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Nature will provide for the middle. Chufe therefore fuch Shoots as are not over-vigorous, to furniftt bearing Bran-
2. Take care the Tree be not left over full of Wood ; not even of bearing Branches: as is frequently feen in the Management of Feacbes, Nectarines, and Cherries.
Nature cannot fupply them all with Juice enough ; whence, none will be fupply'd well: the confequence of which is, that either the Blofloms will fall off, or the Fruit dwindle. 'Tis certain, a multitude of Branches crowding on one another, produces neither fo good, nor fo much Fruit, as where there is a convenient Space j befide the dif- a r.reeable Effect of eroding one another.
3. All firong and vigorous Branches are to be left longer on the fame Tree, than weak and feeble ones : confequent- ]y, the Branches of a (ickly Tree rau.it be pruned ftiorter, and fewer in number, than thofe of a itrong healthful Tree.
4. All Branches /hooting directly forward from Trees that grow againtt a Wall, are to be pruned clofe to the Branch whence they fpring, &c.
s. When a Branch well plac'd, either againft a Wall, or in a Dwarf, has fhot fome falfe Wood, neither fit for the Figure, nor the Fruit ; prims it off within the Thickneis of a Crown piece, or flopingly ; tho' this is beft pinched off in the beginning of Summer.
6. Cut off all Branches ariiing from hard Knobs, where- on Pear-tlalks grew \ or from itiort ftrait Branches, like Spurs.
7. If a Tree, in its Years, have produe'd Branches of moderate Vigour, and afterwards puts forth firong ones, well plac'd, tho of falfe Wood ; the latter may be ufed as the Foundation of the Figure, and the other kept a time for bearing Fruit.
8. When an old Tree Utoots (Ironger Branches towards the bottom than the top, and the top is in ill Cafe, cut it off, and form a new I'igure from the lower ones. If the top be vigorous, cut off the lower ones, unlefs well plac'd.
9. The Order of Nature in the Production of Roots and Branches, is, that a Branch is always lefs than that out of which ii fhoots : If this Order be inverted, ufe them as falfe Wood.
10. Regard to be always had to the Effects of former 'Pruning; in order to correct its Defects, or continue its Beauties.
1 1 . In vigorous Trees, the weaker Branches are the Fruit- bearers. In weak Trees, the ftronger, chiefly ; therefore in the latter, prune off the feeble and fmall.
■ 11. In vigurous Trees, three good Branches may put fotth at one Eye, or Bud : In which cafe, the two Side- Branches are generally to be preferv'd, and the middlc- toort cut off in May or June.
13. It is difficult to Urengthen a weak Branch, without cutting off others above it : Sometimes it can fcarce be done, without cutting off the End of the Branch it llioots out of.
14. The 'Pruning of vigorous Peach-Trees to be deter'd till they are ready to bloffom, the better to know which are likely to bear Fruit.
1 5. Fruit-buds next the Ends of Branches, are common- ly thicker, and better fed, than others. In weak Trees, therefore, it may be belt to prune them early, that the Sap may not walle itfelf in fuch parts as are to be re- trench'd.
itf. The farther a weak Branch is from the Trunk, the lefs Nourimment it receives ; and Therefore the more it is to be Ihorten'd : but thick Branches, the more diftant they arc from the Heart, the mote they receive 5 and are there- fore to he remov'd, that the Vigour may extend itfelf to the middle, or lower part.
17. A Branch for Wood mult never be pruned without efpecial occafion ; as where they annoy others.
15. If an old well-liking Tree be diforder'd with falfe Wood, thro' ill 'Priming, or want of "Pruning 5 take it lower, by cutting off a Branch or two, yearly ; till it is'fuf- ficiently redue'd. Some Trees put forth fo vigoroully, that they cannot be redue'd to compafs in one year, but mull he allow'd to extend themfclvcs, othcrwife they will pro- duce falfe Wood.
19. All Trees have a predominant Branch or two, if not more ; yet the more equably the Vigour is divided, the better : Where it runs much on one fide, it is faulty.
20. The Buds of all Stone-Fruit frequently form them- felves the fame year in which the Branch they grow on, is form'd: the fame holds of Pears and Apples; tho 'tis generally, at leall, two or three I ears, e'er the latter come to perfection.
