•,-f

TREATISE

UPON

PLANTING,

GARDENING,

AND THE

MANAGEMENT OF THE HOT-HOUSE,

CONTAINING

I. The Method of planting Foreft-Trees
in gravelly, poor, mountainous, and
heath Lands ; and for raifmg the
Plants in the Seed-Bed, previous to
their being planted.

II. The Method of Pruning Foreft-Trees,
and ho\v to improve Plantations that
have been neglected.

III. On the Soils molt proper for the
different Kinds of Foreft-trees.

IV. The Management of Vines ; their
Cultivation upon Fire-Walk and in the
Hot-Houfe ; with a new Method of
dreffing, planting, and preparing die
Ground.

V. A new and eafy Method to propagate
Pine Plants, (b as to gain Half a Year

in their Growth ; with a fare Method
of deftroying the Infeft (b deftruclive
to Pines.

VI. The heft Method to raife Muflirooms
without Spawn, by which the Table
may be plentifully fupplied .every Day
in the Year.

VII. An improved Method of cultivating
Afparagu*.

VIII. The beft Method to cultivate Field
O.bbages, Carrots, and Turnips for
feeding of Cattle.

IX. A new Method of managing all
Kinds of Fruit-Trees, viz. of proper Soils
ioi planting, of pruning; and drefling
them; with a Receipt to prevent
Blights, and cure them when blighted.

BY JOHN KENNEDY,

GARDENER TO SIR THOMAS GASCOIGNE, BART.
THE SECOND EDITION,

CORRECTED AND GREATLY ENLARGED.

VOL. II.

L. O N D O N:

PRINTED FOR S. HOOPER, Nc 25, LUDGATE-HILL j
and G. ROBINSON, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

M DCC LXXVII.

CONTENTS

O F

VOLUME THE SECOND.

CHAP. PAGE.

X. Of the Nurfery — 1 — 23

XL Of Pruning Foreft-trees 24 — 38
XII. Ot Pruning Fruit-trees in

general 39— 54

Proper Soils for Apricots 54 — 56

i for Peaches and

Nectarines 56 — -59

Proper Soils for Pears . — 60 — 62

— for Plums — 63 — 64

• for Cherries 64- — 66

for Figs — 67 — 68
for Walnuts,
Chefnuts, and Mulber-
ries 69 — 71
A Receipt to prevent and

cure Blights 71 — 74
The Pruning and Manage-
ment of Apricots — 75 — 77
— — of Peaches and

Ne&arines — 78 — 86

of Pears — 86 — 90

of Plums — - 90 — 93

-— — of Cherries — 93 — 99

-

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE.

A Method to propagate

Fig-trees, to prune and

drefs them — 99 — 102
The Management and

Pruning Apples — 102 — 109

XIII. The Ananas, or Pine-

Apple — no — 181
On the White Infeft de-

flruftive to Pines — 151 — 181
A Receipt to deftroy the

White Inife£t 163 — 164

XIV, New Method to raife

Mufhrooms 182 — 200

XV. An improved Method to

raife Aiparagus — 201 — 229

XVI. On Cabbages — 230 — 246

XVII. On Carrots • 247 — 269

XVIII. On Turnips — 270 — 279

O N

GARDENING.

CHAP. X.

Of the Nurfery.

NURSERIES for raifmg foreft-
trees are very neceflary for every
gentleman that is fond of plant-
ing ; for without a good one no great
progrefs can be made in that mofl delight-
ful and profitable amufement.

MOST authors who have written on this

fubje6t have differed iu their opinions, even

VOL. II, A fo

i OFTHE NURSERY.

fo far as to be almoft qiiite contradictory to
one another. I will not prefume to fay
who are right or who are wrong, but I
(hall give fome directions that 'are ve*ry dif-
ferent ; and I fix my opinion on this
ground, that is, by comparing mod of the
capital nurferies in England, which are
managed by a fet of men knowing in their
profefiion, and whofe bufmefs it is to
have all kinds of trees in perfection.

IT is not intended to give directions for
making a nurfery fit to raife all the curious
trees and plants that are introduced into
England, and which thrive very well when
taken from the nurferies where they are
raifed with fkill and art, and when they
are carried into very different foils and
fituations all over the country thrive very
well ; that would be a talk too elaborate
for the brevity of this treatife ; befides it
would be too expenfive for gentlemen, as-
it is the quantity that makes it worth the
• ingenious nurferyman's trouble and care

to cultivate fuch plants.
* •

THE

OF THE N URS E'R'Y. 3

THE bringing the common forts of
foreft-trces to perfection, and making them
fit for all kinds of foils and lituations, is
what I (hall give directions for, and the
choofing a proper foil for that ufe ; or,
where it cannot be had, to make one by
art, fit for the purpofe, at as little expence
as poffible.

IT is a general opinion that all nurferies
for raifing trees mould be the fame, or very
near the fame, with the foil the trees
are to be planted in ; but this is fetting
out on a very wrong principle ; for, as I
faid before, all the capital nurferies in
England are on a fine light fandy loam, or
they are made fo by the nurferymen, who
certainly are the beft judges ; and, as a
proof of their judgment, all the trees that
are taken from fuch nurferies, thrive when
planted on much worfe ground than where
they were raifed.

I HAVE faid more on this fubjeft than I

•firft intended, and am obliged to add a few

A 2 words

words mote, to prevent a notion that ha*
long prevailed. I know there are many
gentlemen fo prepofTefled in that opinion,
that they will not allow any other kind of
ground far their nurieries, than" what is
nearly fimilar to the fail they intend to
plant, and this is the reafon why fo many
bad-thriving plantations are to be feen in
many parts of England.

IF a plantation is to be made on a pbor
gravel or a {tiff clay, what kind of a nur-
fery would fuch ground make ? all the
plants raifed on fuch ground would be
poor, fmall, hide-bound, ftarved things,
very unfit for planting in any land, bitt
more fo in poor gravel or clay.

To this it may be obje&ed, that I have
given directions for {owing the feeds of
trees on fuch ground, as the heft method
for railing wood in fuch foils. There is a
great difference between lowing where the
plant is to remain, and fowing to raife
plants to be tranfplanted ; thofe that are

ibwn

OF THE NURSERY. $

fown in fuch ground to remain, tvvifl and
twSne their imall roots amongft the ftones
and gravel, fo as to protect themfelves
from froft in winter and drought in fum-
mer ; but if fuch plants were to be plant-
ed with the greateft care, they would be
very liable to fuffer much from the drought
the firft fuiwner, and be .entjrely thrown
out of the ground the next winter, as they
would have fo few mort roots which coulcj
make no refinance.

IT is very wrong -to enrich muieries
with dung. Although the nurferymen
dung their ground very plentifully, they do
it with great judgment, and never plant
trees until it is well rotted, and mixed
with the mould, fo as to be quite incor-
porated, and generally take a crop of peafe
or beans before they plant; for if trees
were to be raifed on a bed made rich with
dung, they would grow fo vigoroufly, and
be fo full of juices, that if they were even
planted in very good land, they would be
in ganger of being loft for waqt of a fuffi-
A cient

6 OFTHE NURSERY.

cient quantity of nourishment, and moil
of them would be, what is called in the
common planting phrafe, hide-bound.

THE proper foil to make a nurfery to
raife foreft- trees, is a light Tandy loam of
two feet (if it can be got) or eighteen
inches, which will be a fufficient depth
to prevent drought in fummer affe&ing
the trees, and the froft hurting them in
the winter.

AN old pafture field that dopes gently
to the fouth is the bed fituation, for low
and fiat grounds are not proper, as they
are liable to be over- blown in winter in
deep driving fnows, which will be apt to
break many of the young trees. Befides,
if the fnow be blown very thick, which
often happens, it will lay much longer
than on a rifing ground, and be very de-
trimental to the young plants.

TRENCHING is always recommended for
making a new nurfery, but it is not al-
ways

OF THEN. URSERY. r

ways needful ; for if the field that it is
intended to be made on be clean grafs and
free from mofs, plowing will anfwer ; if
mofiy, trenching will not be fufficient ;
for the mofs, although turned down two
feet deep, is long in rotting, and turns to
canker, which is very deftru&ive to young
trees,

IF the beft fpot that can be found is full
of root-weeds, bumes, or any kind of rub-
bifh, it will be necefTary to trench, and
pick out all the weeds and roots, for there is
no poffibility of keeping young trees clean
where the ground is full of root- weeds.
But it is feldom that needs to happen, as
the nurfery maybe made at a drftance/rom
the houfe ; and if a convenient fpot can
be found in a bye corner of the pleafure-
ground, it will not be difagreeable, efpe-
cially to lovers of planting, if it is kept in
good order ; and its being fo much in view
will caufe it to be kept clean,

IF the field is a fine clean grafs, and in
A 4 pretty

5 OF THE NURSERY.

pretty good condition, plow it up early hi
the fpring, and fow it very thick with the
common grey peafe : when they are come
into full bloom, plow them all in as deep
as the plow can go, and let the ground re-,
main until they are rotten, which will he
in fix weeks if they are well covered ; then
harrow it well with a heavy harrow, an4
plow it acrofs : in three or four duys after
harrow it, and before winter plow it again,
and let it lay rough all the winter to mel-.
low. In the fpring, firft harrow, and then
plow it ; then harrow it well with a heavy
harrow, and it will be in good order for
lowing and planting all kinds of forefU
trees in the nurfery way.

IF the field is mofly, pare and burn it as
foon as the feafon will permit : plow it
dtrecrly, and fow it very thick with tur-
nip pr rape feed ; and when it is grown
flufh, eat it clean off with fheep. As foon
as it is eaten bare, plow it as deep as the
plow can go ; and when the weeds begin
to grow, harrow it firft ; then plow, and

3 let

OF THE NURSERY. 9

kt it lay all the winter. In the fpnng,
plow and harrow it, and it will be fit for ufe,

IF the ground allotted fhould be full of
weeds and roots of bufhes, trench it early
in the fpring, and pick all the roots as
clean as poinble. As foon as it is finimed
low it with peale in rows, that the weeds
may be kept clean, for in fuch ground
there will many annual weeds come up.
As for docks, nettles, and quickers they muit
be taken up with a dung-fork, for they can*
not be deftroyed by hoeing. As foon as
the peafe are in bloom plow them in, and
when they are quite deftroyed plow the
whole again, and harrow it well to get
out the weeds, if any remain, and let it
lay rough all the winter. Plow it in the
ipring, and then it will be in good order.

IF a convenient fpot cannot be found
that is of a proper temperature, it mutt be
made fo by art : a {tiff loam, or a light
black earth, are the only foils that can be
made into a good nurfery. When better

cannot

jo OFTHENURSERY.

cannot be had a Tandy foil will do ; but it
requires a great deal of rich compofition
to make the trees flourifh.

A FIELD that has been in corn is very
unfit to be made into a nurfery ; but if a
grafs field and a. {tiff loam, you muft lay
over all the grafs a good quantity of
fand, two inches thick at leaft ; and if this
was done in the beginning of winter, to be
warned in with the rain and mow, it would
be the beil method.

AFTER it has lain fome time it will
cruft over and dry at top, and will be lia-
ble to be warned off with the rain if the
ground has a declivity, which it mould
have ; to prevent that, give it a good
harrowing acrofs the field, and that will
open the ground fo that the fand will mix
much better. Early in the fpring plow it
deep, and get from old woods where leaves
and flicks have rotted, the bottoms of old
wood-ftacks, and the cleaning of ilreets,
a large quantity, and lay all over the field

as

OF THE NURSERY, n

as fbon as it is plowed ; and when the
fwarth has laid long enough to be rot-
ten, plow it acrofs, harrow it well, and
plow it again ; then fbw it with rape feed,
and manage as before dire&ed, and it will
be in tolerable good order.

IF a light black earth, lay an inch of
ftrong loam all over it ; plow it immediate-
ly, and then lay fome more loam on and
harrow it very well : when it has laid
fome time in that {late, crofs-plow and
harrow it, then fow it with rape feed, and
manage as before.

\ -

BY following fome of thefe methods ac-
cording to the nature of the foil, there
will be a good nurfery fit to raife all kinds
of common foreft-trees ; only where the
feeds are fown, for the planting of poor
gravelly land the ground mould be made
lighter than any other part of the nurfery,
for the reafons before given.

>
THERE are many kinds of fb reft- trees,

fuch

i± OF THE NURSERY,

fuch as the Elms of all kinds, that arc
propagated from layers with great fuo
cefs ; and indeed all kinds of foreft- trees
will grow by layers, fo that thofe who
are curious, and find afeminal variety that
is remarkably different from the original,
the only way to have it preferved genuine
is to convert it into a (tool, and rajfc
plants by layers.

JT has been objected, that foreft-trees
raifed from layers do not grow fo vigorous
and ftraight as plants that are raifed from
feed. There may be fome truth in this
aflertion, but not fo much as is generally
believed ; for it is owing more ta the me-
thod of laying, than the nature of layers,
that occafions this remarjc. Tf layers are
made from young ftraight (hoots, they
will grow as well as feecjlings ; but when
laid from fmall (hoots of a fide-branch of
an pld tree, it is very difficult to make
any thing of them but bumes ; yet they
will take root very well, and this is a good
j-eafon why layers are much better than

fuckers,

OF THE NURSERY, 13,

fuckers, for all plants that are to be kept
low and bufhy. Jf a fucker was to be laid
it would not alter its nature, it would frill
grow fall and ftraight ; but if the young
moots of an old branch are laid, they will
take root and grow, but never moot free-
ly : if a fruit-tree, it will bear very plen-
tifully ; and if a flowering-plant, it will
flower much better than plants that arc
raifed from fuckers, or plants raifed from

cuttings of vigorous young wood.

•

Itf the nurfery there mould be a quarter
allotted for the ufe of planting ftools ; and
as the whole fuccefs depends on the fme-
nefs of the young moots that are to be
laid, the place where they are to be plant-
ed" mould be light and rich ; rich, to en-
courage the young moots to grow ftrong
and vigorous ; and light, that they may
make good roots when laid. The flools
mould not be planted too thick ; for al-
though they may feem thin when firft
planted, if they thrive as they ought to
do they will be very large in a few years,

and

H OF THE NURSERY.

and have many layers ; fo that they mould
have room to be laid, and allb to let the
air pafs freely between them : if they are
planted in rows, which is belt, they
fhould not be nearer than eight feet
fquare.

As to the quantity of ground neceflary
for a nurfery, that depends on the planta-
tion which is intended. The trees that
are to be planted in poor gravel, bare,
ftony, and cold poor land, will take up a
great deal more of ground in the feed-
beds than if they were fown in the com-
mon old method ; but as they are to be
taken from the feed-bed, and planted out
for good, there will be lefs ground necef-
. fary for them than if they were to . be
tranfplanted from the feed-bed into the
nurfery, to remain for four or five years.

IT fhould be confidered what fort of

ground, and what quantity of each fort

is to be planted ; that mufl determine the

fize of the nurfery. It would be much to

c the

OF THE NURSERY. 15

the advantage of all feedling-trees to have
the beds they are ibwii in, lay fallow all
the year before they are fown ; and to any
country gentleman that is fond of plant-
ing, half an acre of ground more than is
abfolutely neceflary will not be of great
confequence.

THE beds which the feedlings are raifed
in for poor land muft be quite cleared every
year : they muft be taken up with the
fpade carefully, fo as to break none of their
tap-roots ; if any are broken by accident,
they mutt be trimmed, and planted in forne
convenient place of the nurfery, to (land
for fome time until they are fit for plant-
ing in ground that is deep enough to ad-
mit of making holes to plant them in, and
they will be as good as any for that ufef
as all trees that are taken from .the feed-
bed to plant in the nurfery fhould have all
their- tap-roots cut oft".

THERE fhou-ld be no more fbwn m
thofe beds than can be planted every feafon,

for

16 OFtHENURSERt;

for they will not be fit to plant in verjf
poor ground next year ; but if there are
more than are wanted, or can be planted,
they fhould be taken up, have their roots
trimmed, and planted in the nurfery.
They will be much better for that pur-
pofe than thofe that are raifed in beds that
are fbwn very thick, and ftaud fo all the
fummer*

As foon as the beds are cleared they
fhould be thrown into little ridges, and
lay fo till the beginning of May, when
they fhould be dug over and laid flat, and
remain fo all the fummer, for the advan-
tage of keeping them clean ; if they
were to remain in ridges, many of the
weeds would be buried in hoeing, and fo
grow again immediately. But it will be
greatly to their advantage to throw them
into fmall ridges before winter, to mellow
them for fowing in the fpring.

THIS management of thegrouiu' thrown
into little ridges will be of great fervice,

for

OF THE NURSERY. 17

for it will make them produce as fine
and vigorous plants as if there had never
beer; any thing fown in them ; and by
this management they will be in good
order for many years, by only laying
a little of the compoft every other year
upon them, as will be directed to be made
for the recruiting the nurfery-ground,
which muft be greatly impaired by being
conftantly full of young trees.

THE following competition, if properly
made and laid on, will keep the nurfery
in good order, fo as to produce all kinds
of foreft-trees as flrong and vigorous, and
free from all blemiflies, as if the ground was
jull taken in, without ufing one grain of
dung, which is a very fcarce commodity
in the country, efpecially where the gen-
tlemen are farmers, and foncj of imprcv--
mcnts, as moft of them, are at this prelect
time.

IF the nurft-ry ground is fliffer than
could be wiftied, add fand to the follow-.

VOL. II. B

i8 OF TH E NURSERY.

ing articles ; if inclining to fand, which
is the heft, add fome good rich loam, and
it will make fo good a competition that
its effects will furprize and anfwer the
moft fanguine expectations ; and every
place affords the materials, which may be
procured with little trouble. Collect
docks, nettles, grals, which mould be
cut before they come to feed, ftraw, ftub-
ble, rotten wood, leaves, and fhovelings of
the ftable-yard, nnd make a ridge of them
two feet thick, fix feet broad, and in
length as you can get {tuff, or according
to the largeneis of the nurfery.

IF the ground of the nurfery is light,
put a layer of good loam, four inches thick,
the whole breadth and length of the ridge ;
with another layer of the above things,
two feet ; and then another layer of loam ;
and fo on till there is a ridge eight feet
high : let it lay until winter, and when
the firft deep mow falls trench it all over,
laying all the mow in the middle. It may

then lay till the middle of fummer, when

.
'

OF THE N UR S ER Y. 19

it fhould be turned again, taking great
care to keep it clear of weeds between the
turnings ; the firft hard froft in winter
turn it again, laying all the frozen parts
into the infide, and it will be fit for ufe in
the fpring,

SOME time before the feed trees are in-
tended to be {own, lay two inches of the
compofition all over the ground, and prick
it over two or three times to mix and incor-
porate it with the old ground ; by being
thus worked it will be much moifter (if
the feafon is very dry) than land that has
been lefs worked : it will alfo be neceilary
to prick the beds over juft before they
are fown ; and if they are very mellow it
will be much better not to rake the beds,
but only to level them even with the
fpade ; then fow the feeds, and with a flat
board prefs the bed level, and cover it ac-
cording to the fize of the feed.

IT would be a good method to have a

large heap of ftufF, the fame as the beds,

B 2 mixed

20 OF THE NURSERY.

mixed ready to cover the feeds, which is
much better than taking the earth from
the alleys for that ufe ; for it is trod a
good deal in fowing the feeds, and if the
ground is wet, it is rendered very unfit for
the purpofe ; befides it is of great detri-
ment to the feeds on the fides of the bed
to have deep alleys, as they will be much
drier than if the ground was flufh, and
they will not thrive fo well as thofe in the
middle.

AFTER there is a fufficient quantity of
the above materials collected to make a pro-
vifion for three years, it will be proper at
fome diftance to begin a new heap, which
may be gradually increafed as the mate-
rials can be got ; but it need not be turned
until there is a quantity fufficient for three
years more, and only keep it clear of weeds
during the time of colled ing ; fo that by
having two heaps, one fit for ufe, and one
in gathering, there will be always a pro-
vifion for keeping the nurfery in good or-
der. It will be of great fervicc to the
•

com-

OF THE NURSERY. 21

compofition that is ufing, to give it a
turning every winter when it is hard
frozen, turning all the frozen parts into
the middle ; but this muft not be done
when it is covered with mow; for al-
though it was abfolutely neceffary to have
fnow to mix with the ftraw and other hard
dry things to make them ferment and rot
at the firfl turning, it would be very pre-
judicial now ; it would rob it of its lalts,
and make it of little value if any fnow
was mixed with it.

THIS compofition is much better for a
nurfery than dung, as it will have all the
advantages of being kept in good heart,
and will caufe none of thofe pernicious
misfortunes to young trees that dung is
very liable to do : befides, it is attended
.with no expeiice except that of collecting
it, which is very trifling ; and there is
this great advantage where there is a com-
pofition of this kind made, that it will
keep the grounds in order, as all thofe
pernicious weeds, docks and nettles, will
be cut and kept from feeding.

