept till they have performed what they are ca- pable of doing. And if among the great ones, there hap- pen to be many fmall ones ; two or three of the belt, only, to be preferv'd ; pinching off the Ends of the longeft.
Pruning of a Tree of the fecond Tear : If, having put out two fine Wood- Branches, and one or two fmall ones for Fruit, the firfl Year ; the Sap have alter 'd its Courfe in the fecond Year, from the thick Branches to the fmall ones; fo that the fmall become Wood ; and the large, Fruit- Branches : The Productions of the former mufl be quite cut off into the Mother-Branch, and thofe of the latter
ufed as Fruit- Branches. -If a Tree, from the firfl Year's
Pruning, have produe'd four or five Branches, or more; it mufl needs be very vigorous: for which reafon it may be fometimes advjfeable to preferve thofe Branches, even tho* they be not neceffary to the Figure of the Tree ; but only to confume part of the Sap, which might otherwife be prejudicial to the Fruit - Branches : Thefe fuperfluous Branches may be left long, without much ill confequence \ but thofe effential to the Beauty of the Tree, mufl be all pruned a little longer than thofe of the preceding Year 3 i. e. about two, or at mofl three Eyes, or a good Foot. This is making an advantage of the "Vigour of the Tree J which, without this, would not yield Fruit in a long time: the redundant Sap converting all the Eyes into Wood- Branches; which, with a more fpare Diet, would h^ve been Fruit-Branches. In thefe vigorous Trees, fome Branches cut flump-wife, are to be left on, and even fome thick ones, tho' of falfe Wood, efpecially where there are any neceffary to the Form of the Tree ; to employ the Excefs of Sap, and prevent its doing mifchief. Still more to affuage its Vio- lence, it may be neceffary to preferve many long, good, weak Branches, when plac'd fo as to occafion no Confu- fion 3 and even on the thick Branches, a good number of Outlets for the Sap to range in. Be it a general Rule,
rather to fpare the lower Branches, and cut off the higher; than the contrary: By this means, the Tree fpreads more eafily to the bottom of the Wall.
Pruning of a Tree the third Tear: In a Tree that has been planted four Years, and pruned twice; if it be vigo- rous, as many old Branches as poffible are to be preferv'd, efpecially for Fruit: If it be weak, it mufl be eafed of the Burden of old Branches, as well thofe for Fruit, as Wood. It mufl likewife be cut fhort, to enable it to /hoot out new ones; which, if it cannot do with Vigour, let it be pull'd up ; and a new one, with frefli Earth, planted in its place.
In all Pruning, Provifion to be made for Branches to proceed from thofe now under the Priming-Knife; to pre- pare fuch as may be proper for the Form : with this affu- rance, that when the high Branch is taken down from over the lower; this latter being reinfore'd with the Sap that would have gone to the former, will certainly produce more Branches, than it would have done without fuch Re- inforcement.
General Laws, or Rules, of Pruning Fruit-Trees.
t. The more the Branches flioot horizontally, the apter and better difpos'd the Tree is to bear Fruit ; confequent- ly, the more upright the Branches, the more inclin/d is the Tree to increafe in Wood 3 and the lefs in Fruit.
Hence, ever take care to keep the iniddle of a Tree from great Wood, or thick Branches 3 and as thofe in- creafe, and grow upon you, cut them out entirely; for there is no danger but the place will be foon fill'd with better and more fruitful Wood.
In Dwarfs, you are to prune all open, and clear of Wood, leaving none but horizontal Branches ; and in Wall-Trees, if you do but furni/h your Walls with horizontal Branches,
.Nature