21. All Shoots put forth in Autumn, are to be pruned °ff> as naught : The fame may be faid of all faplefs Branches.
22. When a Tree pu:s fordi much flror.ger Shoots on one fide, than the other ; a great part of the firong ones mull
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be cut off dofc to the Body, or fome of them flump- wife. ^
23. In all Trees, lefs Length to be allow'd the weak, than flrong Branches.
24. Upper Branches to be cut off, clofe to others, that they may heal over : Lower Branches to be cut iloping, or at a little diftance, that new ones may grow out of them. , .... *
25. If a young crooked Tree produce a fine Branch be- neath the Crook j cut the Head off clofe to the Branch.
16, Tho' five, fix, or feven Inches, be the ordinary Lengths Wood-branches are left at ■■> yet muft this be va- ry'd, on occafion of the Vigour or Weaknefs of the Tree,, t hicknefs or Smallnefs of the Branch, the Fulbefs or Va- cuity of the Place, &c.
27. Be careful not tofrune many thick Branches, {land- ing over weak ones; kit the Sap, which fed the larger^ flow fo plentifully into the lefs, as to occafion them to put forth much ill Wood and Suckers,
28. Branches mot from the Ends of others, are ufually good Wood ; fometimes ir happens otherwife, and then they mufl be pruned.
As to the grand yearly Trunings Fruit-Branches be- ing of fiiort continuance, and perifhing the firft year wherein they produce Fruit, are to be cut off, unlefs they put forth Shoots for Bloflamsthe fucceeding Year. In the fecond 'Pruning, about the middle of May, where the Fruit fo is clofe, as to be like to obftrucl: each othe", fome of them and their Branches to be taken off; as mull alfo the multitude of young Shoots that caufe Confufion. Branches more luxurious than others, to be cut clear off. To preferve old Trees, they muft be disburdened, by leaving few Branches for Wood on them ; and thofe to be ftior- ten'd to five or fix Inches ; and very few weak ones, and none dry, and nigh wafted.
Pruning cf Foreft or timber Trees.
For large Trees, 'cis beft not to prune them at all 5 yet if there be an abfolute Neceffiry for it, avoid taking off large Boughs as much as pofliblej and obferve the fol- lowing Rules.
1. If the Bough be fmall, cut it fmooth and clofe, that the Bark may foon cover it j and iloping, that the Water may run off.
2. If the Branch be large, and the Tree old, cut it off at three or four Foot from the Stem, or where any young Shoots are found iffuing out of ir.
3. Boughs growing uprighr, not to be cut crofs over, but floping upwards. In Boughs leaning from the Head, the Slope to be on the lower fide.
4. If the Tree grow crooked, cut it off at the Crook, flo- ping upwards; and nurfe up one of the moll promiiing Shoots for a new Srem. Indeed, in Trees that have great Piths, as the Afh, Walnut, £S?c. we muil be cautious of cut- ting off the Heads.
5. If the Tree grow top heavy, its Head muft be ligh- ten 'dj and that rather by thinning the Boughs that grow out of the main Branches, than by cutting off the main Branches themfelves. But if you would have them fpring, 'tis beft done by rubbing off the Buds, as they put out in the Spring, and fhredding up the Side-Shoots.
6. If the Side-boughs ftill break out, and the Top be able to fuftain itfelf, give the Boughs that put forth in Spring, a Pruning after Midfummer ; cutting them very clofe. This will caufe the Bark to cover and kill them, fo as never to moot out again j and is the only Method to make a Tree grow with a fine, flrair, handfome Bod; 1 .
Pruning of Vines. See Vine.
PRURITUS, a Senfation of the Skin, popularly call'* Itching ^ whicn is fuppofed to arife hence, that the Extre- mities of the Capillary-Veins being obftrucled, cannot take up the redundant Blood of the Members, to carry it back again to the Heart; whence, as there is a frefli Stock of Blood continually fent into the part by the inceffant Pulfa- tion of the Heart, the Fibres become preter-naturally ftretch'd or diftended : And hence the uneafy, titillating Senfe of Itching.
PRYTANEUM, in Antiquity, a considerable B-jilding in Athens, where the Council of Prytanei affemblcd, and where thofe who had render'd any fignal Services to the Commonwealth, were maintain'd at the publick Expence. See Prytaneus.
PRYTANEUS, in Antiquity, the firft Magiftrate in moft of the Cities of 'Greece.
At Athens, there were fifty Trytanei: at Corinth, there was but one ; who was, there, the fame what the Arcfroa was at Athens. See Archon.
The Trytanei of Athens were the Senators who com- pofed the grand Council that governed the Stare i and ci>r- refponded to what we now call, 'The States General of tm United Trovinces.
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