2'2 O F t H E N V R S E R Y.

THE nurfery mutt be put into a regular
form ; and as it is abfolutely neceflary to
be kept clean, it mould alfo be neat,
and if at a diftance from the houfe it will
be an agreeable walk. No gentleman will
be at the expence of having a good nur-
fery who is not fond of trees and planting,
and to fnch it is very agreeable to fee a
colle&ion of plants of different ages grow-
ing, and fome jivft rifingout of the grounds
which will in time enrich- his family, and
beautify his eftate and country.

PERHAPS fome -people may think too-
much has been faid about the preparation
of the ground, the method of fowing, and
the competition for recruiting the. ground
after it has been ufed, and that the trees
may be purchafed at an eafier expence
than by following all the directions that
are here given ; and that the chief thing
which thofe that raife foreft-trees for
planting mould ft tidy, is to have them
good, and fit for the different foils they
are to be planted in ; but fuch opinions

OF THE NURSERY. 24

will be found to be wrong grounded, as
the generality of thofe who raife foreft-
trces are at a greater expence than the
Work that is here mentioned will coft,
and in general come far mort of the fuc-
cefs, which will attend thofe that follow
with accuracy what has been directed, be-
fides the advantage of having fine trees of
all kinds to fupply whatever defigns they
intend to carry into execution*

B4 CHAP*

CHAP. XL

Of Pruning For eft-trees.

t | *HERE are a number of people who
JL are againft the pruning of foreft-
trees, efpecially the workers in wood,
who fay it occafions as many blemifhes
as there are branches cut off, and have
prepofleffed many gentlemen to be of the
lame opinion. It is not pruning, but the
bad methods of performing it that occa-
fions the objection.

THICK planting in poor land is the befl
method to make them prune themfelves ;
but; that method will not hold good in
rich or in middling land, for if the trees
were to be planted fo thick as to prune
them/elves, they would draw up weak

and

OF PRUNING, &c. 25

and be good for little. Befides, trees in
good land pufh great fide-branches, which
often rob the main ftem and make them
grow crooked ; whereas in poor land they
pufh many fide-branches, but they are
weak, and the leading moot is generally
{tiff and flrong. To have good and fine
timber on rich land, the trees muil: be
pruned from their firft planting.

TREES planted in good land, or even
in middling foil, mould be at eight feet
diftance if they are to ftand for timber ;
but if the plantation is intended to be
confiderable, the trees mould be planted
on good land, at four feet diftance, and
they will make a fine nurfery. If the
trees are five or fix feet high when plant-
ed, in thjee or four years time they
may with great fafety be removed, and
another plantation made of them ; but if
it be at no great diftance, they may be
carried with balls of earth fufficient,
without being hurt in moving them ;
fo that there will be the advantage of

having

26 OF PRUNING

having another plantation in a year's
time as good as the firft. Trees thus
planted will thrive better, and be ftronger,
than thofe raifed in nurferies, and can
be taken up with better roots. It will be
attended with a little more expence in
making the holes in the field, than if the
trees had been planted in the nurfery, but
the advantage the trees will receive will
more than compenfate for the trifling
difference in the expence.

WHEN the trees are taken up to be
planted, all the ftrong branches mould be
cut off quite clofe to the bole, and all the
{"mail ones left at their whole length. The
latter end of June, or the beginning of
July, the whole plantation mould be
looked over with care, and all the young
moots that have fprouted, where the
branches were cut clofe to the ftem when
the tree was planted, muit be pulled off
by the hand : they will flip very eafy at
that feafon ; but if fuffered to grow much
longer, they will be fo hard that the bark

of

FOREST. TREES. 27

of the tree will be in danger of being
torn in endeavouring to get them off, and
there mould none of them be cut, for if
they are they will the next year pufli out
a whole bufh of fp routs at every amputa-
tion, and fometimes in the fame autumn,
which will occafion double labour, as
they muft be pulled off; betides, they
grow to a bunch or nob on the bole, and
caufe a blemifh in the tree.

IN any of the winter months the whole
plantation muft be pruned ; and all the
largeft of thofe fmall branches that were
left when planted be cut off quite clofe to
the bole ; but care muft be taken not to
leave the frem too naked, that is, there
mould be fmall branches left regular all
over it. Attention mould likewife be ob-
ferved to leave no branch near the top of
the tree equal to the main moot : this
will prevent its being forky.

IN July following, the young moots
mufb be pulled again, and if there is any

5

*8 OF. PRUNING

great difhuices on the bole, where there
are no branches, a young moot may be
fuffered to grow to fill up the vacancy,
and in the winter, pruned as they were
before. This work muft be performed
regularly winter and fummer, until the
trees have got fufficient length of Hem*

As the trees grow in ftrength, there
mould a foot or two of the bottom of the
tree be cleared of all branches every year,
and never any more fuffered to grow ; but
this mould not be too haftily done, for
all trees grow much better, ftouter, and
flronger when the flem is well furnifhed
with fmall branches ; for when it is too
much diverted of them it grows too tall
for its flrength, becomes top-heavy, and
unable to fupport itfelf ; is eafily twifled
by the wind, and if its not broke, is fb
damaged as never to make a good tree,
and will be all fhaken when cut. If trees
are thus managed for a few years, there
will be no blemifhes, they will be very
handfome, as well as very valuable, and

when

FOREST-TRE E S. 29

when cut no fault will be found with
their having been pruned.

Tins method of pruning will aniwer
very well for all kinds of foreft- trees but
the Elms, which require a different me-

thv)d to make them fine trees.

>

THE En^lifli Elms are propagated from
layers, whici). if properly performed they
will have good roots, and be fit to take
up a year after they are laid. Every kind
of Elm will grow very well by layers.

THE Englifh Elm is the fineft tree of
all the kinds of Elm, and in proper foil
grows to a very great fize ; its layers do
not take root fo foon as the other kinds.
If it was laid in the autumn, as foon as the
leaves arc off, it would greatly encourage
its rooting, for the young twigs that are
to be laid are hard and dry, and by being
in the ground all the winter they are
foftcned, and take root much better. When
V are taken up, they fhould have their

r-oota

3o OF PRUNING

i'oots dreffed, and planted as fbon as poffi-
ble, as their roots are fmall «md dry faft.
The fide-branches, of which they are very
full, fhould be all cut off at three inches
from the ftem from top to bottom.

IN the beginning of July they ihould
be gone over carefully, and all the moots
pulled off, but two of the fmalleft, from
the fide-branches that were (hortened, for
as they will pufh many on every fhortened
branch, they will both rob the main flem,
and be too heavy for the plant to bear.

I N any of the months next winter the
fide-branches muft be thinned and cut
clofe to the ftem, fo as to ftand regular quite
round the bole, at a foot diftance at the
bottom, and at eight inches towards the
top ; and the fide-branches on the main
ftem of laft fummer muft be fhortened tg
three inches.

NEXT July the fprouts that moot from
where the branches were cut clofe, fhould

be

FOREST-TREES. 31

be pulled off as before, and the top-
branches that were fhortened before mull
alfo be thinned.

As the tree grows tall and ftrong, it
mould be cleared at bottom of all branches
and kept clean. This fhould be done
every year to get a clear ftem ; as the fide-
branches, that were left at a foot diftance
all round the ftem, begin to grow thick,
they mould be cut clofe off to the ftem ;
and if it is not near the bottom fome fmall
ones fhould be allowed to grow, and the
fide-moots that are fliortened upon the
main ftem mould always be thinned the
year following.

THIS work fhould be regularly perform-
ed winter and fummer until the tree has
got fufficient length of bole, and they will
be fine ftraight trees, free from all bio
mimes.

THE common rough -leafed Elm is a
good foreft-tree, and for many uies is pro

ferable

32 OF PRUNING

ferable to the Englifh Elm ; and it has
another confiderable advantage, that it will
thrive in very indifferent ground ; but
it has a great tendency to grow crooked,
to have a large head, with yery flrong fide-
branches.

IT may be pruned as the Englifh Elm;
but I know of no method, fo good to keep
them ftraight, as thick planting, and by
that they may be brought to be fine trees.
They mould be planted firfl at three feet
diftance, and in four years, every other
tree, may be taken up and removed into
another plantation, and planted at fix feet
diftance, which is fufficient room for them
to grow to timber.

ALL the other kinds, of Elms may be
managed as the Englifh, for they are all
of them of the fame nature as to their
culture, but far inferior as to their utility,
efpecially the Dutch, which thrives very
well for twenty years, and then in general
is at a ftand ; betides, the wood is of no.
great value. 2

F O R E S T - T R E E S. 33

THE Elms of all kinds, although they
have never been pruned, and are grown
very rude, may be reduced to order with-
out any detriment to the wood ; but the
whole bole will pum young fhoots after
they are pruned, as well as where there
are branches cut ofF, and will take a
good deal of labour to keep them clean
for three or four years.

*•

IF the trees are ftrong and fHff in the
bole, for they may be pruned at any age,
the head fhould be left round and
handfome, which greatly hinder the
Ihoots from growing fo numerous on
the bole, and they will fooner give over
growing ; but if the bole is {lender, the
top mould be lightened to the very lad
year's moot, but none of thofe towards the
top mould be cut clofe ; and it will be ne-
celTary to leave fome branches two or three
feet long, but they mould be as equal
round the bole as poffible.

THE pruning of Firs and Pines may bs
VOL. II. C per-

34 OF PRUNING

performed with tolerable fafety ; but if is
not to be recommended as a good practice-
The befl method is to plant them in?
clumps, even on good land, at ten feet
diftance tree from tree, and they will
prune themfelves.

BUT if Silver or Spruce Firs are in-
tended for ornament, they mould have
fifty feet at leaft, and they will make a
fine ihew ; but as the ground round would
look naked for many years, the number
intended to ftand mould be planted firfr,
and then the fpaces between may be filled,
fo that they may ftand at ten feet diftance;
but they mould be removed before the
branches meet, for if they are deftroyed
it fpoils their beauty.

IF there is a ncceilJty to prune Firs ar
Pines that hang over and fpoil better trees,
it fhould be. done in the winter, and
no" branches be cut nearer than two
feet to the bole ; for if they are cut clofe
they make a blemiih, but if' cut long they
.decay gradually §nd do no hijrt.

FOREST-TREES. 3-

THE method of pruning here directed
may feetn to take a great deal of labour,
and be a very great expence, more than the
advantage the trees will repay. By being
pruned the trees will be of a much greater
value, and the expence will not be much,
if regularly performed every year. As to
the pulling the young moots at the proper
feafon, for then they will come off very
eafy, a man will go through a great many
trees in a day, even if they are large ; for
although the directions are long, they could
not be abridged to be made plain, as they
are not in general practice ; but when once
they are regularly carried on, they will not
be expenfive, and will anfwer beyond the
moft fanguine expectation,

WHEN the trees are fmall and can be
eafily bent, they may be pruned and pull-
ed by the hand, {landing on the ground ;
but when the trees are become ftron<r and

o

{tiff, it is not a g'ood way to bend them,
for although they may feem to receive' no
hurt, it certainly .{trains the bark on both
fides, and muit be a great detriment.

3S OF PRUNING

WHEN the boles are fo weak that they
cannot bear a ladder, and are too ftiff to
bend, the beft way is to have a light pair
of fleps fix or eight feet high, which will
be a fufficient length to clear the bole until
it is ftrong enough to bear a common lad-
der ; and the common pruning irons will
drefs the tops r there mould be three
fizes of them ; they are called half-moons.

THE management and right ordering
plantations on good, or even middling land,
is of the utmoft confequence ; and nnlefs
they are properly taken eare of will never
be very fine timber. Trees on good land,
will thrive, and there will be many fine
ones amongft them, although there is no
care taken of them after planting ; but
there will be many bad ones to one good
tree. If they had been drefied, all or
the greateft part of them would have been

good timber.

•

THERE are to be feen in natural woods,
and alfo in plantations, many mere bufhes-

vvith

FOREST-TREES. 37

with boles not a yard long, which would
have been good trees, had there been a
little labour beftowed upon them. When
the following directions are put in practice,
they will remedy all thofe evils, and fave
many a tree.

ON poor land, as has been before re-
lated, thick planting will anfwer the ends
of pruning and dreffing ; but on good
ground it will not anfwer to make good

O O

trees, unlefs proper care be taken of them ;
and they mud be treated in quite a diffe-
rent method from thole on poor ground ;
for as the trees grow much fafter, they
will require care and labour to keep them
in order, but no great ex.pence if regularly
performed.

IF trees on good land are planted thick,
which is the beir, method, they muft be
pruned regularly fummer and winter, as
directed, for they muft never be allowed
fo grow to be thickets, for that would
draw and fpoil them entirely ; and a.s they
C 3 are

3& O F PRUNING-

are planted thick, to remove when t*hey
want room, to encourage their growth at firft
planting, and all the trees being regularly
pruned, when they are to be removed
you have only to drefs their roots, and
move them into another plantation.

- IF they are to carry only a little
way, thofe taken up in the morning can
be planted in the afternoon, their roots
will require but little dreffing (if pro-
perly taken up) although there be no
earth carried \vith them ; but if they were
moved with fmall flat balls, which may
be eaiily done, as they will have good
flat roots, and there would be no occa-
fion to.. cut any more than the fmall flrag-
gling roots that were cut with the fpade.
in taking them up.

THE expence of carrying them with
balls will not be great, and gentlemen that
are fond of planting would not regard
fuch a trifle to have another plantation as
large as the firft, which in two years it
wJH be impoffibls to diftinguifh which

FRUIT-TREES. 39

is the beft, or the firft planted. All
plantation son good land mould be planted
thick, and managed in this manner, and
if they were would be fine trees. But
there are many plantations on good land,
and planted thick, that are never pruned,
nor a tree removed, which are now mere
thickets of fmall and unfightly trees.

CHAP. XII.

Of Pruning Fruit-'Trees.

IN my treatife on gardening, I gave par-
cular directions for making Kitchen-
gardens in fuch a manner, that neither
the roots of the wall-trees, nor thofe
planted round vthe quarters, for dwarfs or
efpaliers, can meet with any obstructions
to canker and impede their growth. The
method in practice, is to mark out the
walks in kitchen-gardens, and to remove
all the good earth, and make them the com-
mon receptacles'for all manjier of rubbifh
during the making of the whole garden.

40 OF- PRUNING

THIS method is very prejudicial to the
trees round the quarters, which feldom
have above four feet to fpread their roots,
before they ftrike into the rubbifh. f his
is one caufe of their being fhort-liv'd, and
producing fo indifferent fruit after the
fourth or fifth year.

IT is a general complaint that all direc-
tions for pruning are fo prolix, that they
ate. difficult to be undcrftood, even by
thofe of experience in that branch. To
remedy thefe defects I mall ufe my ut-
moft endeavours to render this treatife

as plain and eafy as poffible.

-

THERE are many things materially
neceffary to be confidered betides pruning,
in order to. have healthful trees, without
which it is impoilible to have good fla-
voured fruit.

THERE are gardens that produce fine
fruit of a high flavour, and others con-
tiguous to them, whofe fruit are not
much fuperior to cra^bs in relifh, although

managed

FRUIT-TREES. 41

managed (as to pruning) both exa&ly
after the fame method.

THIS difference of flavour is generally
attributed to the fituation, but never to
the 'foil, from a fuppofition that there is
little difference.

A GOOD fituation is certainly of great
advantage to the flavour of fruit ; but if
the foil is improper, though ever fo ikil-
fully pruned, the fruit will not be high
flavoured, although often fair, and beauti-
ful to the eye.

THE general method in making the
borders in kitchen-gardens, is to make
them rich, without regard to the different
kinds of fruit to be planted in them.

WHEN thus prepared the trees will of-
ten thrive, look well, and produce great
quantities of fruit ; but it will be very in-
ferior in flavour to the fruit of thofe
trees that are planted in foils which are
properly adapted for them.

4? O F P R U N I N G

* . •

To remedy this evil, I mall give
directions for making the borders fit for
all kinds of fruit -, and to render this eafy,
it will be proper to plant a good many of the
fame fort together, and not promifcuoufly,
which is the general practice 5 for if they
are promifcuoufly planted, it will be dif-.
fkult to prepare the borders properly ; in
that cafe there muft. be a change in the
preparation every five or fix yards.

IN fmall gardens, where there is only
room for a few trees, perhaps one or two of
a kind, it will be eafy to prepare the bor-
ders at firft ; but difficult to keep fo many
parcels of compoft for recruiting them :
when that happens, to prevent trouble^
all the borders may be made of two forts,
viz. for peaches and cherries (as will be
directed under that head) which will an-
fwer tolerably well, and is the bed way
where' a gardener is not kept.

IN large 'gardens, where there is a large

collection of fruit-tree?, the preparation'

• • anfwers

BRUIT-TREES. 4^

anfwers for the fame kind of fruit on all
alpects. There muft always be a quan-
tity of each fort of the compoft ready
prepared, to lay on the borders every
third or fourth year ; this will keep the
trees many years in good heart, and the
fruit will be very high flavoured.

IT will be of great advantage to the
compofl for the borders to be turned over
three or four times in a year, and to be
two years old before it is ufed,

IT will add greatly to its fertility to be
turned over in winter when its hard frozen,
and all the frozen parts turned into the
infide ; it mould not be turned when co-
vered with fnow, unlefs it is fwept clean.

HAVINTG now given directions for
the management of the comport, be-
fore I proceed any further, mall give
general directions for planting all kinds
of fruit-trees, on walls, dwarfs, and ef-
paliers, on borders and in orchards.

WALL-

44- OFPRUNING

WALL-TREES fhould never be planted
nearer the wall at bottom than nine in-
ches ; if they are planted fo clofe, for the
bole to prefs againft the wall, it often gums
and cankers them.

THE proper diftances being marked on
the wall (which mould be afcertained for
each kind of fruit) open a hole a foot fquare,
and fixteen inches deep, in which lay a
flat flone at leaft two inches thick, and
on the ftone three inches of the mould
prepared for planting.

THE roots of the tree muft be pruned fo
to ftand (loping on the mould laid on the
ftone, the head inclining to the wall ;
fill up the hole with the planting mould,
•and tread it gently; then loofen it an
inch deep with the fpade, after treading
it. Cover eighteen inches round the
bell of the tree with mofs, two inches
thick, preffing it flat with the hand ;
fatten the tree to the wall with a imgle
nail and fhrezd, to prevent its being ihaken
with the wind, but fo loofe that the tree

may

FRUIT- TREES. 45

may not hang by the fhread, if the ground
mould chance to fink. There is nothing
further neceffary, until they are headed
down in fpring, which fhould never be
done before the buds begin to fwell.

THE trees for walls are generally
brought from fome diftant nurfery, and
are fbme days out of the ground ; for
which reafon all the fmall roots muft be
cut clofe off the main roots, and thefe
properly fhortened, and never left croffing
one another.

IT is preferable for all kinds of wall-
trees to have but one ftem to be young
and vigorous. If the ground is tolerably
dry in. autumn (after the leaves are fallen)
the fooner fruit-trees are planted the bet-
ter ; but if the bottom is of a cold watery
nature, the fpring is preferable.

IF the trees to be planted are on the fpot,

they may be removed with fafety, although

the leaves ars frelh : when that is the cafe,

2 there

46 OF PRUNING

there is no occafion to cut off any of tho
fmall roots ; but if they are out of the
ground a day, the fmall roots dry, the
bark fhrivels, and the tree often decays ;
for which reafon, it is beft to let the leaves
drop before the trees are removed to a dif-
tance.

CLEAN mofs is preferable to all kinds
of ftraw or dung, to lay round new planted
trees ; it breeds no vermin, and keeps out
the froft and drought : great care muft
be taken not to bring grubs with it from
the field, for it is often pulled up in great
pieces, in which there are many : it
would be worth the labour to leafe it all
over before it is laid round the trees.

THE planting of dwarfs or efpaliers in
the borders of kitchen-gardens, the mak-
ing of the holes, and laying the flat
ijones, is the fame as for wall-trees ; but
there is fome difference in the manner of
pruning the roots.

£ R U I T - T R E E S. 47

IN pruning the roots of wall-trees, thofe
on the fide next the wall mould be all
cut off, as there is no occafion for any
but thofe that point from the wall ; but
for dwarfs or efpaliers, the cafe is quite
different ; the roots fhould be cut to
fpread as regular as pcfflible all round, that
they may be able to defend the tree, let
the wind blow from what quarter it will.

IF the trees for dwarfs or efpaliers are
planted in autumn, it would be beft to
fatten them to a flake, and head them
down in fpring. A wet bottom is. very
bad for a kitchen-garden, efpecially to all
kind of trees \ for although fome of them
may thrive tolerably well, and bear a great
quantity of fruit, it is never good, if the
foil is prepared with all the art imaginable.

ESPALIERS are now banifhed all good
gardens, for many reafons : if the trees
are on paradife-ftocks, they are of fhort
duration, and often decaying in patches,
which makes them very'unfightly. If on

ftocks,

4S OF PRUNING

flocks, imlefs they are allowed a great deal
of room to fpread and to grow to fix feet
high, they require fo much cutting to
keep them in order, that they feldorn pro-
duce much fruit.

WHEN the efpaliers are allowed to grow
high, unlefs the quarters of the kitchen-
gai'den are large, in fummer they caufe
the herbage to draw up weak, it is then
never io good, nor fo well tatted as when
it has free air.

ESPALIERS are alfo flifF and formal,
and fpoil that agreeable rural look of trees
growing in the natural way.

APPLES on French paradife-ftocks,
planted at eight or nine feet diflance,
pruned and kept in an eafy manner, make
a fine appearance, and produce better fruit,
and in greater quantities, than when they
are in efpaliers.

TREES planted and trained thus, admit

free

F R U I T - T R E E S. 49

free air in^> the quarters ; and the little
openings give a view into them which is
pleafafit to thole that delight to walk in a
kitchen-garden.

IF the kitchen-garden is large, the trees
on the fouth-lide of the quarters, behind
the north wall, the infide of the garden,
may be planted with apples on Dutch pa-
radife-ftocks, and allowed to grow as high
as the wall ; it will be very agreeable ill
fummer : they laft much longer than the
French-flocks, and will bear more and
finer fruit ; the French paradife-flocks
are apt to canker, but if the walks are
good earth, the fame as the borders, they
will not be fo liable to that misfortune.

To prevent any unfightly trees in the
borders round the quarters, it would be
right to have a few fpare ones growing
in a corner of the garden, which might
be taken up with a bole, and put into the
place of any tree that is cankered or decay-
ing. If the tree that is taken up is not

VOL. II. D far

50 OF PRUNING

far gone, it may be planted in fome bye
place ; moving often flops the canker. The
only objection to training dwarfs in this
manner is, 'that the fruit is more liable to
be blown off than from efpaliers ; if the
firil (hoots are trained horizontal for two
years, they will grow flifF, and will not be
much hurt by the ftrongeft winds. This
manner of training will- alfo anfwer for
common orchards, the fruit will be much
eafier to gather, and not be fo fubject
to be blown off by the wind, as when
the. trees are high : it may be objected,
that the cattle -would crop the lower
branches.

THE laying flags at the bottom of all
fruit-trees is good in all kinds of foil. If
the roots are drefTed, and the trees planted
as directed, they will never go lower, but
fpread horizontally ; they will continue
many years, and bear excellent fruit.

IT is recommended by fome, and the
practice of many, to lay a quantity of rub-

bifli

FRUIT-TREES, 51

bifli in the bottom of borders, to prevent
the roots getting down into clay, fand, of
gravel : this never anfwers ; the roots
will ftrike into the rubbiih, and even
through it, if a foot thick, into the fand,
&c. hut as loon as the roots reach the
riibbiih, the tree cankers and 'the fruit
fpots.

«
THE roots of fruit-trees fhould not be

above one foot deep in the ground, for the
foil below that is hard, dry, and full of
rancid vapours, even in good foil. The
nouriihment the roots draw from thence
fpoils the rich flavour that thofe fruits
have whofe roots are no deeper than the
air and rains penetrate.

IT is the general opinion that old trees
cannot bear good fruit on account of their
age ; thL is feldom the cafe ; the reafon
indeed is, ail the fmall roots are fpread too
deep into fand, grayel, or clay ; hence they
canker, and the fruit is fpotted.

D 2 APPLES

52 OF PRUNING

APPLES on crab-flocks will laft many
years, and bear good fruit. An in fiance
of this I faw in the ruins of a, monaftery
which had been in the fame family ever
fince its difTolution, and by tradition the
fame trees that were in the place when
it firil came into their hands fome hundred
years ago.

THE trees were much decayedybut what
were alive of them bore fair round fruit,
equal except as to fize to any tree of ten
years old. The whole orchard was paved
with bricks; the foil twenty inches deep, a^
fine rich loam. There was a plantation of
pear-trees about thirty years old ; which
had covered the wall fome years, and
produced great quantities of fine fruit ;
at laft they began to canker, and the fruit
to pit : they became every year worfe.
But the following experiment brought
them to flourifh again :

THE ground was opened all round the
bole of the tree at three feet difhnce ; the

roots

FRUIT-TREES. 53

•roots were cut oft" all round at that dif-
tance ; the bole thinned to the thicknefs
of two feet, a ftone put under it, and the
whole filled up with a good freih loam.

THIS was performed in winter; it was
late in fpring hefore they came into leaf.
They made no moots, and the few fmall
leaves they had foon decayed : they had
fbme water in the fummer. This is a
proof of the great utility of preventing the
roots from {inking too deep into the
ground.

NEXT fpring they were In leaf as foou
as any of the fame kind, made little wood,
but clean, and had fome fruit, which
was fair and clean. The third year they
v/ere as vigorous as when firft planted.,
.quite clear of canker, and produced a
great quantity of fine fruit.

HAVING given directions for planting,

with fome reafons for what has been faid

on that head, we mall now proceed to

D 3 prepare

54 OF PRUNING

prepare the borders for each kind of fruit,
adapting the foils that will preferve the
trees healthy, and bring the fruit to its ut-
moft perfection in fize and flavour.

THE foil and fituation fhould be confi-
dered in fixing on a fpot for a kitchen-
garden, for if there is not a foot or more
of good foil the expence will be immenfe,
if the garden is only of a moderate fr/ie.
The beft natural foil for a garden is a
light Joam, and where eighteen inches
deep of fuch a foil can be got the expencu
will be trifling.

20 prepare Soil for Apricots.

THE favourite foil of the apricot is a
light loam : if the natural foil is a rich
Joam of eighteen inches deep, dig from a
common as much light fandy earth^ as
will fpread fix inches thick all over the
border ; to every load of fandy earth add
one barrow of rotten dung. If the
raj earth is fandy, add one third of

loam;

FRUIT-TREES. 55

loam ; and to every four loads .of loam add
one of rotten dung. If the natural full is
gravelly, add one half ftrong loam, and to
every three loads of loam one of rotten
clung, and one of rotten wood earth, if it
can be got. The compofition ihould
be laid on the border and trenched over
three or four times that it may be well
mixed ; the laft time mould be three
weeks before the planting feafon, that the
mould may be well fettled before the t:
are planted.

THE apricot is naturally inclined to
-moot ftrong vigorous wood, efpecially
when the border is rich ; dung is perni-
cious to all trees (vines excepted) but
none fuffer fo much from it as apricots,
for it makes them gum and canker.

APRICOTS mould have more room than is
generally allowed them ; the Turkey kind
ihould never have lefs than thirty feet, al-.
though the wall is twelve feet high, and;
the other forts from twenty to tv/cuty-
fpurfeet. D 4

56 OF PRUNING

WHEN the planting feafon is come,
mark out the diftances, open the holes,
and difperfe the mould all over the bor-
der. Some time before planting prepare
the following competition for that pur-
pole, viz. four barrows of earth from that
prepared for the border, one barrow of very-
rotten dung, and one barrow of light rich
black earth ; this is the proportion, the,
quantity mufl be according to the planta-.
tion ; it muft be well mixed and a barrow
and a half laid to every hole. The little
quantity of dung ufed in planting can
have no bad effect, it will make the tree
pufh forth fine ftrong roots the firfl year.

o prepare Borders for Peaches and
rincs.

PEACHES and nectarines are fo much
;ilike in nature, that they thrive very
well on the fame foil ; what is faid of one
jnay be underftood of both : the right
preparation of the borders is very mate-
vial, as on this the future fucgefs depends.

PEACHES

FRUIT-TREES. 57

PEACHES love a flrong loam, in which
they thrive heft, and will come to great per-
fection. Dung is a great enemy to them,
as it caufes them to moot fttong rambling
wood, which is very detrimental to the
trees ; it alib caufes them to gum, and
prevents their bearing.

IF the natural foil is a ftrong loam,
add one inch of very rotten dung, and
trench the border over three times.

IF the natural foil is gravelly, add one
half of ftrong loam, and two inches of
rotten dung; iffandy, which istheworft
of all foils for peaches, add three inches
of ftrong loam to one of the natural earth
and one inch of rotten dung ; if a fine light
rich earth, add one third of a good ftrong
loam. The borders mould always be
trenched over three times, after the proper
mixtures are laid on before planting. The
following compoft muffc be prepared for
planting : four barrows out of the prepar-
ed border, one of light black earth, and

one

5§ OF PRUNING

one of very rotten dung ; one barrow to
each hole. The proper diftance for
peaches and nectarines is feldom properly
confidered ; they are in general planted at
equal diftances, without regard to- their
growth, though many forts require a
great deal more room than others.

THE early forts of peaches and nectarines
fhould be planted from fourteen to fixteen
feet, the late fort from eighteen to twenty
feet. It is a general miftake in planting
walls with peaches and nectarines to have
a gr^at number of forts, that there may-
be a variety all the feaion ; fix or feven
good kinds properly chofen are fufficient
to afford plenty and variety during the
feafon.

THERE are many peaches fo much
alike that it is difficult to diftinguim them
even by good judges of fruit.

IT is a common practice to plant fire
walls with thofe that feldom come to per-
fection in England without heat.

FRUIT-TREES. . 59

BY this method, it is true, fine fruit
may be obtained that cannot be had other-
wife, but where there is not a great quan-
tity of walling it is attended with many
inconveniencies.

IT is abfolutely necerfary to allow
the trees reft, at leaft every third vear ;
the late forts will not then ripen their
fruit or wood if the feafon is not favoura-
ble ; when that is the cafe, much of the
young wood will be hurt by the froft in
winter, and the tree fo mangled, that
there is often a difappointmcnt upon an
ncreafe of the fucceeding year.

i

IF the walls are all planted with good
kinds that are eatable in favourable feafons
without heat, by the help of fire they
may be brought to the greateft perfection,
and in the year that there is no fire, they
ftand a good chance of ripening their
wood if the feafon is but indifferent.

'The Preparation of Borders for Pears.

THE propereft foil for all kind of pears
is a flrong loam : when the natural foil
is fuch, add one inch of very rotten dung,
and trench the border over three or four
times.

SAND and gravel are great enemies to
all kind of pears ; on fuch foil they mofs
and canker, and never produce good fruit ;
it is generally ftony and has no flavour :
where the natural foil is fuch, there mufl
be added a great deal of loam, and two
inches of very rotten cow-dung.

IF the natural foil is a {tiff clay, in that
cafe it will be proper to raife the border
•eight inches above the level of the ground,
which mufl be with the following mate-
rials : coal ames lifted very fine, wood
earth where leaves and {ticks have rotted,
foft fand from a pit, and rotten horfe-dung
of each an equal quantity, to be laid oa

the

FRUIT-TREES. 61

the clay, and worked over until it is well
mixed ; in which pears will thrive and
produce moft excellent fruit. The mould
for planting in this ftifF border is, one
barrow from the border, one of rotten
dung, and two of wood earth : this will
be fit for the trees to flrike root in, after
which they will grow very well.

No kind of pears mould have lefs room
than twenty feet, and many of the more
vigorous forts mould have twenty-four
or thirty feet diftance at leafr. ; for when
they have little room they grow fo full of
young wood and require fo much cuttingr
that they never bear well.

THE comport for planting with (except
the clay border) is, two barrows of the
prepared mould, one of rotten horfe-dung,
and one of light rich mould ; put one
barrow of it to a hole.

PEARS are a fine fruit and lafling, if

brought to perfection.. There are many of

3 the

6z- O F P R

the French kinds that are equal in good-
nefs, if not fuperior, to many peaches i
an agreeable entertainment in the winter
months.

THOSE that fooneft come to perfection in
England are, the winter Boncretien, the
Chaumontelle, Baiter Bergamot, Virgoule,
Colmar, Beurre, Crafan, and St. Germain.

7 ' t

THERE are fome of the above, viz. the
Crafan, Beurre, St. Germain, and fome
times the Colmar, prove tolerably good in
fine feafons, but are fo inferior to the fame
kinds in France, that if compared toge-
ther they would appear a different fort of
fruit. By planting them on a fire wall
and giving them a little heat from fetting
until they are fit to pull, it improves them
beyond the conception of thofe who have
not'feen the experiment. In fmall gardens
where the fouth walls cannot be fpared, if
the weft afpecl is flew'd it will anfwer for
pears and is much better for apricots, the
fruit is larger and much better flavoured ;

5 cherries

FRUIT-TREES. 63

cherries likewife are larger and not fo fub-
jecl to vermin as on a fouth afpect.

The Preparation of the Borders for Plums.

GRAVELLY light foils are the beil for
all kinds of plums ; they hear high flan 3
voured fruit in great quantities ; they are
not fo large as when planted in ftrong
earth, but the quantity and richnefsof the
flavour make amends for that deficiency,,

IF the natural foil is a loam, add an
equal quantity of poor light fandy mould
from a common.

IF a rich black foil, add one third of
fandy loam and one third of poor gravelly
earth from a barren common. If the na-
tural foil of the borders is a light fand,
add one half of a ftronger loam ; if the
natural foil inclines to clay, it is very un-
fit for plums ; it muft be made light or
there will be little hopes of fuccefs. One
half of the earth mnft be taken out of the

border

6± OF PRUNING

border and replaced with light rotten
wood earth if it can be got, or with rich
black earth : to every load of earth add
one of fine fmall gravel. To all the dif-
ferent foils add one inch of very rotten
horfe-dung, then trench the whole border
over three or four times ; the oftener the
clay border is worked the better. In all
of thefe preparations plum-trees will
thrive and bring their fruit to great per-
fection.

THE proper diftances for plum-trees
are from iixteen feet to twenty ; it is
much better to have fewer trees and allow
them room to fpread ; they will be the
handfomer, and bear a greater quantity and
better fruit ; for trees that are crowded
produce much wood and little fruit.

^o prepare the Borders for Cherries.

CHERRIES thrive beft in a fine light
rich loam ; in fuch they bear great quan-
tities, and the fruit has a high flavour. If

the

FRUIT-TREES, 6$

the natural foil be a ftrong loam, add a
large quantity of fbft pit fand until it Is
almoft a fandy loam : if a. fandy foil they
will thrive tolerably well, but if three or
four inches of ftrong }oam were added, the
trees would be more, vigorous and the
fruit much larger ; in. a fandy foil they
will be fooner ripe by ten days than in any
other mould : if the natural foil is a
light black earth it will anfwer very
well. If the natural foil is a flrong loam
inclining to clay, add foft fand, rotten,
wood earth or any other light foil to
make it light.

To all of thofe different mixtures rmifl
be added two inches of very rotten dung,
that has been turned feveral times. The
whole muft be trenched over three or four
times that the border may be well mixed
before -planting. *The diflance for cherries
of all kinds is from eighteen feet to twen-
ty-four ; this may feem a great dlfhmce,
but there will be more fruit on one tree
that covers twenty-four feet of wall, thaii

VOL. II. E there

66 O F P R U N I N G:

there would be on two trees {landing orv
the fame length of ground.

THE only objection that can be made to
this great diftance is, that it will be fome
years before the wall is covered ; but if
the method of training the trees here di-
rected be followed, they will foon co-
ver it : however, to ' remove that ob-
jection, plant ftandards between, which
may run into fruit without any regard
to the trees, for they muft be cut out as
the dwarfs advance.

THE competition for planting is, four
barrows of the prepared mould for the
border, to one of very rotten horfe-dung.

IN the competition of the mould for
planting, there mould be always ready
fome of the prepared border mould ; what
Is meant by that is, fome of the mould of
the border, the trees are to be planted iny
after it has been trenched and well mixed:
this is to be obferved ia all the different
kinds of foils*-

F R U I T - 1 R E E S. 67

70 prepare the Borders for Figs.

FIGS thrive only in a fine light rich earth ;
their large roots are long and fmooth,
and pufh out many fmall fibrous roots
which are too tender -to make their way
into a {tiff mould ; on this account there
are little hopes of fuccefs, unlefs they are
planted in light rich mould.

IF the ground is gravelly or fandy, the
cleaning of a pond that lias not been
drained for fonie years, and rotten wood
earth might be added, until there is furfi-'
cient to make it light and rich.

THE diftance a fig- tree will ipread on a
wall in proper foil is very great : there were
fome old fig-trees of a large fize which co-
vered a great length of wall in many
parts of England that were greatly hurt
in the year 1 739.

FIGS mould be always planted at the

•diftance of twenty feet from each other ;

i? f

E 2, for

63 OF PRUNING

for if there is not room to lay in young
wood, there will be very little fruit. The
compoiition for planting thefe trees is
two barrows of fine light mould, one of
rotten horfe-dung, and one of rotten wood
earth. It mould be obferved that in the
directions for planting mould, the quan-
tities muft be proportioned to the fize of
the plantation.

THE proper foil for an orchard is. a fine
light loam, they will grow and bear fruit
in all good earth that is twenty inches
deep, and a dry bottom.

CLAY, fand, or gravel are very unfit to
plant fruit-trees in ; for though the ground
be well prepared before planting, they foon
decay.

WALNUTS, if planted for fruit, mould
have a good, light, rich, deep foil. The
trees raifed in the nurfery, that have been
removed at leaft three times, are the pro-
pereft ; the top-root being deftroyed, the

5

FRUIT-TREES. 69

fide-roots run horizontal, and then they
bear great quantities of fine fruit.

CHESNUTS planted for fruit, mould be
treated in ths lame manner as walnuts ;
but they will thrive in worfe ground.

MULBERRIES mould be planted on a dry
light earth, not too rich ; the ground all
round them for fix yards mould be covered
with grafs ; for if it is dug, they never
bear any quantity of fruit, and what they
do, will be very indifferent.

FILBERTS will thrive, and bear great
quantities of fruit, if planted on a dry,
light gravelly foil, and the fruit will be
much fweeter, than the fruit of thofe
planted in rich or ftrong land. If the
walks in the kitchen-garden are of the
fame foil wilh the quarters, there is no
neceiiity for the borders to be very broad ;
but if they 'are lefs than ten feet, the walks
mould be prepared the fame as the borders, «
before the gravel or fand is laid on, which
mould not exceed four inches.

70 OF PRUNING

IF there is a fruit wall near amanfion,
it would be neater to have the gravel laid
clofe to the wall : it will be no detriment
to the trees, provided the ground is pro-
perly prepared before the gravel is laid on ;
and once in three years it muft be taken
up to lay fome frefh compoft to the trees.

THE preparing the fruit borders of dif-
ferent kinds, fo that each fort of fruit
may have its proper foil, is not fo great an
expence as what is beftowed in the com-
mon method of making all the borders in
the garden equally good.

To keep the trees in heart, and the
fruit in perfe&ion, there mull be fome
frefh compofl laid on the borders every
third year.

IF thefe dire&ions are carefully ob-
ferved in preparing the borders, and plant-
in^ the trees, there will be no doubt of
having good trees and fine fruit, provided
they can be kept from blighting.

THERE

FRUIT-TREES. 71

THERE have been many things pre-
icribed to prevent and cure blights, none
of which have yet been found effectual.
However, there are a variety of things
that are great helps ; and it is my opinion,
.the reafon of their mifcarriage is owing
to the directions not being duly obferved.

"I SHALL give a receipt that has done
great things; and where the directions
•have been minutely followed, have never
failed, as I could hear o£

A Preparation to prevent 'Blights.

PROVIDE two tubs that will hold two
•hogf heads each, if the garden is large and
a great number of trees ; if a fmall garden,
tubs that hold one hogmead each will be
fufficient.

PUT into one of the tubs two pecks of
x:lote lime ; fill up the tub with clear wa-
Jer, flirring it up from the bottom.

E 4

72 OFF RUN I N G

NEXT day draw off the water, as long
25 clear, into the empty tub, fill tip the
lime tub with clear v/ater, itir it up, and
when clear,, draw off as before. ' This muft
be repeated every day until there is a hogf-
head of clear lime water.

To a hogfliead of clear water muft be
added . fix pounds of flour of brimftone,
.and four pounds of tobarco duft, which
is difficult to mix the fulphur and duft
with water: take a fmalltub, into which
put the fulphur and duft, add a little wa-
ter, and mix them gradually, adding more
as it grows wet ; thus you muft proceed
until the whole is mixed 4 it muft then be
put into the- tub of clear lime water and
well ftirred ; it is then fit for ufe.

THERE is a liquid that is fqueezed from
the tobacco in preffing,' which is much
better than the duft.; thofe that are near
.a tobacconift, may get it for a trifle.- One
pint of it Jnftead of the tour pounds of
duft. A hand-engine is very proper for

warning

FRUIT-TREES. 73

wafting the trees, but where there is not
one, it may be done with a water-pot and
role, {landing on a ladder.

A PECK of freftilime added to that firft
put in, will make fix hogfheads of clear
water, which muft be drawn off as be*
fore ; the fame quantity of fulphur and
duft (or liquid) muft be added to every
hogfhead of clear water. The trees fhould
be warned as foon as the buds begin to
bnrft, at 'leaft three times a week. At
that feafon the nights are in general frofty,
therefore the trees mould be warned be-
tween feven and nine in the morning.
When the feafon is farther advanced, it
will be found necelTary fometimes to wafh.
them till the beginning of June ; the frofty
nights being then over, they may be
warned from five to feven o'clock in the
afternoon;

WHEN the leaves begin to fpread, if
any of them curl, they mould be pulled
pfF. This wafh is alfo good for goolbcrnes

and

74 OF PRUNING

and currants ; it has .brought peach-trees
to flourim that were thought pafl all re-
covery.

THE foil being improper often caufes
them to blight, and to grow in fuch a
rude manner that the beft initruments in
pruning cannot keep them in order ; when
that is the cafe, the foil and depth of the
trees roots mould be examined. If the foil
does not correfpond to any of thofe kinds
directed, for the kind of fruit growing in it,
Xhe border mould be properly prepared,
and if the roots haye got jtop .deep, they
fhould be railed.

IF the roots of peaches or nectarines are
too deep, and the trees above eight or nine
vears old, it is better to plant near one j
all other kinds of fruit may be moved afV
ter bearing thirty or forty years.

HAVING now gone through the prepa-
ration of the borders, planting the frees,
and given fome directions to prevent their

blighting,

F R U IT-TR £ ES.

blighting, I now proceed to the manage-
ment and pruning of them,

The Management and pruning of Aprkdf
frees.

THE fpring after planting apricot-trees,
as loon as the buds begin to pufh, head
them down, if the trees are healthy and
/Irong, to fix eyes, if weak, four will be
enough,

RUB off the fore-right moots that are
produced on the flock, and nail the fide
branches 'as foon as they will reach the
wall.

IF the tree \v«s left with fix eyes, there
will be at leafl two fhoots of a fide ; if to
four eyes, two branches of a fide, which
fhould be nailed horizontally at five or fix
inches diftance. The latter end of Octo-
ber they mould be pruned, if they have
made vigorous moots, to eight, nine, and
ten inches; if weak, three, four, and five,
do : they mould be nailed directly.

?6 OF PRUNING

Itf the fprmg* when the bads begin to
pufh, all the fore-rigfcteyes mould be rubbed
off, and the young fhoots laid regularly in
from the- Jail year's wood, at five, fix, and
{even inches diftanee, which mould be
nailed as they advance in length all the
jfummer. It is the common method to
Iptir apricots ; but it is better to keep them
full of young wood ; the fruit is much
larger, and fhe bloffom is not fo liable to
be killed by the froft in fpring, as'that on

the fpurs which is fo far off the wall.

i

Tii£ next October the young moots
mufl be mortened according to their
ftrength, to four, fix, eight, and' ten
inches : perhaps there may be fome very
vigorous fhoots, which mufl be cut to
eighteen inches or two feet long, if there
Is room to lay it in and the young moots
"that come from it, if not cut it clean off.

IN fpring the fore-right buds muft be
rubbed off; as the tree is now large, this
work mufl be performed at different times,

and

FR U I T-T R E ES. 77

and the wood for next year laid in from
time to time until the tree is wellfurnifhed
all over. The young wood fliould be laid
in from the buds that ftand fair, on the
fides of the laft year's (hoots ; aiid none
iuffered to grow .but thofe that are laid jii
for wood. It muft be obferved, that GO
Hone fruit is fond of being cut at this fea-»
fon : much work may be performed in 3,
little time by rubbing off all fuperfiuous
buds. If this method is followed the
tree will be .handibme and produce good
fruit, and will not be fubjecT: to gum,
which occafions the lofs of many a tree.

WHEN a ftrong luxurious branch is pro-
duced in any part of the tree, it is bell to
cut it clofe off ; for if it is fhortened to pro-
duce wood, which is often recommended,
it never anfwers, for the moots that come
from it are never good, and are very fub-
jecl: to gum.

7$ OF PRUNING'

Of ihe Management and Pruning of Peaches'
and Neffiarines.

IN the management of peaches and
nectarines there will be neceflarily repeti-
tions of fome things that have been faid on
the management of apricots and other*
trees ; but it will (I imagine) be more
agreeable as Well as ufeful, to have ample
directions on thefe fubjects we are treating;
of, therefore I (hall plead its utility as a:
fofficient apology for fuch repetitions.

ALL peach-trees, proper for planting,
fhouM be young and vigorous, have onlv
one ftem, and neter headed down unti*
the fpring ; as foon as they begin to pufh,-
they muft be headed down, if ftrong trees,'
to fix eyes, if weak, to four eyes: when
headed, open the ground a little on that iider
next the wall, and prefs the tree gently'to
it, until the top where it was cut oft"
touches the wall.

FRUIT-TREES. ty

IT will be of great 'advantage to have)
an equal quantity of freih cow-dung, and
itiff mould mixed, as thick as common
pafte, and put on 'a thin layer all over
the cut part dire&ly ; this will prevent
the froft, fun, or wet, from penetrating
the wound, and keep it from gumming,, to
which they are fubjecl:. As foon as the
young moots will reach the wall, they
fliould be nailed horizonally ; all the fore-
right buds muft be nibbed off, and if the
feafon is very dry, they mould have a
little water ; if the trees were headed
down to fix eyes, they will produce at
leaft two good moots of a fide : the lower-
moil of each mufl be cut to fix or eight
eyes, and the upper ones .to four or five
the next pruning time. The trees that
were headed to four eyes may have good
branches on each fide, which may be cut
to fix eyes.

IN the fpring all the fore-right moots

mu ft be rubbed off as they appear ; from

the fhoots that were cut eight eyes, three or

6 four

So OF PRUNING

four good fhoots may be laid in from each;
and thofe cut to fix eyes, two or three
proper branches may be laid in for wood j
all others rmift be rubbed off, that thofe
laid in may have room to grow and the
fruit to ripen : they mould be nailed as
they advance in length, for it is very pre-
judicial to the young wood of peach-trees,
to be blown and twitted by the wind, ef-
pecially where they are ftrong, as thofe
that are managed thus will certainly be.

Itt the autumn they mufl be pruned j
and mortened according to their fl'rcngth ;
if they have thriven as they mould,' they
will be all vigorous and in great heart ;
but none of the branches mould be cut
fhorter than fix eyes, and the ftrongeft to
nine and ten ; they mould be nailed as
foon as pofllble after they are cut. The
next fpring they will bear plenty of blo£
foms, and as they are now come to a
pretty good fize, they muft be carefully
looked over, and all the branches that are
not to be laid in for wood, rubbed off

while

FRUIT-TREES. 81

while young, that there may be no bufi-
neis for the knife at the pruning feafon,
but to morten the branches. This is ths
bell method to keep peach and nectarine
trees in good order.

PEACHES and nectarines are in general

o

long in lofing their leaves ; autumn is the
proper time to prune them ; the trees
now being large, it is neceffary to have a
full view of them before they are cut,
which cannot be done when full of leaves.
It is very prejudicial to the buds to pull off
the leaves when green ; for fbmetimes the
bark is torn* which often caufes the young
{hoots to gum, and fpoils the wood in
many parts of the tree.

A PERSON with a fharp knife will cut
them off very foon, fo that the whole tree,
may be feen : they mould be cut an inch
from the bud, which will foon decay, and
drop off without injuring any part of the
tree. It is a great advantage to prune
peaches and nectarines early, the young

VOL. II. F wood

8* OF PRUNING

wood then being of a foft nature, it ha:r
a large pithy heart, and is liable to be
greatly injured by rain and froft, if it hap--
pens foon after cutting. When peach-trees
are cut early, the days being long, and the,
fun of great force, the wounds are fbon
healed, and they are as fafe from froft as
if they had not been cut.-

ALL trees pufh faft-at the extremities/
and none more fo than peaches and necta-
rines ; it is the nature of them to grow in
winter, notwithstanding the feverity of
the cold frofty weather, in defiance of
which they make an early pufh. If they
are not pruned m the autumn, they can-
not be done with fafety before the begin-
ning of March, and then the frofts ar.e
often feverer than they are any time in
October. The extremities of the branches
which are GutofTin pruning, in hard win-
ters, by the end of February are iwelled
round ; this is wafting the fubftance of the
tree to no purpofe ; neither do the buds

blow
6

FRUIT-TREES. 83

blow fo ftrong as thofe that are cut in
autumn.

THER£ are many objections made by
fome gardeners to the pruning of fruit-
trees in autumn, but they are in my opi-
nion in general frivolous, and not worth
confuting. Let the directions given be care-
fully attended to and they will all vanifh.
As foon as convenient, a-ftei* the trees are
pruned, let them be nailed ; all their ex-
tremities bending a little to the right
and left, from the middle of the tree, ne-
ver allowing two mreads to bear the fame
way, nor permit the branch to reft a-
a nail, for it cankers it.

THERE i-s many a good tree injured-
by being pinched m the fhread ; the befl
method is to un-nail the whole tree, and
then diipofe of the large wood regularly all
over the wall, the young wood will fall In
properly of eourfe.

IN th-e fpring, when the trees begin to
F 2 pufh.,-

84 OP PRUNING

pufh, they muft be looked oyer^ and afj(
fore-right and fide-buds rubbed off, leav-
ing none but thofe that are to remain for
next year's wood : this can be done now '
with more certainty than when the leaves
are farther advanced ; but as many buds
will pufh afterwards, this work muft be
repeated as often as there is occafion, that
is, as long as any fuperfluous wood grows.
If thefe directions are followed, they will
be thriving trees, the fruit good flavoured,
and but little ufe for the knife at the
pruning feafon.

THE thinning of peaches and nectarines
is very material ; on the judicious perfor-
mance of this depends the flavour and
iize of the fruit. It is not the largeft fort of
peaches that are the beft, but a large peach
of a good kind is much higher flavoured
than a middling fized one of the fame fort,
If there are a great many fet in clutters, it
is bell to thin them at three different
times ; the firil fhould be when they are
as large as a fmall pea; three then may be
3 left

FRUIT-TREES. 85

left in each clutter ; ill twelve days tirade
another may be taken of, and in a week af-
ter that another, always leaving the largeft.
The difiance muft be recording to the fize
of the fruit ; on the nutmeg kind two
and thr,:e inches ; on the early forts, three
or four inches ; on the largeft forts five,
fix, and leven inches ; ne&arines do not
reqi.Le to ftand fo thin as peaches ;
three, four, or five inches will be fufficient,

PEACHES and nectarines are generally
thinned with the hand, but that is not a
good method ; for where they are fet very
thick, it is irnpofTible to pull them off
without damaging the ftems of thofe left
on the tree : the beft way is to cut them
off with a lharp knife, leaving a thin piece
of fkin on the tree, which will loon drop j
if they are thus managed, neither the tree
nor fruit is hurt, both of which of-
ten happen in the common method of
thinning them. All large vegetables
ought to be banifhed from the peach
Borders ; then two inches of the prepared
F 3 com-

16 OF PRUNING

.competition every third year will be
enough to keep the trees in good order.

THE firft time the border is recruited,
the compofl ufed mould be the fame as in
preparing the border before planting ; but
in a few years it may be neceffary to make
fome change, it being proper to keep the
border to a ftiffim loam,

The Management and Pruning of Pears,

IN fpring when the buds begin to moot,
the tree muft be headed down according to
its ftrength ; that is, four or fix eyes. As
foon as the branches will reach the wall
they mould be nailed. If there are five

, y i ....... i-l

fhoots, which fometimes happens (there
will foon be a handfome tree) two of each
fide muft be trained horizontal, that in
the middle upright, that it may be ftrong
againft the pruning feafon. The tree
Jieaded down to four eyes, if it produces
three good fhoots, will alfo foon make a
good tree : a moot on each fide mufr. be

trained

FHU IT-TREES. 87

trained horizontal alfo, and the middle one
-upright.

IF the new headed tree produces only
two (hoots, they muft be nailed a little Hop-
ing to the right and left. If the tree with
two fhoots is ftrong, at the pruning feafon
cut them to fix or eight eyes, three or four
good moots may be expected from each of
them the following feafon ; but if they are
weak, cut them to four eyes : there mould
be no more than two fhoots from each
allowed to grow. The only way to
ftrengthen a weak tree is to lay in little
wood, the branches then will make ftrong
ihoots. Tne reafon that fo few proper
branches can be laid in from moots cut to
fix, ieven, and eight eyes is, that fome of
the buds are fore-right, and fome clofe to
the wall.; neither of which can be trained
with any propriety.

THIS fummer many fpurs will form on

jthe branch»es trained horizontal, and on

the body of the tree, which mould not be

F 4 aljowej}

S8 OF PR U N I K Gr

allowed to grow nearer on trees that bear
fmall fruit than four inchesx and on trees
that hear large fruit fix cr feyen inches.
There will alfo much young wood fprout
all over the pld wood of the tree, which
fhould be rubbed oft when young, where
fpurs are not wanted ; where they are.
they fhould be allowed to grow until
the wood is hardened, then bjroke off fix

^ • *

inches from the branch it grows, on, anct
in the pruning feafon cut to one eye.

.

THE next pruning feafon the fame me-
thod muft be followed in every refpecl as
in the former, until the wall is covered.

THE horizontal branches, in fmall pears
{hould be fix inches difbnt from one ano-
ther, and in large fruit eight or nine.
When the tree is formed and the ip.urs at
proper diilances, there will a great many
young fhoots fprout out of each bunch of
the ip.urs, and if allowed to grow large,
will ipoilthem : they fhculd be all pulled
,vh on young but one £hoot? which mufl

remain :

FRUIT-TREES.

remain ; for if they are all taken off, it
will caufe feveral of thofe that are forming
into buds to moot into wood ; this moot
may be fhortened when the wood is hard-
ened (for after that time no more wood
will moot) and taken off clofe in the prim-,
ing feafon,

IF care is not taken the fpurs of pears
will grow large and a great way from the
wall ; they mould be thinned to two
inches diftance, and every year fome of
the longeft cut clean off. It would add
greatly to the beauty of the fruit to thin
them 5 they would alfo be better flavour-
ed ; but this muft be performed after a
very different manner from the method
ufed in thinning ftone fruit.

PEAP>S drop very much after they are as
large as peafe, and there is no knowing
thofe that will from thofe that will not,
until they begin to mine, which is a cer-
tain fign they will grow : they may be
Chinned by cutting the flalk with a fharp

knife.

[(9o O F P R U N IN G

knife. The borders mufl be recruited the
third year after planting ; for borders
-where pean-trees grow are in general made
too free with in growing vegetables, there-
fore they mirfl be repaired in proportion
as the earth is exhaufled. The firft com~
pofition that was laid on them mould be
the fame as that made to prepare them for
planting ; but as a few years working and
growing garden fluff may greatly alter
their nature, they fhould be nourifhed
with fuch a competition as will keep them
as near as poflible to a good loam, and not
too ftifT.

Management and Pruning of Plums.

THE tree fhould be of one year's growth
from the graft, for if older they do not
produce good wood when headed down,
but luxuriant fjioots and long rambling
branches.

THE fpring after planting, they mufl
be headed down to fix eyes, as mofl kind

of

FRUIT-TREES. 91

of plums are very free growers, and if
headed too clofe, they moot ftrong and are
apt to gum. From trees headed down to
fix eyes, four or five proper branches may
be expected ; if five, the odd one mufl be
nailed upright, and two on each fide
trained horizontal : if there are only four,
one on each fide mufr. be trained horizontal
aifo, and the other two inclining to the
right and left, keeping the middle of the
tree open ; all fore-right fhoots muft be
rubbed off as they grow, during the
fummer. Next autumn the ihoot that
was nailed upright muft be mortened to
fix eyes ; if very ftrong, which it often is,
it may be cut to ten eyes ; if the moots
were carefully rubbed off in fpring and
fummer, there woukl be little ufe for the
knife.

THE tree that had a branch on each fide
ihortened to fix eyes, fhould have four pro-
per branches of a fide, three on each mufr.
be trained horizontal, the other two fhort-
ened to fix or eight eyes and nailed as ber

fore

92 OF PRUNING

fore directed : the next fummer it will
bloiTom and bear 'fruit : there mould be as
many proper branches laid in on each
fide as can be done at a regular di fin nee ;
all fore-right and irregular (hoots rubbed
off as they appear, and none allowed to
grow but thofe deilgned for wood. Next
autumn the middle • branches livdjft be
Shortened to produce more horizontal
ones : this (ha^ic be repeated every au^

fl **"!

tumn and in the fpring, as many branches
laid in as can be proper ly got, until the
fpace allotted for the tree ib full ; but
pone of the branches trained horizontal
(hould be flopped until they have run as,
far as intended, .

s

THE diftanceof the horizontal branches;
in fmali plums mould be from three to.
four inches, and the fpurs on the branches
from t\va to three inches, On the larger
forts the diftance of the horizontal
branches mould be from four to fix;
inches, and the fpurs from three to fix.
The fpurs mint not be allowed to grow

into

FRUIT-TREES. 93

into large clufters ; they mufl be thinned
a little every year, and thofe the furthefl
from the wall cut clean off.

SOMETIMES great bunches grow where
the fpurs fprout, but that is feldom when
the tree is well managed ; when it hap-
pens they mould be cut clean off with a
chiflel, and fome of the mixture of dung
and earth ipread over the wound to pre-
vent its gumming ; there will much
young wood fprout from the place next
fpring, one moot of which mould be faved
to procure a new Ipur. If plum-trees
are managed as here direfted, they will
laft long in good order and bear a great
quantity of good fruit.

tfhe Management and Pruning of Cherries.

CHERRY-TREES for walls mould be
one year old from budding when planted ;
they produce much better, and make a
handfomer tree than, thofe that are older.

THEY mould be planted in the au-
tumn :

OF PRUNING

tumn : as foon as the buds begin to pufl-
the fpring they muft be headed down tc*
four eyes ; when the young fhoots reach1
the wall there mould as many be laid in
as can be properly trained ; that is, thofe
that come from the fides of the tree ; for
all fore-rigfit buds and alfo thofe between
the wall and tree muft be rubbed off.

No tree difagrees fo much with the
knife as the cherry ; if it is rightly mana-
ged in the fummer, there will be little'
ufe for th-at inftrument at the pruning fea-
fon : if there are four proper fhoots after
heading, which is often the cafe, as the
buds of cherries are more oppofite to one
another than in moft trees ; one of each
fide muft be trained horizontal, the othe?
two more upright, but ftill inclining to
fhe right and left.

IF it mould happen (as it fbmetimesf
does) that two branches can be laid in oij*
the one fide, and only one on the other,
cut one out, that there may be an equal

iuim-

FRUIT-TREES, 95>

number on both fides ; for if the tree is
darted with more branches on one fide, ifc
will be impoffible ever to make a handfome
tree : if the odd branch can be nailed up-
right in the middle to fhorten it for more
wood, it will anfwer well ; if the num-
ber of branches are even, the two middle
ones muft always be trained a little
more upright, that they may be ftrong a*
gainft pruning time to fhorten and produce
more wood. The trees that have upright
fhoots in the middle muft alfo be morten-
ed y whatever number of branches are
produced from thofe that are fhortened in
the middle of the tree, an equal number
muft be laid in horizontal on each fide ;
if there is an odd branch that can be nailed
upright it will do, if not, let it be cut out ;
if the number of branches are even, the
two next the middle muft be trained more
upright to fhorten at the pruning feafoa
for more wood. This muft be done every
year until there are as many horizontal-
branches as will fill the wall.

CHERRY-

95 O F P R U N I N G

CHERRY-TREES in general produce*
plenty of fpurs, but there are fometimes
ipaces where there is only young wood
which grows fmgle on the horizontal
branches; this mutt be encouraged to grow
until the wood is hardened ; they then
fhould be fhortened to fix inches, and in
the pruning feafon cut to two eyes to pro-
duce fpurs.

THERE are often on cherry-trees fmall
(hoots that are full of bloflbm buds ; theie
mutt be ihortened to an inch and cut to a
leaf bud.

THERE is no tree fo fubject to vermin
as the cherry ; the fpurs generally grow
in thick clutters ; grubs often lodge there
and deftroy the bloflbm before it comes
out, and frequently after it blows : to
prevent this, the fpurs fhould not be clofef
on the horizontal branches than three
inches; as they grow in clutters they
fhould never be nearer than half an inch to
one another ; that admits a free air all

round

FRUIT-TREES. 97

round the bloflbm, and there is no harbour
for vermin. The fpurs mould be kept a^
clofe as poffible to the wall, and when they
are thinned, thofe the fartheft from the
wall mould be cut orF.

THIS management will anfwer for all
kinds of cherries but the morella, which
requires a very different treatment : the
morella mould be planted and headed down
in the fame manner as the others ; what
branches it produces mould be trained re-
gtilarly on each fide at as great a diftance
as they will admit of, that others may be
trained in between them the following
fummer. There are no branches to be
ihortened, but as many laid in, as pro-
perly can be to the wall, at three and four
inches difiance ; which rriufr. be trained as
horizontal as poffible.

IN the ipring, when they pum,'the bud

next the bole of the tree mould be laid in

for wood ; and at fix inches diftance, and

continue -the fame over all the tree : they'

i VOL- II. G

98 OF PRUNING

muft be nailed as they advance in length*-
The next autumn the whole tree mould be
un-nailed, and all the branches fpread
equally : if there is not room to lay young,
wood in the heart of the tree,, there may
fome of the oldeft, that have bare wood, be
cut out, which is alt the cutting they
fhould have. They never fhould be
fpurred,. as they bear the fruit on the
lafr year's wood, which being very fmally
fhould be laid in at three inches diftance.
They fhould be carefully looked over in
fpring and fummer, and all fore-right buds,,
as alfo thofe that are not defigned for
wood, rubbed off; for as the branches are
laid in fo elofe, if they are furfered to-
grow rude it fpoils the fruit and wood for
next year. If they are managed thus, they
will continue long in good order, and beat
great quantities of fruit.

THE morella is always planted on a

'north afpecl, being thought fit for nothing

but baking; but when planted on a fouth

wall,, and- they hang on the tree till they

are

FRUIT-TREES. 99

are black, it is a fine flavoured fruit and
has an agreeable fharpnefs*

THE management and pruning of
pears, plums, and cherries, heading them
down, training the branches the firft year,
and fhortening them at pruning time, are
fo much the fame, that it may feem fuper-
fluous to fay any thing more than what is
directed for pears. This might anfwerin
general, but there are fome particulars
belonging to. each fort which fhould not be
omitted.

THE proper diftance of all kinds of
cherries is from eighteen feet to twenty 5
they bear much better fo than when
they are more crouded.

yfc Raffing, Management, and Pruning of
Pigs.

THE heft method is to raife them from

layers, which fhould be laid in the fpring ;

they will be fit to plant the fpring fol-

G 2 lowing,

ico OF P R U N I N 6

lowing. If a garden pot full of HgHf

rich mould was funk in a convenient place?

in the border where a young branch could

be laid, it would foon take root, and

might be cut cfF from the mother plant

and removed into fhelter the beginning

of wiriter. The laying the young branch

will no ways impede its growth. As foon

as it has mot ar* inch pinch out the heart,

it will produce feveral (hoots, and will be

a fine tree to plant next feafbn. The beft

feafon to plant figs is the middle of

March, the roots then are loft and fpungy,

and often mifcarry if planted in autumn,

efpecially if the winter is fevere, although

they fhould be covered.

I F the layer was iri a pot, the roots
fhould be pared off, and the ball put into
the ground. • The layers that are upon the
mother plant mould be planted as foon as
pomble after taken off, if in the fame
garden, with all their roots, which m-uil
be well fpread, for they will be numerous.
If they arc to be fome time out of the-

ground"

F R-U I T-T R E E S. 101

ground they mould be packed in mofs,
and before they are planted all the fmall
roots cut clofe off, and the large ones
Shortened.

ALL the branches of figs fhould be
naiied horizontal, er they will grow too
vigorous and bear little fruit. The proper
time to prune them is in October. If the
iroft has iiot deftroyed the leaves, they
mull be cut off; the little they bleed at
this feafon will not be of prejudice to
them.

THE only pruning they require is to
cut out fome of the ftrong old wood, to
make room for -young (hoots to be regu-
larly trained over all the tree, for $n
them only fruit is produced. As foon as
pruned the late figs muft be pulled off,
and all the branches nailed clofe to the
wall, and covered before the froft grows

IN fummer, all the fore- right branch? 3

and

102 OF PRUNING

and fmall wood that is not wanted mould
be pulled off when young, for if they are
permitted to grow ftrong they bleed
much, which is a great detriment to the
tree and fruit.

The Management and Pruning of Apples.

IT is uncommon to plant apples againft
walls, unlefs on north afpects, where
fometimes a nonpareil is placed to fill up
a vacant fpot.

NONPAREILS and golden pippins
planted on the fouth and fouth- weft afpects
are fuperior in flavour to many peaches,
.and preferable to mofr. plums ; no good
garden mould be without a few trees in
a proper afpeclr.

APPLE-TREES planted againfl: walls,
ihould be young and vigorous, and have
only one ftem free from canker, to. which
cliftemper they are fubjecl:.

THEY

FRUIT-TREES. 103

THEY (hould be grafted on free flocks,
that is, flocks raifed from the feeds of
large four apples, or crabs; but I think
crabs make the fineft trees,

THE proper time for planting is in
autumn, unlefs the ground is fubject to
wet in winter ; in that cafe the fpring is
preferable. They mufl be headed down
in fpring, and treated in every refpeft
exactly the fame as pear-trees: although
their fruit and foliage is very different,
they are much of the fame nature; the
6nly thing in which they differ from
pears is, that they are apt to have their
fpurs grow too clofe, which caufes green
worms to lodge amongfl them and eat the
bottoms of the bloflbms ; this is often cr-
foneoufly called a blight,

DWARF apples, round the quarters in
a kitchen garden, {hould be planted at fix,
ieven, or eight feet diftance, if on French
paradife flocks ; but if on Dutch pa-
radife flocks they may be planted at eight,

Q 4

104 OF PRUNING

' A :

nine, and ten feet diftance ; but tliefe
ihould never be planted facing fouth walls,
even if the borders are twelve feet wide,
and trie walks of equal breadth. If
apples on Dutch paradife flocks are
planted on the borders of the quarters
behind the north afpect, and allowed to,
grow, twelve or fourteen feet high, and
the garden is of an eafy defcent, it will form
an agreeable view in fummer from the

walks on the fouth fide of the garden.

i » ''. •

WHEN Dutch para$Jife apples are planted
to grow twelve or fourteen feet high,
they muff ftand at ten feet diftance, and
be trained to fill up the whole fpace ; but
in fo Iqole and eafy a manner that they
may appear natural, and have no refem-
Blance of a hedge0 When they are al-
lowed to grow fo high, there is fome
difficulty in keeping them from being
naked at bottom ; they muff not be trained
thick at firft, and have fome branches
(hortened every other year, to keep young

wood ia the middle and bottom of the

i

tree;

•

FRUIT-TREES. 105

tree ; the fpurs muft not ftand too clofe,
110 r allowed to grow in too great clutters.

IF the apples were planted in autumn,
and were fine young plants with three or
four good (hoots, they muft be headed
down in fpring, the two lowermoft to fix
or feven inches, the others to about ten
or more, according to their ftrength.

THEY muft be looked over in fummer,
and no tufts of young (hoots permitted to
grow but (ingle (hoots, and they at a
proper diftance, a foot and eighteen
inches.

IF they have thriven well, there will
te four or five good (hoots at a proper
difbnce on each of thofe that were
headed down ; and muft be (hortened
at the pruning fea(bn to produce more
wood, that the tree may be properly fur-
nimed as it advances in fize.

THERE is no certain rule for (hortening

the

io6 OF PRUNING

the branches (as in wall-trees) two or
three of thofe next the root muft be cut
the fhorteft, to fill the bottom of the tree.
The top will always be full enough, and
fhould be thinned in the pruning feafon,
that the bottom part of the tree may have
free air to perfect its wood and ripen its
fruit. Thofe on Dutch paradife ftocks
Should be treated in the fame manner,
only they mould be kept thinner, as they
grow much taller.

ESPALIERS are in general laid afide ;
they require a great deal of labour, and
are fo (tiff and formal that there are few
good kitchen gardens now have anyT

THEY hide the quarters in fummer,
although they render the kitchen garden
more agreeable to walk in ; but this is
not to our prefent purpofe. The kitchen
garden not . being a fit place for walking,
unlefs to thofe who are fond of its product,
and feeing the things growing and brought
to perfection ; if the garden is kept clean

6 and

FRUIT-TREES. 107

and neat, the growing of vegetables is
what it is defigned for, and ought not to
be hidden.

IF there are neat frames made, itis agreat
expence at firft, and they are formal and
flirF, in a few years they begin to decay,
and then muft be patched and mended ;
in winter they are very unfightly.

THOSE made with pales are the befl;
for although they are to repair every year,
after the fecond or third, it is a trifling ex-
pence, as all the work is done by the
common labourers, even if the pales are
bought at the dearefr. market, which
feldom happens, as they are to be had in
mofl country places. In fummer, when
the trees are in leaf, thofe efpaliers made
with pales are the handibmeft, becaule
not fo clumfy ; and in winter the frames
have no great beauty.

THE trees for efpaliers, whether apples
pr pears, fhould be young plants, having

th<?

O F P R U N I N G

the lame qualities as thofe for walls, and
be treated in every refpeft the fame, in
planting, heading down, pruning, and
training.

ALTHOUGH there are dwarfs, or efpa-
liers, all round the quarters of a kitchen
garden, it will he far from -being fuffi-
cient to ferve a family. Thus few fmall
families have large kitchen gardens, the
apples' for winter, fummer pears, and
other common fruits that can grow even
in a large kitchen garden, will be inferior
to the confumption of a fmall family.
A fmall family fhould have in fome con-
venient place a few baking apples, fummer
pears, fbme of* the common baking plums,
a tree of baking pears, fome damfons,
and filberts on ftandards.

THE above are necefiary in all families ;
but when they are planted in the kitchen
garden they entirely fpoil the herbage.
^yVhere the family is large there ought to be

£ large orchard, in which there fhoulci be
*

a quan-

FRUIT-TREES.

a quantity of all the above fruits ; to
which mould be added, walnuts, chef-
nuts, mulberries, and almonds. In the
north they feldom fucceed, but in the
fouthern countries they bring great crops.

CHAP,

CHAP. XIII,

Of the Ananas^ or Pine- Apple*

TH E culture and management of the
Ananas, or Pine-Apple, is brought
to fo great perfection of late years, that it
may be imagined it cannot be now improv-
ed, and may feem quite unneceflary to fay
any thing reflecting its propagation ; but
as there many things concerning them
materially, which are unknown to the
generality of thofe concerned in pine-ftoves,,
for their inftmctJon I mail give eafy and
fafe directions for railing the plants, and
bringing them to fruit much fooner than
by the common method.

THE common method with the crowns
is to cut off the foft pulpy end that is>

twifteds

ORPINE-APPLE,

twifted out of the fruit, and to pull off a
few of the under leaves, and lay them forrie
time in a fhady dry place to harden ; then
plant them in fmall halfpenny pots, and
plunge them into a bed of tanner's bafk,,
made ready in the breeding-ftove for that
purpofe.

IT is certain that a plant lying fo long.

JM

in drying, after it is deprived of its'nou-
rimment (the fruit) muft be a detriment
to it, and . greatly retard its growth, for
the leaves become foft and languid like any
other plant that is much dried in a fun-
ihiny day ; and were it not for the nature
of the leaves being ftrong, and of a very
different texture from woody plants, it
would mew its wrong treatment as much
as thofe would were they treated in the
fame manner.

THE cutting off the foft end that is
rwifted out of the fruit deprives the bot-
tom of the plant from ever puming out a
root, for it remains to the lafljuft as it

O'F THE ANANAS,

was cut off, and the pulling of the leaved
from the bottom deftroys moft or all off the'
frnall little knobs that are formed between
the leaves, and are the rudiments of the
•oots, all of which grow when treated in
the method Here directed.

THOSE alfo that are managed in the old
method are very fubjecl: to rot if taken off*
late in the feafon from the fruit, as then"
they cannot be fo well dried ; whereas
thofe that are planted in the new method
are in no danger if taken off in the middle
of winter, and they are no 'trouble, nor do
they require any place to be made oil pur-
pbfe for them.

THE fruiting pines are, or ought to be,
put into frefh heat in the fpring, which
will be a fine moderate warmth by the
time there are any pines fit to cut ; and
as there is always near a foot in front of
the bed between the flue- wall and the"
pots that fland in the forefide of the pit,
it will be fpace fumcient to hold many
6

OR PINE-APPLE. 113

crowns, though of no ufe in the prefent
method, neither mould there be any other
ufe made of it ; for if any pots were to be
plunged there, unlefs they were very fmall,
they would deprive the forefide row of
heat ; and if the plants in them are of half
the height of the pines, they prevent the
free circulation of the air amongil the
pots, which would be a great detriment
to the fruit.

As foon as you can procure the crowns
(the fooner the better after being feparated
from the fruit) make a whole in the bark
with a fetting-ftick two inches deep, then
put in the crowns, and make them faft in
the bark.

WHEN the crowns have been fifteen
days in the bark they fhould have a little
water once a week, and may be planted
within two inches of each other, and the
crown that is next the fruiting plant may
be placed within two inches of it, fo that

VOL. II. H there

ii4 OF THE ANANAS,

there may be three rows of crowns all5
along the forefide.

IT will be the befl method to carry
them all on as the crowns can be got,
for after they begin to grow it will be of
great fervice to them to be fprinkled
over with water twice a-week, as it will
keep the tan nioifr. ; but this cannot be
done where there any plants lately planted,
• for if they get any water before they
begin to grow it rots them. If there
are any crowns that are taken off in win-
ter, they may be planted into the bark
in any place amongft the plants where
there is room and air, and not very hot,
where they may remain until there are
ibme young plants to mift, when they
may be taken up and potted. The crowns
that are taken off lad: in the general crop
muft not be planted in the front of the
truiting-pit, but be difpofed of in the fame
manner as thofe taken off in winter; for
the houfe muft be all removed as foon as
the fruit is cut, fo that they would not
have time to get root.

OR PINE- APPLE.

BEFORE any of the pots are removed
raife the crowns out of the bark carefully
with a ftick, fo as to break none of their
roots. The pulpy part that was twifted
out of the fruit will be all rotted off, and
the bottom will be fmooth arid found, and
in good condition to pufh roots.

THERE will be many of the under leaves
alfo rotten, which mud be pulled off; then
there will be a good ftem, hard and found,
with many knobs for puming roots ; be-
fides there will be many fine roots which
have {truck while they were in the bark,
which will receive no check in being re-
moved. Cut the end of four or five rows
of the fmall leaves round the bottom, that
they may decay before the next mifting*
in order to get more flem to pum out roots,
for the longer the ftem is the more vigo-
rous will the roots be, and the plants will,
grow very raft. Plant them into large
halfpenny pots, taking care to lay the
roots fmooth, and plunge them into a
moderate heat, giving them a little water
II 2 the

n6 OF TH E AN AVN AS;

the next day, and they will require no
more for fome time.

THEY mould be fhifted again into pen-
ny pots before the roots are much matted
round the pots, which will be in about iix
or eight weeks. None of the raots muft
be difturbed, but taken carefully out of
the fmall pots and planted into the larger
ones, having firft put two inches of mould
into the bottom of thofe pots. Let the
mould be carefully put round the ball, fo
as not to break it, yet to make the plant
fail:, fo that there be no vacancy. Plunge
them into a tolerably good heat, and give
them a little water ; but they mould have
no more for a week, for pines mould
never have much water after (hifting, un-
til they begin to grow again.

THIS work may be done in any of the
winter months as iafely as in the fummer*
A moderate heat, a little water, and frefh
air mould never be omitted, if the weather
is ever fo cold, for it is againft nature to

imagine

OR P I N E- A P P L E. 117

imagine a plant can Jive and be in good
health without frefh air. Although pines
do not fb foon difcover the want of it as
many other plants that are more fucculent
or foft-leaved, yet they equally fuffer for
want pf it.

IF the plants have had no misfortune
and are thriving, they will require to be
fhifted into three-halfpenny pots in the
month of May, when they will be flrong
plants, and be in no danger of what the
gardeners call running (fruiting).

I CANNOT fay positively that this mift-
ing will entirely prevent it, as perhaps a
few may fruit ; but I can fay with truth,
J:hat there will not be twenty in five hun-
dred, which is next to nothing. Notvvith-
ftanding this, thofe that have had a check
by cold, or being too much heated, will be
liable to fruit,

IT fometimes happens that old plants

will not mew fruit at the proper time,

H 3 though

nS- OF THE ANANAS,
\

though they appear large and in good
health. This often happens when the
roots of the fruiting plants are burnt all
round the fide of the pot and go no further.
There are roots fufficient to fupport the
plant for a time ; and if they do not get
too much water at that juncture, having ft
good heat, they will foon pufh frefh roots,
and keep growing inftead of fhe\ving fruit,
\vhich they feldom do until the pots are
full of roots. This is the reafon why
fome plants are fo late in fruiting; and is
alfo a convincing proof that fhifting young
plants'*, before the roots are matted round
the pots, is a good method to prevent
their fruiting.

THE fuckers mould remain on the ftools,
or old plants, after the fruit is cut, until
.the whole crop is hnithed ; then they
fhould have a good deal of water, efpeci-
ally if there is a moderate heat in the
bark. As. the old plant has nothing to feed
but the lackers, they will grow to a large
fjze befor.e all the crop is cut, which will

ORPIN E-A P P L E. 119

be about the end of September, if the
plants fruited at a proper feafon.

ALTHOUGH the tan is in feeming good
order between the pots, yet underneath it
will be dry, hulky, and mouldy, if the
plant has had no water for fome time be-
fore the fruit be cut; therefore as foon as
the fruit is off it mould have a large quan-
tity of water, which will run through free-
ly, moiften the bark, an<l caufe it to fer-
ment afrem, which will greatly encourage
the growth of the fuckers. If they are
low in the pot they will ftrike roots and be
fit to pot as foon as they are taken off,
which- may be done with fafery, if there is
a proper heat to plunge them in ; for as
they have been long on the old plant their
items will be hard and dry.

As foon as they get roots. they are al-
moft ready to drop of^ fo there will be a
very fmall wound where they are taken
off the old plant, and no danger of rot-
ting ; but if there is only a few that have
H 4 roots,

i2o OF THE ANANAS,

roots, it will not be worth the trouble of
potting a fmall number. Cut the roots
off and plant them with the unrooted
fuckers, as hereafter fha!l be mentioned.
If the roots are not cut off they are apt to
rot when planted in the bark, and are de-
trimental to the young roots when they
pum.

SOME time before the fuckers are in-
tended to be taken off, there mould be a
place prepared in the breeding-dove for
their reception : the bark mould be
trenched over, and as much new bark
added as will make a moderate heat, and at
the top there mould be at leaft a foot of
old bark without any mixture of new ;
and when very dry, it mould be watered
until it is moifl.

THIS mould be done feven or eight days
before the fuckers are taken off, that th;8
heat may rife before they are planted ; for
if the bark be quite cold they will be in
danger of rotting ; and, which is full as

OR PIN E-APPLE. 121

'bad as if the heat was to he violent and
fcorch the {terns, which would retard the
plants three months, if it does not quite
fpoil them ; but if only a fmall quantity
of new bark be added, there will be little
danger of its being too hot.

As foon as the -bark is a little more than
milk-warm, take off the fuckers from the
old plants and plant them immediately
with a fetting-mck in the prepared bed,
jufl as they are taken from the ftools. They
may be planted in rows at fix or eight
inches diftance as they are in largenefs,
and four inches afunder in the row. They
fhould be four inches deep in the bark,
and if made fail: it will be of great fervice
to them to be planted that depth, for it
will rot the fmall leaves round the bottom
of the plant, fo that they may all be taken
off when they are potted. Their being
planted in this manner a fmall fpace will
hold many plants, which will give an op-
portunity of preparing the beds for their
reception when they are pitted*

THEY

122 OF THE AN ANAS,

THEY muft have no water for twelve or
fifteen days after they are planted in the
tan, by which time they will have begun
to pufh roots ; then they fhould have a
little water, if the weather is warm, twice
a week ; but if dull and cold, once a week
\vill be fufficient. When they begin to
grow freely they muft be watered fre-
quently ; and it will greatly encourage
them to fprinkle them all over once or
twice a week if the weather is fine, and a
good deal of ,inn ; but in dull days they
require none, as the air is then fufficiently
moift.

IN ftx weeks they will be fit to pot,
therefore muft be carefully taken out of
the bark with all their roots uninjured;
then take off the dead leaves ; but care
muft be taken to pull them no higher on
the ftem than it is of a dark brown, for
if they are taken off until the ftem is
white, they a're in danger of rotting. All
the fmrill leaves round the bottom that are
not decayed mould be ended, to make-

them

OR PINE-APPLE. 123

them rot before the next mifting, that
they may be pulled off to get a good ttrong
long item to pufh vigorous roots.

As many of the fuckers will be very
large, and have made roots five or fix
inches long, they mutt have penny pots
at their firtt potting ; nor mould they re-
main longer in the bark than to make
roots of that length, for if the roots are
longer they muft be either cut offor twill-
ed round the pot, or put into pots too large
for them, all of which are very detrimen-
tal to their growth. If there mould be a
'root too long to be laid even, it is better
to cut it off at a joint than totwift it round
the pot, or to plant the fucker in too large
a pot.

BY allowing the fuckers to remain fb
long on the mother plant, they grow
much fatter than if they were taken off as
foon as the fruit was cut : they alfo hard-
en in the ttem, and as they grow hard,
they alfo form fmall knobs on the fides of

their

124 OFTHEANANAS,

their (terns, which pufh ftrong roots im-
mediately on their being planted in the
bark, and the ftem, by being hard, is in
jio danger of rotting.

BY being planted directly when they ar-e
taken off, they lofe no time, and are not
retarded in their growth, which they do
when taken off and laid to dry, which is
the common method of treating them.

BEFORE they are planted the leaves are
{hrivelled, and it is fome weeks after be-r
ing potted before they recover their proper
pofition. The fmall knobs that are on the
{terns, which are the rudiments of the
roots, are all dried and loft ; frefh knobs
muft therefore pufh before there can be
any growth in the plants, which makes
it evident that the method here directed
forwards the plants almoit a year, and is
much eafier and more certain than the
common method that is in general prac*
tifed.

BEFORE the fuekers are taken out of

OR PINE-APPLE. 125

the bark, there fhould be a proper bed
ready., and the heat pretty ftrong ; for as
they are to be planted in penny pots, and
the roots not fuppofed to reach the fides of
the pots (for reafons before given) they
will grow much better if the heat is pretty
good.

As foon as they have been plunged a
day give them a little water to fettle the
mould to the roots, and they will not re-
quire any more for ten or fifteen days ;
after that time they fhould be watered at
leaft twice a week, and if the weather is
dry and hot, it will greatly encourage them
to fprinkle them with water once a week,
xmlefs it be late in the feafon, when the
nights are long.

THEIR being (hut up without air fup-
plies the leaves with moifture without
fprinkling, as the houfe will be fufficient-
ly damp all that time ; neither Ihould
there be any water allowed to fall into their
hearts in the winter ; but it is an advan-
tage

OF THE ANANAS,

tage to pour it in amongfh the bottom
leaves, in watering, even in winter, as it
waihes out all the dirt and nafiinefs which
is very apt to lodge in their hottoms, and
fometimes rots them oft clofe to the pot*
or decays the plant fo that the fruit ftem
becomes crooked, and the fruit grows de-
fedlive on that fide*

As foon as the roots are come round the
pot, fo that they can be taken out without
danger of breaking the ball, they fhould
be fhifted into large pots. Eight or tea
weeks is the ufual time allowed them for
mifting, but you may judge to a cer-
tainty by turning the plant out of the pot
carefully, at lead fo far as to fee in what
condition the roots are ; for they mould
not be allowed to remain till the roots are
matted, for then there is fo much fmall
foft woolly fluff grows amongft the roots,
which is abfolutely neceffary to be taken
off, and in doing it many of the heft and
flrongefl roots may be broke, and the ball
often greatly diminimed, which is wrong,
and retards the growth of the plant.

OR PINE- APPLE. 127

IF the woolly fluff is not taken off it
moulds, and very often deftroys the roots
after there is frefh mould put round them,
and it prevents the roots from coming to
the fides of the pots.

THEY mould he carefully taken out of
the penny pots and planted in three-half-
penny ones ; and if the heat is declined, a
little frefh bark mould be added and work-
ed up with the old, which will renew the
heat. This work may be performed fafely
in any of the winter months.

THIS fecond mifting mould be about
the beginning of December or February,
according to the time the fuckers were
taken off in autumn,

THIS mifting keeps them growing all
winter, and greatly prevents their fruiting ;
for the reafon of many young plants fruit-
ing is, a want of earth to fupport their
roots, want of moderate heat to keep them
growing, and of water to keep them moift;

for

OF THE AN AN AS,

for if they are in fmall pot?, the pots are
foon full of roots, and muft be often wa-
tered*

IF there is not a good heat they are in
danger of being rotted, and if not watered
they are fure to fruit ; but if they are
fhifted and kept growing, and have a good
deal of air, they will be fine plants, and
produce much better fruit than thofe that
are drawn tall, and to the look feem much
finer*

ABOUT the middle of May the roots will
again be all round the fides of the pot ;
they then mould be fhifted into two-penny
pots in the lame manner as before di-
rected ; but it will be neceffary to exa-
mine the roots, to be certain of their be-
ing in order for mifting.

As the weather will now be warm, if a
tolerable feafon and a good deal of fun, as
fcon as they have been plunged a day they
mould Have a little water, and in about

fix

OR PINE-APPLE. 129

fix days they will require a little more,
and after that they muft be watered fre-
quently, according to the warmth of the
weather.

WHEN the bark becomes dry at the top,
it lofes its heat, therefore it would be bet-
ter to water them all over with a watering-
pot and rofe often : this keeps the bark in
a moderate ferment, and the plants grow
freely. They mould have a good deal of
air ; for if drawn at this fealon they never
will bring good fruit,

WHEN two or three dull days mail hap-
pen together, they mould have fome air
every day, if it were only for an hour, al- -
though the houfe is not fo hot as it ought
to be ; for as at this time of the year
there is no fire, in dull weather the ftove
will be very cold, and it may be imagi-
ned there is no occafion for air ; but it is
very neceffary ; and even in frofty wea-
ther, when there are fires, if the {love is
cold, yet it mould have frelh air, which

VOL. II. ' I mould

130 OF THE ANANAS,

fhould be admitted by the back-doors into
the med.

AFTER this fhifting they may remain
longer than they did after any of the for-
mer, as they have now a good large ball
of earth to fupport them, and may now
fafely grow in the fame pots to the mid-
dle of Auguft, when they may be planted
in the pots they are to fruit in ; at which
time they fhould have all the fmall drag-
gling roots cut off clofe to the ball.

THERE is a great advantage in putting
the fruiting-plants early into their fruit-
ing-pots, as there will be much fine wea-
ther after, that time (the middle of Au-
guft) they may have a good deal of air
while they are getting new roots ; and as
the bark will be warmer at this fhifting
than after any of the former, there will
be an opportunity, when the weather is
fine, of giving a good deal of air, the
plants will thrive, grow ftiff and ftrong,
and produce good fruit ; and as the pots

will

OR PINE-APP LE. 131

will be full of roots early in autumn, they
will feldom fail of fruiting at a proper fea-
fon.

BEFORE the plants are miffed into frefh
pots the bark-bed mould be worked to the
bottom, all th,e rotten tan taken out, one
third of new added, and it fhould be well
mixed with the old : this thorough ftir-
ring is neceflary at this feafon, that the
bark may keep a moderate heat all the
winter ; but it frequently happens that the
heat is violent for jfome .time, and if the
pots were plunged up to the rims it would
deflroy all the roots (and fometimes moft
of the ftcms) which would be a great de-
triment to the plants, and would be a
long time before they recovered ; for as
long as the violent heat continues they
will pufh no frem roots ; and if any quan-
tity of water is given during that time,
they are in danger of ratting.

WHEN a misfortune of that kind hap-
pens, the beft method is to take tn.e
1 2 plants

ij2 Ot THE ANANAS,

plants out of the pots, cut off all the rot-
ten roots, and what is fpoiled of the ftem ;
plant them into three-halfpenny pots, and
plunge them up to the rim into the fame
heat, and they will foon pum frefh roots*

As foon as the roots are come round the
pot, fo as to be taken out without break-
ing the ball, they mould again be put into
the fruiting-pots : this will retard them,
but not fo much as if they had been left
in their old pots with their rotten roots,
and their fruit will be better and larger.
They mould have little water for fbme
time after they are put into the little pots ;
for as long as the bark is very hot it will
caufe a great moiftnefs all round the pots,
which will be fufficient for them for fome
time, as they have no roots ; but when
the heat begins to decline, and the roots
are advanced to the fides of the pots, they
fhould have a good deal.

To prevent accidents of this kind, the
-pots fhould be plunged only half way at

firft;

OR PINE- APPLE. 133

firft ; and when the leaf rifes, which will
be in four or five days, if it is very great,
they may remain in that pofition for a
month or two; but the time muft be juft
as the violence of the heat continues. »

As foon as the heat declines the pots
mould b- taken out, and the bark flirred
eighteen inches deep, and the pots plunged
to the top. If the bark was ftirredany
deeper it would caufe the heat to be as
great as it was at firft, . which would be a
great lofs, as the pots could not then be
plunged to the rims ; for they always pufh
fine ftrong roots juft at the neck of the
plant, and when the pot is only half
plunged they want heat to encourage
them. The heat after this will remain,,
moderate all the winter, and the plants be
in a flow growing ftate, fo as to be in vi-
gour to (hew their fruit.

THERE is another method to prevent

burning, which may be done with lefs

trouble ; for it is not always that the tan

I 3 heats

134 OF THE A NAN A 5,

heats fb violently, and there is little dan-
ger of its ever doing fo, unlefs the old bark
is very dry and not much rotted ; when
that is the cafe, a very little bark will make
a great heat, efpecially if the bed is ftirred
from the bottom. The plants fhould not
be fhifted into new pots, but removed into
fome convenient place until the bed is
made ready, and then fet level on the bark
for ten days, by which time the heat will
be come to its greateft height : he
plants may then be mifted, and plunged
half way, or to the rims, as the bark is
in condition. While they remain on the
bark they will require water every day, if
the weather is hot, and a good deal of air.
They mould not be crouded too clofe, but
fland at the fame diftance as if they were
plunged ; for when they fbnd thick the
leaves get a wrong pofition, and are long
before they come right again (if ever)
which makes them very un lightly.

WHEN the heat is become moderate,
and the plants plunged to the rims, they

may

OR PINE- APPLE. 135

may remain in that condition to the end
of February, giving them moderate wa-
terings, and as much air as the weather
will permit, keeping the heat of the houte
to a moderate temperature.

THERE are many large and fine plants
fpoiled by keeping the houie too hot at
the time of their mewing fruit, befides it
caufes the fruit-bud to be fmall, the flem
to run to a great height, and to be fo very
weak that it has not fubilance fufHcientto
feed the fruit.

THE beginning of March the plants
mould be all taken out of the bed, and a
little new bark added to the old, and work-
ed up fo as to be well mixed, to make juft
a moderate heat. At this feafon, when
the pots are full of roots, if the heat was
too ftrong it would fpoil the whole crop ;
for mould the roots be now burnt, there
is no recovering them.

THE dead leaves mould be pulled off all
I 4 round

136 OF THE ANANAS,

round the bottom, and the earth ftirred a
little all over the top of the pot, and raifed
clofe round the neck of the plant, and an
inch of very rotten dung fpread all over
the top of the pot ; for as the earth in the
pot has fed the plant fo long, it muft be
much fpent ; but the dung being warned
down amongft the roots with the water,
it will add frem vigour to the plants, and
caufe the fruit to grow freely.

THEY fhould now be plunged to the
rims, and have a good quantity of water,
not too much at a time, but often ; they
fhould alfo have a good deal of air, and
when the weather is hot and dry it will
greatly encourage the fruit, if you fprin-
kle them all over with water twice a-week,
which may be continued until the fruit is
come to its full growth j after this they
ihould not have one drop. The fruit
then cuts hard, dry, and fine, and is of a
delicious high flavour ; but if watered af-
ter that time, they are full of a watery
juice, flat and iniipid. As they mew at

different

OR PINE-APPLE. 137

different times there will be many full
grown, when there are fome not come to
half their frze, therefore it will be neceffary
to give thefe wr.ter, but the fprinkling
ihould be given over.

THE crowns which were fhifted in May
will require to be fhifted again the begin-
ning of July ; but as it will be impoffible
to get them ftrong enough to bring large
fruit this feafon, it will be better to keep
them over the year, and if well managed
they will be ftrong, fine plants.

IF they were to be managed in their
fhiftings as is directed for the fuckers, mofl
of them would fruit, but they would be
much fmaller than the fruit of the fuck*
ers ; for if the fruiting-plants had no mif-
fortune, the fuckers taken from them in
the autumn will be larger when taken off
than the crowns are now. The ilems of
of the fuckers are alfo prepared for rooting
before they are taken off the mother-plant,
and grow much fafter than the crowns.

It

138 OF THE ANANAS,

It will be much better to keep the crowns
growing for another year, as they will
then be ftrong, fine plants, and will produce
large good fruit.

IF it is intended to keep the crowns
growing when they are to be mifted in
July, cut off all the roots round the ball,
and leflen it fo much that there will be an
inch of frefh mould all round the ball,
when planted in the fame pot they were
taken out of. Plunge them in moderate
heat ; and two days after they are plunged
give them a little water to fettle the earth ;
but they mould have no more for ten or
twelve days, by which time they will be-
gin to pufh frefh roots, and will require
to be refremed with water according to the
heat of the weather, obferving to give them
plenty of air. They will not look fo
green and pleafant to the eye, as thole
plants that are kept with little air, whofe
leaves are long, fmall, and thin, and
drawn quite upright : Their leaves- will

be fhort and broad, and grow almoft hori-
zontally. 5

OR PINE -APPLE. 139

THE middle of September they fhould
l)c fhifted into pots a fize larger ; but
none of their roots cut off. The ball
ihould be put in whole as they came out
of the other pots, and plunged into mo-
derate heat. Little water will ferve them
in winter, having a good ball of earth ta
iupport their roots, and if they are kept
in a moderate heat they will grow all the
winter.

ONE principal reafon why mnnyof the
crowns fruit in the fpring is, their being
planted in fmall pots to ftand all winter,
and are generally plunged into a too great
heat in the autumn, which prefently fills
the pots with roots : the flrength of the
mould is foon ipent, and then they have
nothing but water to iupport their roots,
which if given in any great quantity, and
the heat declining, they grow yellow, and
Ibmetimes are rotted. If they do not get
water, their being dry flops their grow-
ing, and makes them let for fruit, and as
foon as they are put into larger pots and
firem heat in the fpring, they fhew fruit
direccly.

HO OF THE ANANAS,

THE beft method to prevent their fruit-
ing is to give them only a moderate heat,
and to keep them juft moid ; and if the
heat declines any time in the winter, the
plants mould be taken out of the bed and
a little frefh bark added : this will renew
the heat milk-warm, the degree of which
is fufficient for them at this time of the
year.

THE beginning of March they mould
be taken out of the pots, many of the roots
cut off, fo that there may be a fufficiency
of frefh earth round the ball when they
are put into penny pots ; being abfblutely
neceflary to mift them at this time, and to
give them frefh earth to promote their
growth, as that in which they have been
in all the winter will be much fpent.

IT is alfo neceflary to plant them into
lefs pots ; for if they were to be put, at
this fhifting, into pots a fixe larger than
thofe they are now in (as the ball mould
be no more broke after this) the pots they

mufl

OR P I N E - A P P L E. 141

muft be planted in to fruit, would be too
large, and take up too much room in the
fbve to no purpofe ; befides, the plants
would not thrive fo well were they in fuch
large pots. A juft proportion between the
plant and pot is neceflary to be confidered
for the encouragement of its growth.

ABOUT the middle of May they will re-
quire Ihifting into two-penny pots, as be-
fore directed ; the roots mould be examin-
ed, and if neceflary, (hifted fooner; for
the roots mutt not be allowed to mat, nei-
ther mould the ball be broke.

As they now will have a good fupply of
•earth to nourim their roots, they mould
remain in thefe pots until the middle of
Auguft, when the fuckers of a year old
are fhifted for fruiting ; and then put into
the three-penny pots, and plunged in the
fame bed. As they will be much thicker
of leaves than the fuckers, it will be pro-
per to mix them ; they will look better,

and

142 OF THE ANANAS,

and there will be more air amongft the pot?
than if the crowns were to be plunged all
together.

IF they are properly mifted and ma-
naged as here directed (and meet with no
accident) they will be ftrong, mort, ftiff
plants, with broad leaves growing almoft
horizontally, and will mew fine fruit-buds
with mort flems, and produce a large
rich-flavoured fruit.

MANY admire crowns, as they make the
handfomefr. plants ; they are much thicker
of leaves than the fuckers, and more
irghtly ; but if the fuckers are properly
managed they will produce as good fruit
at one year old as the crowns will at almoft
three, fo that there are two years faved,
befides the expence and trouble.

SHOULD the plants which are in fruit
meet with the misfortune to have their
roots fcorched, which may happen to the

moft

OR PINE- APPLE. 143

moil fkilful and careful perfon, if not very
much damaged, they will pufh frefh roots
and ripen their fruit, although it will not
be fb large ; neither will the flavour be
high, the fuckers will be very fmall, and
not fit to produce fruit at a year old. For
fear of an accident of that kind, it will be
proper to have fome crowns every year
coming on of a year old, to prevent your
being deflitute of good fruit.

WHEN a misfortune happens to occaiipn
the flickers to be very fmall, they will alfo
be very late, and mould remain on, the old
plants as long as it can be done with con-
venience, as they will grow much fairer
on the mother-plant than they will .after
taken oft", betides the advantage of their
items being hardened. They mould be
planted in the bark when taken off, as be-
fore directed, and managed in all refpec1:s
as the crowns that are kept till they are
three years old.

IT

144 OF THE ANANAS,

IT may be objected to this management,
that the frequent fhifting will retard the
growth of the plants, and that they would
be much larger if they had been lefs mift-
ed ; granted : they would have been
much taller, but would not have half the
fubftance. Amort-leafed, ftrong plant will
produce much larger and better fruit than
thofe that are longer leafed ; they indeed
are more mewy to the eye, being of a
darker green, and look more vigorous ;
but they produce fmaller fruit : neither are
they fo high-flavoured as plants that have
more air.

HAVING gone through the manage-
ment of the plants in all their different
ages, I (hall now proceed to give fome
directions about the moulds they mould
be planted in at the different times of
of fhifting, which has fucceeded very well
with me for many years.

To make good mould for pines, there

fhould

ORPINE-APPLE. 145

fhonld be in readinefs the following fimple
moulds, which ought to be compounded
ibme time before they are wanted. Good
light loam furface, that has laid in a heap
till the grafs is quite rotten, and has been
turned feveral times; rotten dung that
has been turned until it is become as fmall
as mould ; light rich wood-earth that has
been turned four or five times ; rotten
bark from the ftove, fifted, that has laid a
year,- and been turned feveral times ; and
good marp fand, and if the fand was

turned once or twice it would be the bet-
ter.

THE turriing of the different moulds;
before they are mixed; is of great ufe to
them, as it meliorates all their different
particles, and makes them fit for mixing.
It mould be done in the winter, when
there is hard froft and no fnow, for mow
is very bad for all com.pofitions that are
not made of long ft raw, leaves, &c. and
to them it is of great fervice. The frozen
parts fhould be turned into the middle,
VOL. II. K and

146 OF THE ANANAS,

and the fmall to the outfide, that it may
get the benefit of the froft and air to mel-
low it ; then make it into ridges of four
or fix feet broad at bottom, as there is
room, and bring them to a (harp point at
top to throw off the rain, which, like the
ihow, is very detrimental to all compoii-
tions. In that form it is alfo more conve-
nient for turning, and at every turning,
the bottom mould be thrown uppermost.

HAVING allthefe moulds, tan, dung, and
fand prepared, a proper composition may
be made of them for pine-apple plants of
all ages. It mould be made up fome time
before it is ufed, and turned feveral times,
ib that the different kinds may be well
mixed and incorporated.

MOULD for crowns and fuckers at their
being potted when taken from the tan-bed,
where they were planted to flrike roots.
Three wheel-barrows of light wood-
earth, one barrow full of lifted tan, one
barrow of loam, half a barrow of fand,

and

O R P I N E - A P P L E. 147

and one barrow of rotten dung ; this is the
proportion : the quantity muft be accord-
ing to what is wanted ; but it would be
much better if there was as much mixed
at a time as would ferve for two or three
years ; for the longer all compoiitions
layj the richer and better they are ; and
the oftener they are turned, it adds to their
fertility ; for it would be poflible to ferti-
lize very poor foil by throwing it into long^
ridges and often turning it, which muft
be owing to the nitrous particles that are
imbibed by its loofe furface;

MOULD for the firft miftirig. -Two

barrows of wood-mould, two barrows of
loam^ one barrow of dung, one barrow of
tan, and half a barrow of fancL

MOULD for the fecond mifting. — Three
barrows of loam, one barrow of wood-
earth, one barrow of dung, and half a
barrow of fand.

MOULD for plants that are to be planted
K 2 int«

148 OF THE ANANAS,

into their fruiting-pots ; or plants thaf
are large, and may want fhifting out of
courfe. Four barrows of loam, two bar-
rows of wood-earth, two barrows of dun°\

7 O '

and one barrow of fand.

TH-E crowns that are to t>e fhifted in
May, and to have their toots cut off round
the ball, mould have mould a little*" dif-
ferent from any of the former, that they
may grow ftrong, and their leaves broad
and thick. I have found the following
competition anfwer well : Two barrows of
loam, two barrows of dung, cne barrow
of wood-earth, and a barrow of land.
This will alfo do very well for them when
they are planted into larger pots to ftand
the winter.

IN the fpring, when the ball is reduced,
they fhould have the following compofi-
tion : A barrow of loam, a barrow of
wood-earth, a barrow of dung, and half
a barrow of fand ; and in their other fhift-
ings the mould before-mentioned will do
for

OR PINE- APPLE.

WHEN fruiting-plants are damaged in
their roots, fo as to render it neceflttfy to
take them out and plant them into little
pots, the following composition will make
them foon pufh very fine roots, and in a
little time they may he placed in their
fruiting pots again : One harrow of fifted
tan, two barrows of wood-earth, one bar-
row of dung, and half a barrow of fand.

I DO not pretend (as I faid before) to
afTert that thofe moulds which I have men-
tioned are the very heft compositions for
pine-plants, or that fome other mixtures
may not be as good, if not better ; but I
advance nothing upon credit, nor direct
any thing but what I have praclifed with
fuccefs for many years, and have always
found thofe compofitions anfwer to my
utmoft wimes. The plants will thrive
well, and produce large fruit.

THE culture of the plants has been

treated of at large from the crowns being

K 3 taken

1 5o OFTHEANANAS,

taken from the fruit, and the fuckers
the mother-plants, to their being put into
order again for fruiting. I flatter myfelf
that thofe who follow my directions with
accuracy, wilj find that nothing has been
Advanced but what is practicable, and will
anfwer.

THERE may be, and daily happen, accir
dents that prevent the fuccefs of the beft-
conpcrted fchemes, and the beit directions
may be fruftrated by a trifling accident ox
neglect, fb that no fcheme or directions
mould be given up as impracticable or im-
proper, becaufe they do not always fuc-
cecd.

ALL thofe that are the leafl acquainted
\vith gardening in general, and hot-houfes
in particular, are fenfible that under the
care of the moft ikilful practitioners they
are liable to many misfortunes, although
very fenfible how and when they happena
but tpo late to remedy them for a feafon.

I KNQW

OR PINE-APPLE. 151

I KNOW of none that has been of worfe
consequence than too much heat ; for, by
what I have feen, ten places out of fifteen,
where plants have been in bad condition,
proceeded from too much heat and too lit-
tle air, for they do not require fo much as
is generally imagined ; and although the
roots feem hard and dry, they are foou
burnt, after which it is a long time before
they begin to grow again.

WHEN the roots are burnt, the mould
mnft fuffer ; it is much the beft way to
throw it away and frefh pot them. The
old burnt roots that are all through and
round the mould, mull: be detrimental to
the young roots, if the mould was not the
Jeail damaged, which is feldorn the cafe.

THE white infects on pine-plants are-
very pernicious, and have been the ruin
of many plants that would have produced
good fruit if they had not been infected ;
for when they are full of them, the fruit
K. 4 never

i52 OF THE ANANAS,

never has that good flavour as when the,
plants are clean. Befides the damage
done to the fruit, they greatly retard the.
growth of the plants, and make them very.
\mfightly.

THOSE that are infected, if not kept
under hy cleaning, will be totally de-
ftroyed, and cleaning them by hand is at-
tended with much trouble, and at a conft-
derable expence ; to bruih and clean them
properly will take up a great deal of
time ; befides in doing it the leaves are
often broke and the fides fcratched, fo that
the leaves decay in patches, which makes,
the plants very unfightly : and what is
worfe, after all that trouble and expence,
they are as bad in a few weeks as they
were before ; yet, if they were not cleaned
when moved, they would grow fo dirty
that the infe<£ts would quite deilroy the
plants.

MANY things have been tried, and
even advertized as effectual remedies to

OR PINE- APPLE. 153

fkftroy them ; and all'of which have been
fo pofitively afferted as infallible, that it
may look like an impofition on the public
to offer any other remedy; but in fupport
of what I here advance, and for the fatif-
faftion of the public, I lhall give an ac-
count of the effects of a fure and fafe re-
medy, having from repeated trials found it
effectual, otherwise I fhould not prefume
to publim it.

FOR many years, when I lived with
William Salvin, Efq; of Croxdell, the
pine-plants were every year in a mofb
dirty condition, and every time they were
to move or ihift, a deal of time was fpent
in cleaning and brufhing them ; yet not-
withflanding all the pains that was taken
with them they every year grew worfe :
the bottoms of the fruiting-plants, when
they were moved in the fpring to flir the
bark and add a little new to refrefh the
heat, were as white as if they had been

wetted and then dufted with meal ;

.

and

154 OF THE ANANAS,

and amongft the white fluff were many of
the white creeping vermin, fome of them
very large, fome fmall, and all the leaves
full of white fpecks,

I TRIED every thing I could imagine,
but to no purpofe ; and every thing that
was advertized, but without effect ; there-
fore I defpaired of ever finding a remedy ;
at laft, however, I had the good fortune
to fucceed, and in one fummer had not a
fmgle fpeck on them in one houfe, and
greatly lefiened in the other that was fo
very dirty. On thefe I could not per-
form the operation that fpring completely ;
but it was done in the autumn, and they
were very foon both clean, and remained
fb. This was fix years before I left the
place, which was ten years ago, and there
was no occaiion for any repetition of the
remedy.

I TRIED its efficacy on feveral hoN
houfes which 1 had built for gentlemen,
grid it always fuccecded. Some of my intiv

mate

OR PINE- APPLE. 155

mate acquaintance, to whom I communi-
cated the fecret, for then I had no thoughts
of making it public, have all tried it, and
found it anfwer. Some of them, at a dif-
tance, have informed me fo by letter.

I MADE an experiment at Sir Thomas
Gafcoigne's, Bart, when I came to the
place, May-day, 1771. The fruiting-
plants were juft miffed into frefh heat,
and the younger plants into larger pots:
they had been cleaned before they were.
plunged, but there were many infects all
round the bottom leaves. I applied the
remedy ; they went off infentibly, and
there have been none in Sir Thomas's
hpt-houfes fince,

I ALSO tried another experiment, which
is a convincing proof that none of thofe
infects will live where this remedy is ufed,
S;r Thomas had a quantity of plants (iu
1772) from abroad, crowns and fuckers,
which were very full of vermin. I ap-
plied the remedy without cleaning, and
planted them in the middle of the hot-

houfe

j56 OF THE ANANAS,

houfe amonp;ft clean plants : they dropi
ped off the infected plants, and did no.
damage in the houfe, which is a certain
proof they were all killed.

SIR THOMAS'S ftoves being all new,
there was no place for the vermin to lodge
in, neither had the infection been violent,
and of fo fhort a duration, as two years,
that the vermin were in the pots and ou
the plants. The houfe was not fmoked,
neither was the tan fifted, only the mix-
ture applied, which I did by way of pre-
venting the fpreading of the infects, with
an intent to go through the operation in
the autumn ; but as I found, long before
that time, they were all deftroyed, I pro-
ceeded no further, and have never feei\
one fince.

THE white fpeck on the leaves of pines
is the fpawn of the white creeping infect*
and is depofited on the leaves of the pines
much in the fame manner as the caterpil-
lars are on the leaves of cabbages. 1 have

viewed

O R PINE- A PPLE. 157

viewed them in a good microfcope, and
found all the parts of the vermin com-
plete under the white fcale, when taken
off at a proper age without being bruifed^
and when they come to a certain period
they force the fcale from the leaf, and fo
defcend to the bottom to grow to matu-
rity.

MANY have thought the white infects
on the leaves to be inactive and not capable
of moving ; but that is impoffible : they
have no life at their firfl appearance on the
leaves ; for if brufhed off foon they leave
no mark on the leaves, are extremely thin^
and quite dry ; but when they have re-
mained fome time on them, they become
thick in the middle, and if brufhed off at
that age, a foft gluey matter comes from
them, which is the bruifed infect arrived
to a fubftance ; but the Ikin is fo thin and
tender that it is broken by a flight touch.

THAT they have life is evident ; for
where they flick to the leaves, although

brufhed

OF THE ANANAS,,

bruflied off before they come to maturity^
the outer rind of the leaves is eaten through*
and the place becomes quite white and dry;
That they fall off when come to fuch an
age is certain ; for many of thofe white
fpots may be feen on infected plants that
have not been cleaned*

WHAT makes me fo very particular m
this is, that many people imagine the white
fpeck to be an infect of itfelf, and the white
creeping vermin to' be different ; but it is
no more than the parent of the other
that does all the mifchief, and therefore
muft be deftroyed. As a proof that a
white fpeck is the fpawn, there is often to
be feen on infected plants a fmall white
fcale on the very end of a leaf, and not
another near it. No infect can breed with-
out feed, and there muft be fomething to.
form that white fpeck. They are very
fmall at firft appearance, arid grow gra-
dually to a certain fize.

THE white creeping vermiji may with

OR PINE-APPLfc. 159

propriety be called the pine-bug ; for it
lodges amongft the bottom leaves of the
plants, and in the leaft hole or chink iu
the houfe. If the ftove is old, and has
been infected fbme years, there are thou-
fands of them, and their fpawn lodges in
the crevices and amongft the tan ; all of
which muft be deftroyecl.

WHERE there is only one ftove, the lat-
ter end of Auguftor the beginning of Ser>-
tember is . the only time that the opera-
tions for a thorough cleaning can be per-
formed, as there is no making a perfect
cleaning of plants in fruit,

THOSE that have breeding and fruiting-
floves feparated, mould begin with the
young plants the beginning of March,
and then the plants will not be retarded
in their growth. The crowns may be
put, after they are drefled, into the houfe
that is cleaned ; and the fuckers, as ibon
as they are taken off, then there will be
time and opportunity fufficient to get the

fruiting-

i6o OF THE ANANAS,

fruiting-houfe perfectly cleaned, which
fhould be done as foon as poffible, in or-
der that the fruiting-plants may be put
Into their fruiting-pots in good time.

ALL the young plants muft be removed
out of the houfe to fome convenient place
where they can remain with fafety for near
twenty days, for fo long will it take to
get the houfe completely ready for them;
The weather at that feafon being fome-
times very cold and hard frofts, they mufh
be in a place where they can be protected
from the inclemency of the weather, and
have fome heat. The flue of the fruiting-
flove will be the propereft place1 ; and al-
though attended with fome little inconve-
nience, it will hre only for a fhort time.

THEY mould have a board fet under
them, which mufh have fome bricks uri-
der it, to make a vacuum between the
flues and the plants ; for if they are fet
on the bare flues it will dry their roots too
much and caufe them to fruit. They

muft

ORPIN E-A PPLE. 161

'
muft have a little water every day while

they ftand there.

WHEN the plants are removed, throw
out all the tan, and remove it to forrie dif-
tance from the ftove ; then make the houfe
as clean as it can be made with a brufti
and broom ; after which provide three or
four chafmg-difhes, into which put fome
red*hot cinders, fet them in the bottom
of the pit in the (love, and throw into
each an ounce of rock-brimftone broke
into fmall pieces ; then fhut up the houfe
clofe, and let it remain fo until next morn-
ing. The fame operation muft be per-
formed for three days, which will effec-
tually kill all the vermin and their fpawii
that are lodged in the crevices of the houfe.
If there are no chafing-dimes, garden-
pots will do as well.

As the ftove is empty, it would be right
to point the infide, and point and flop up
all the crevices in the plaifter ; but before
that is done, all the infide of the houfe

VOL. II. L fhould

i6z OF THE ANANAS,

fhould be wafhed with a fponge dipped irfc
vinegar, which will take off all the fleam
left cm the rafters and glais by the fmoke
of the brimflone*

AFTER all the wood is painted, and all
the cracks of the plainer pointed and white-
wafhed, give the houfe a good deal of air
night and day to dry the paint and white-
wafhing. There fhould be nothing put
into the flove for fix or feven days, by
which time the paint will be quite dry,
the fulphureous fmell gone, and no ver-
min of any kind left alive in the ftove.

THE tan that was carried out fhould be
all fifted through a coarfe riddle, the rough-
put into the flove, a layer of new bark fix
inches thick at the bottom, then a foot of
the riddle bark, and continued until the pit
is full, leaving an open trench at one end ;
and trench the whole bed over,, mixing
it well; then lay it level, and let it re-
main fo to heat* In about a week or ten

. day*

OR PINE-APPLE. 163

clays it will come to its full heat, and be
ready to receive the plants.

THE reafon for fifting the bark is, be-
caufe there are many of the live vermin
amongil it that will go through the riddle
with the fniall tan, which mould not be
ufed amongft any mould that is for the
ftove, or where there is any heat, thofe
that are alive will foon be killed by the
cold; but as there will be much of their
fpawn amongft it, if ufed where there is
heat they will fbon come to life, and be as
troublefome as ever ; therefore it mould be
carried and thrown upon grafs-landj for
which it is very good if the land is of a
clay or fliff nature ; but is very pernicious
if of a gravel or fandy kind. If there is
no fuch ufe for it, it may be thrown into
the fold where cattle are fed, where, being
mixed with the long draw, it will make
good dung.

THE ingredients proper for killing the

\vhite infects on pine-plants. Four

Li 2 pounds

1 64 OF THE ANANAS,

pounds of flour of brimftone, one pound
of Scotch fnufF, two ounces of the leaves
of walnut dried and ground to powder,
and finely fifted ; this is the proportion.

THE quantity muft be according to the
number of plants that are to be dreffed.
Let them be well mixed; then take the
plants out of the pots, cut off all their
roots clofe to the ftem, which examine
carefully, for fometimes the vermin eat
holes into it, and many of them will lodge
therein.

IF there are any holes, pick out the ver-
min with fome (harp-pointed thing, and
fill the holes with the mixture, for there
is often fpawn in them as well as ver-
min.

TAKE fome of the mixture in the hand
and rub the ftem well, then drop fome of
it between every leaf; take fome of the
mould that was made up for the crowns
and fuckers at their firfl potting, after

taking,

O R P 1 N E - A P P L E. 165

taking them out of the tan, and to four
barrows of the earth add one pound of
the mixture : let the earth be well mixed
with it, and then fill halfpenny and penny
pots, according to the largenefs of the
plants, and plant them, taking care to keep
the plants upright after the mixture is put
in between the leaves, that it may not be
fcattered. They then mould be plunged
into the bed according to its heat, either
half way or to the top ; they will bear
more heat than thofe plants that have roots,
and they require it to make them ftrike.

THEY mould have no water for ten days
after they are plunged ; then they mould
have a little, for by that time they will
begin to have fome roots, and the water
•muft be poured flowly into the hearts of
the plants, that it may not force out the
mixture from amongft the leaves, but car-
ry it down clofer to the bottoms,

AFTER the water has been fo poured on

them for five or fix times, it mould be given

L 3 more

OF THE ANANAS,

more freely, to warn out the mixture
from the heart of the plant, which muft
be in about twenty days after being
plunged : from this time there mould be
no more water poured into the heart, but
in amongft the bottom leaves. This mix-
ture will no ways hurt the leaves, nor re-
tard the growth of the plants,

As foon as the roots will keep the ball
together, they mufl be fhifted into larger
pots to bring them to a regular courle ;
but there will be no occation to ufe any
more of the mixture neither in the mould
nor to the plant, for the vermin will be
effectually deftroyed, and never give any
further trouble,

WHEN the plants are to be plunged,
the bark mould be flirred no deeper than
juft to receive the pots ; for as it has been
fo lately ilirred and mixed from the bot-
tom, if it was now flirred any depth the
heat would be greater than the plants
could bear.

OR PINE- APPLE. 167

IF the plants that are in fruit are very
dirty and full of vermin when they are
removed in the fpring, in order to add
frefh heat after the dead leaves are pulled
off and the mould in the pot ftirred at top, .
Spread a little of the powder over the top
of the pot, and put fome in between the
leaves, which will preferve the fruit-ftem
from vermin, and coafequently the fruit
^nd crown; fo that the fruit will be clean
to go to table, and many of the vermin
will be killed, but the houfe will not be
quite clear ; for the live vermin have
many recefles amongii the roots and bark
where the infection is great, and has been
of a long franding.

As foon as the fruit is cut, take off the
fuckers, and rub the lower part of the
{tern well with the powder, putting it in
amongft the fmall leaves at the bottom,
alfo between every leaf, and into the
heart ; for there many of the live vermin
often lodge : they then may be put into
the bark in the clean ftove very fafely tQ
ftrike root,

1 68 OF THE AN ANAS,

WHEN the plants are dirty, the under

leaves of the crowns are generally very

"dirty alfo. When they are taken off the

"

fruit, foine of the powder fhould be rub-
5 on the under fides of the leaves, and
dufted between every leaf, heart and all,
and may then be put into the hark in the
clean houfe.

WHEN the fruiting-houfe is cleared of
the fruit, it muft be treated in every re-
fpecl the fame as has been directed for the
breeding-ftove, and then I am in hopes
there will be an end of thofe troublefome
vermin, which have been a great plague
to Pine-plants for many years.

IF any plants, crowns, or fuckers come
from abroad, whether any vermin appear
on them or not, it would be right to duft
them before they are put into the {love.
If any iingle plant in the {love mould by
any accident efcape being cleaned, lay
fome of the mixture all over the pot and
between the leaves, and the infects will
foon follow their companions,

OR PINE- APPLE. 169

WHERE there is but one {love there is an
unavoidable neceffity of retarding the next
year's fruit, for there is no doing any
thing then with the plants in fruit, but
what is before-mentioned, and that is only
a fuperficial operation. It will not be
fufficient to clean plants that are much
infected, for there is no meddling with
the roots of plants that are in fruit, nei-
ther is there a poffibility of fumigating
the dove or riddling the bark, for it would
keep the plants in fruit too long out of
heat, and fturit them.

IF there is no partition between the
fruiting-plants and the young ones for
next year, the young ones mould not be
mifted after May, but have plenty of air,
water, and a moderate heat, to keep them
growing all fummer until the fruit is all
cut, for then they mufl have all their
roots cut off.

As the fruit mould be forwarded as
much as poflible and cleared, it will be

better

i;o OF THE ANANAS,

better to lofe a few infected fruit than be
too late in getting the plants for next year
cleaned and put in order, as they have all
frefh roots to make ; and there is no doing
things effectually if any infected plants are
in or near the ftove,

THE cafe is very different in having
plants that never have been dreffed, which
are much infected, in pots near clean
plants, and plunging a drefled plant that is
full of vermin amongil: them ; for the live
yermin, whole fpawn dirties the leaves of
the plants, lodge in the pots amongil the
roots and in the tan, and there is no poffi-»
bilily of being certain of coming at them
with the powder. Thofe in the pots may
efcapc into the tan and foon increafe their
numbers, fo that all the labour that has.
been bellowed will be loft,

WHEN a plant is taken out of the pot,
and all its roots cut off, there are none of
the vermin that are come to life but what
will be deftroyed ; for if any of them are

lurking

OR PINE-APPLE. 171

lurking amongft the bottoms of the leaves,
they are fure to be killed as foon as the
powder touches them, which is eafy to
accomplifh, as there is no fhelter for
them ; but in pots of infected plants the.y
have many recefles, and may fecrete them-
felves fo that none of the powder can
touch them.

THE powder is fo ftrong a poifon for
that infect, that it foon kills it ; and I am
of opinion that in two years the mofl in-
fected houfe might be cleaned by fifting
the tan once, and ufing the powder at
every mifting, and putting fome between
the leaves ; but this is only conjecture.
Although I tried it in the fpring moving,
and found them greatly dimini&ed, I had
not patience to go through the experi-
ment, as I had got one houfe clear by the
firft-mentioned operation.

IF any perfon choofes to try the re-
medy in this manner, there fhoulcl be
r.he fame quantity of the mixture in the
q mould

172 OF THE AN AN AS,

mould as before directed ; and when the
plant is taken out of the pot, and the
roots dreffed, the ball fhould be dufted all
round, and then filled up with the mould,
and the fame quantity put between the
leaves,

THIS, in all probability, would kill all
the vermin that are in the pots at the time
of the operation ; but if the houfe is much
infected there will be great quantities ;
and when the powder, by length of time
and watering, may have loft its ftrong
poifonous quality, there will be many in
different parts of the houfe which may h>
creafe and come into the pots.

THIS is only what feems probable to
me, and would be a great advantage to
thole that have only one houfe, that the
plants might then be fhifted at their
proper time ; but as I cannot ami re a
complete cure, only opinion, I mall pro-
ceed to give fuch direftious as will be
fffeer.ua!.

IF

OR PINE- APPLE, 173

I F there are a few late fruit in the
houfe, it will not be worth while to wait
for their ripening ; a bed may be made
for them in the Melon ground, which
will be very eafy. If there are any pits
for Melons, fill one end the length of a
four-light frame, which will hold a good
many plants, with old bark from the
ftove, and if it is cold add a little new ;
mix them well, and fet the frame on the
top of the bark.

IF the depth of the frame is not fuffi-
cient for the height of the plants, raife
the frame with bricks, and clofe up the
vacancy with tan on the outfide, which
may lie Hoping to the fide of the pit.
Plunge the plants in the bark, cover them
with glaffes, and they will ripen there as
well as in the flove. By being covered
with mats at night they may be kept to
the middle of November, by which time
all that are good will be ripe.

THE fooner this is done the better ; for

if

*74 OF THE ANANAS,

if a frame or two will hold all the crop
that is left, it would be worth while to
clear the houfe by the middle of July (as
there is no new erection nor expence,
only a little labour) then the next year's
plants would be very little retarded.

THE bark the plants are plunged in
will be very ufeful. As foon as all the
fruit is cut let it be fifted, lay the round
under cover, mix it with half as much
new, and turn it once or twice, and it
will be much better than all new to re-
frefh the bed the next time the plants
are potted, and to fill up ; for by being
turned from the bottom it will be funk a
good deal below the level of the pit.

WHEN the houfe and bed are prepared
as directed for the young plants in March,
and the heat comes up, the plants mufl be
all taken out of the pots. The young
plants muft be treated in the fame
manner that the plants were in the
fpring.

THE

OR PINE- APPLE. i;5

THE large ones that are for fruit next
year mould have all the mould maken
clean off, and all the fmall roots cut clofe
to the ftem, and only a few of the fineft
white fhort roots left on, that they may
(land an inch or two within the fides of
the pot.

EXAMINE and rub the ftem as before,
and dufl all the roots that are left ; but
they muft not be rubbed, for it would
break all the young fibres and caufe the
roots to rot ; yet it is neceflary they
mould be dufted, as there is a probability
of their being infe&ed with the fpawn ;
then da(h with the hand, between every
leaf, as much of the powder as- a fmall
nut-mell would hold, and keep the plant
upright after the powder is put into it.

THE mould directed for plants whofc
roots were fo much burnt as to require
fhifting, is very proper for both old and
young plants at this potting.

To

176 OF THE ANANAS,

To four barrows of mould add one
pound of the powder, and let it be Well
mixed. Three-halfpenny pots will be a
proper frze for the fruiting-plants, a little
mould being firft put into them. The
plant mould be held lip by the hand, and
the mould put in amongft the roots, fo
that there may be mould between them,
and none of them clofe together. They
mould all lay eafy, and not be twifted,
arid kept an inch or two from the fides of
the pots. The mould mould be fattened
all round the fides of the pot, the plant
made faft at the neck, and plunged as
foon as poffible.

THE day after the large plants afe
plunged they mould have a little water,
which mould not be poured amongft the
bottom leaves, but all over the tops of
the pots : they will require no more for
ten days, by which time they will begin
to have fome young roots, fo that they
muft be refreshed with water according to
the heat of the weather, and the water

mould

OR PINE-APPLE. i77

&ould be poured in am'ongft the bottom
leaves.

•

THEY mould have a great deal of air
until they have got frefh roots ; for if the
days are hot, and they have little air, their
leaves v/ill draw up, and many of them
will decay. Thofe who have covers for
their ftoves would do well to cover them
all the middle of the day ; and if it ia
fine weather, after they have got roots and
want water,- it will be of great fervice
to them to be fprinkled all over once or
twice a- week.

THE young plants fcould be planted in
penny and halfpenny pots, according to
their iize, and plunged into the bed ; but
fhould have no Water until they begin to
nave ibm'e frefh roots, which will not be
fo foon as the large plants, for the large
plants being in larger pots and deeper in
the bark, and having a much longer length
of ftem to pufh, they ilrike root fooner

VOL; IT: M

178 OF THE ANANAS,

than the fmall plants, whofc ftems are
fhort and pots little.

I T will be fourteen or fifteen days be-
fore they want any water, and then only
a little, which muft be poured in amongft
the lower leaves, becaufe there are no
roots but what are clofe to the ftems, and
they muft be managed in every refpecT:
the fame as the plants that were drefled
in the Spring.

As foon as the young roots will hold
the ball together, they muft be fhifted
into larger pots ; the fruiting-plants into
the pots they are to fruit in, and the fuo
ceflion-plants into three-halfpenny pots.
Great care muft be taken not to break the
ball, for that would greatly retard their
growth ; for as the plants are mi f ted be-
fore the roots mat, or any fmall woolly
ftufF grows, there is no occafion to difturb
the roots to break their fmall fibres, which
will grow as foon as they are fhifted into
larger pots.

THE

OR PINE- APPLE. 179

THE large plants that are planted in
their fruiting-pots mould have the fame
mould as thofe that were before cleaned
and fhifted at the proper feafon ; but the
young plants mould have that which was
direcled for plants at the fecond mifting ;
and if the.y meet with no misfortune,
their balls need not be reduced in fpring,
but only removed into larger pots.

IF they are managed as directed, the
pots of the fruiting-plants will be full of
roots in a little time after they are fhifted,
and produce good fruit, but will be later
by a month or fix weeks.

WHERE there is only one hot-houfe,
the greateft difficulty is the keeping the
plants while the {love is cleaning and
getting ready, for which reafon it fhould
be done as foon as poffible ; for if the
weather is very cold and frofty it will be
very difficult. If there are but few fruit,
then it is not worth making a bed for

M 2 them ;

|8o OF THE ANANAS,

them ; it would be better to throw them
away than to be too long in clearing the
ftove.

I F the hotife is cleared £t the latter end
of July or Auguft, the fried of the ftove
(as all ftoves have or ought to have onb)'
will anfwer very well. They rnufl be
left in 'the pots, not crouded, and have
air every day, but no water ; for if any
water be given them, they having no
bottom heat, it would kill all the roots,
which would be of great difadvantage, as
then there would be no frefh roots to leave
on the fruiting-pknts ; it would alfo turn
the plants very yellow, and rot the hearts
of the young plants,;' which are much ten-
derer than the large ones.

I AM convinced that floves which have
Been only a few years built, and not much
infected, may be cleared by darning fome
of the powder amongft the leaves, and
lying a little all over the tops of the pots.

Thave

OR PINE- APPLE.

I have cleared feveral by that method ; and
by following the whole of the direftions
the moft infe&ed hot-houfe will be as
clean as if there never had been any
vermin in it.

M3 CHAP;

CHAP. XIV.

Of Mujhrooms.

TO pretend to raife plants without:
feed is a contradiction to nature ;
but what is here meant in the railing of
Mufhrooms, is to produce them on beds
made for that purpofe, without ipawo,
being planted in them, as is the common
method of propagating them,

MUSHROOMS are wanted in every fa-
mily, and in moft places where there is
any thing of a garden there are beds for
raifmg them. In fome places they fucceed
very well for a year or two, and then there
is often a lofs for a feafon, fometimes
longer.

THE getting of good fpawn is fre-
quently attended with great difficulty;

and

OF MUSHROOMS. 183

and when it is got, if the bed is not in
proper order to receive it, there is a very
great difappointment, which may and
often happens to thofe who are well
acquainted with the different methods
which are now in practice for propa-
gating them,

THERE is no plant that is raifed by art,
where nature has given fo many hints to
facilitate its propagation, as the Mum-
room ; and yet it is ftill in its infancy.
There is not in common practice (that I
know of) any certain method to raife
them fo as feldom to fail of producing a
good crop.

I F the beginning of the fummer is
warm and dry, and afterwards there fall
kindly warm Ihowers, the fields produce
them in plenty ; whereas if the beginning
of the fummer is cold and wet, and after-
wards becomes warm and dry, there are
few or none.

M

OF MUSHROOMS.

0 N hot-beds, .where cucumbers and
melons have been planted, and have not
been fuccefsful, there is often a quantity
of mumrooms.

* - f

1 N large dunghills that are laid in the
fields, where there is a good deal of long
ftraw, which has not laid wet in the fold,
in a dry. warm feafon there will be much
jfpawn an(l fome mum rooms.

I N ftable-yards, where a good many
faddle-horfes are kept in the fbbles, whofe
litter is thrown out long, and a large
quantity every day, if the feafon is dry
and no wet lies in the place where the.
dung is, the bottom of the dung will be
full of fpawn in the autumn.

IF a quantity of litter, that is juft moift,
(four or five loads) be mixed with light
loam or fand, and thrown in a heap in a
dry place, it will produce fpawn in three

• J I i .A

months.

ALL

,OF MUSHROOMS.

ALL thefe examples make it evident
: mnfhrooms may be produced without
ipawn being planted, and that they grow
in places where there never vvere any be-
fore, as all mufl allow.

BY what means this plant (if it is pro-
per to call it a plant) grows in fuch places
I do not pretend to demonftrate ; it is cer-
tain no plants grow without feed : there
is no new creation.

» ;

THE feeds of mum rooms being fo very
light, it is not improbable hut that in the
fields where mufhrooms grow it is carried
over the whole ground, and lodged in
every little hole and crevice, where it grows
as foon as it meets, with proper materials.
The reafon why mufhrooms do not grow
in all the places where fuch fluff lies is,
becaufe it is not in proper order, being too
wet or too dry, or the feafon fo cold that
the feeds cannot vegetate.

IT may have been imagined long before

this,

i85 OF MUSHROOMS.

this, confidering the many and great in>
provements in the propagation of all kinds
of plants, that mufhrooms would not have
been forgotten ; and thole hints that na-
ture has given would have induced fome of
the many ingenious to attempt bringing
them to perfection without fpawn,

IT was from thefe obfervations that I
was encouraged to make fome trials ; and
although I did not fucceed at firft fo as
to produce a good crop, yet I found fbme-
thing might be accomplished, and by per-
ieverance I difcovered a competition that
produced finer mumrooms, more in quan-r
tity, and the beds continue much longer
in bearing than thofe planted with fpawn
in the common way.

I HAVE ufed no fpawn for many years,
and have never failed of a good crop. I
mail give a full account of the method I
have followed, and if the directions are
obferved accurately, can affert it to be a
lure way to bring them to greater perfec-
» tion

OFMUSHROOOMS. 187

tion in quality and quantity than any other
artificial method I have feen practifed ;
they are fuperior in thicknefs to thofe
that grow naturally in the fields,

THE proper times for making the beds
are as follow : to have them in winter,
the beds mould be made the beginning
of July ; for a fpring crop, the beginning
of December ; and to have plenty all the
fummer there mould be another bed made
the beginning of March. Thefe three beds

will produce them every month in the year.

'

IF the beds are made according to this
new method, they laft much longer than
thofe planted with Ipawn.

BEFORE we proceed to give directions
for making the beds, it will be proper to
fay fomething of what are the proper places
for them.

THOSE that are very fond of mumrooms
jii winter, may be certain of having them

in

iS8 OF MUSHROOMS.

-in great plenty if they will be at the tri-
fling expence of building a fhed againft
a fouth-wail, with a pit three feet deep
and four feet broad, the length according
to the quantity that is wanted. Thirty
feet long; will produce fuffjcient for a large
family,

THERE mutt be a flue all round the pit,
|wo feet deep and eight inches wide, and
a vacuum of an inch on the infide next
the bed, which fh.ould be left open at top
that the heat may come up to warm the
top of the bed, which it would not if the
vacuum was clofe.

vacuum all round prevents the
heat from drying the fides of the bed ; for
if the flue had no vacuum, the heat would
deirroy all production for a foot round at
leaft ; and when the bed is covered with
ftraw and litter (as it mud all winter) to
keep off the frofl and cold air, the ftraw
fhould be laid all over the flue and vacu-
\im, which will caufe a gentle heat all over

6 the

OF MUSHROOMS. 189

the top of the bed, and greatly encourage
the growth of the mum rooms.

THERE will be no danger of the ftraw
firing, as very little heat will be fufficient
to keep the mumrooms growing.

WHERE there is a hot-houfe for pines
trre fhed will anfwer pretty well for mak-
ing a mumroom-bed for the winter and
all the feafon. As the fires are kept on
fhey will grow very well ; but it is too
cold for the fummer's production, for they
love the glafly heat of the fun, or an arti-
ficial one, although they cannot ftand its
bright rays.

IN winter they will grow in dry cellars
and produce a good crop ; they will alfo
thrive extremely well in the end of a lia-
ble where there are a good many horfes
kept. They will thrive and produce a
great crop in a filed facing the fouth, from
the beginning of April to the v-end of Sep-
tember ; but will produce nothing in win-
ter

190 OF MUSHROOMS;

ter,as the air is too cold for them, although
the bed be covered ever fo well with itraw
and litter.

THE materials and method of making

the beds, either for winter or fummer, or

/

which of the above-mentioned places they
are made in, being the fame, I mail only
give directions for making that in the
fluid pit for winter ufe.

THE middle of June provide fome frefli
litter from the {tables ; a bed thirty feet
long and four feet broad will take ten
cart-loads : it muft not be what has laid
long and is turned black ; but if mouldy
and long will anfwer very well to mix up
with fome frefh, at the rate of three parts
frem to one of mouldy. Throw it up in
a heap under cover, for it muft get no wet,
and let it remain for eight days, by which
time it will have a gentle warmth, and it
is then fit for ufe. Get fome frem tan-
ner's bark ; a thirty-feet bed will take
three large cart-loads.

IT

Of MUSHROOMS. 1gi

IT mould be laid in a heap under cover
ten days at leaft, for bark is much longer
in heating than dung; .when it has been
in the heap fix days it mould be turned
over, that the outfides may be in the fame
condition as the middle ; for the outride
of bark never heats when it lays in an open
heap ; when it has juft come to a moderate
heat after turning, it is in order for the
bed.

OLD bark from a pine-ftove that is dry
and round will anfwer, if it is watered a
little and thrown into a heap to ferment ;
but it is not fo good as the new ; it was
from fuch I had the firft fuccefs. I then
mixed it with an equal quantity of new,
and it anfwered much better than when it
was all old ; but there being a difadvan-
tage in taking fo much round bark from
the ftove, ] tried all new, and found it
much better than either of the former.

AT the fame time there mould every day
be faved from the ftable the horfe-drop-

pings,

OF MUSHROOMS.

pings, which fhould be kept as whole,
and clean irom flraw and hay as polfibie.
They mould be laid under cover, and
fpread two inches thick. The place
where they are laid (hould be airy and dry,"
for the drier they are when laid on the
bed the better. If they are got before any
of the other materials, and kept dry and
ttot moved, they will be no worie.

To make the bed put a layer of the
dung that was ihakeri up, two feet thick;
the breadth and length of the bed ; if
mufh be made very equal, and pretty firm,
but not trod ; then a layer of bark, four
inches thick ; over that a layer of the
lame dung, a foot thick ; and on that a.
layer of bark, two inches thick ; and on
that fix inches of the fhorteft of the dung
that was thrown up, which finishes for
the prefent.

WHEN the bed lias been made ten CM:
fifteen days it will then have a gentle
heat ; lay another layer of bark, two'

inches

OF MUSHROOMS. i9g

inches thick ; and on the top of that a
layer of the horfe-droppings, three inches
thick (they fhould be taken up carefully
and as little broken as poflible) ; and on
the top of the droppings an inch of the
fhorteft of the dung from the heap that
was fhaken up. This fmifhes the bed.

THE bed fhould remain fo for fix of
eight weeks, by which time it will have
a moderate heat, if all has fucceeded as it
ought, and will be fit to lay the mould
on. It mould be juft milk warm. The
mould mould be laid on three inches

*

thick, but muft have no water, until, upon
examination of the mould, there appear
little white firings amongft it, which will
be in about three weeks after.

IT muft then have a little water once
a-week, and if it was made milk-warm, or
taken out of the ciftern in the hot-houfe,
it would be much better. In about three
or four weeks after the white firings ap-
pear, the mumrooms will b-gin to come ;

VOL. II. N the

OF MUSHROOMS.

the bed mould then be refreshed with
water often, but not much at a time ; for
if there is much given at once it will kill
all the mnmrooms that are above ground,
and greatly damage the bed.

A BED thus made will continue to bear
very plentifully for half a year, fometimes
a whole year, and produce much finer and
larger mumrooms than any of thofe that
are produced in the fields.

THE mould proper to lay on the bed is
two parts of very rotten dung fifted, two
parts of fine light loam, and one part of
rich black kitchen-garden mould broken
fine, and all well mixed.

:

IF a winter-bed, it mufl be conftantly
kept covered with dry litter three inches
thick ; firft making all the dung out of
it ; and then three inches of clean white
flraw, and a gentle fire kept when froiry
and cold weather, or when there has
been long dull rainy weather, which is

very

OF MUSHROOMS. 195

very prejudicial to them ; for they rot
as they come out of the mould.

IN fuch weather it Would be very proper
to take off the litter, and lay on the ftraw
next the bed, as by that means it will
admit a free air and prevent mouldinefs ;
but in frofty weather the litter mould be
next the bed.

IF the winter- bed is made in the med
of the pine-itove, it mould be made at
the fame time and manner as the other,
covered with the fame fort of mould, and
managed in every refpeft the fame. But
as there will be two fires in the med all
winter, which will keep it warm, there
will be no occafion to lay any litter, only
a very thin covering of ftraw.

.
THE bed muft be made againft the north

wall of the med, for the {love-wall would
be too hot. The forefide of the bed will
dry much fafter than that againil: the wall,
and mull have a little water oftener, for
N 2 a very

i$ff OF MUSHROOMS.

a very little will ferve the backfide, as a
great dampnefs comes through the wall,
efpecially if moft of the filed is under
ground, as it generally is.

THOSE that have no fhed with a pit, nor
a ftove-med to make a winter- bed in, may
make them in a dry cellar, at the iniide
end of a warm ftable, or in the corner of
any outhoufe where there is a conftant
fire.

THERE will be no occafion for any cover
in a cellar in winter, as there is no cold
air ; and in a ftable the air is both damp
and warm : they will require little water
in a cellar, and hardly any in a ftable. If
in a houfe where there is a conftant fire,
they will require a little water but no
cover. In all the places where they are
made, they are all of the fame materials.

THOSE that choofe to have mufhroorm
in the fpring and fummer only, mould
make a bed the beginning of December,

and

OF MUSHROOMS. 197

and it will come into bearing tne end of
March or the beginning of April, and will
produce great plenty all fpring and furn-

mer.

THEY mould be under cover facing the
fun, but never expoied to its rays, nor to
rain ; for it is impolTible to manage a
mumroom-bed right where it is expofed
to rain : no covering of mats or ftraw
is fufficient to protect it.

SUPPOSE the bed had been watered in
the morning, and in the afternoon a
flrong thun ler mower mould fall. It
would go through all the covering, and
perhaps deflroy the bed entirely. Many
a good bed in full bearing has been fo
fpoiled by fuch an accident, that it never
produced a fingle mumroom afterwards.

IF a med with a pit thirty feet long has

the fire-place in the middle on the back-

fide, and made to draw both ways, and

to come up the middle to divide the pit

N 3 in

x9S OF MUSHROOMS.

in two, and one of the ends made every
June, there would be fufficient fora mid-.-
dling family all the year.

WHEN an old bed is deftroyed, if it has
worked kindly and been managed well,
the tan that was laid above the firfl layer
cf dung will be very dry, white, and
mouldy, and mould be faved, it being ex-
ceeding good for laying two inches thick
on the new bed, below the three-inch
layer of horfe-droppings : it will caufe
the bed to bear three qr four weeks fooner,
and the mufhroons to be much larger
and thicker in the flefh ; for the whole
top of the bed will become one folid mals
of fpawn..

WHEN .the old beds arc pulled to pieces
there will be much fine ipawn in them ;
but let not that tempt any one to lay it on
the new bed, for it will entirely fpoil it.
Although by fuch means you might get
mudirooms rather fooner, they would be
and bad, for the waterings that

would

OF MUSHROOMS. 199

would be neceflary to bring thefe bad
mufhrooms forward would prevent the
production of any new fpawn.

BEDS made in cellars or houfes where
fires are kept, and in ftables, will not pro-
duce mufhrooms all fummer; for as the
weather grows warm the air in the cellar
grows cold, and the beds in the {tables will
be too moifl if horfes are kept there all
fummer, and too cold if there are none ;
fo that after April there will be few mum-
rooms on any of them.

73c>

MUSHROOM-BEDS made after the man-
ner here directed are far fuperior to thofe
made in the common way ; they pro-
duce much finer mumrooms, laft much
longer in bearing, and have greater quan-
tities on them at a time.

I HAVE gathered great quantities of

muihrooms from beds made according to

this method, which were much whiter

tjian thofe gathered in the fields, a great

N 4 deaj

200 OF MUSHROOMS.

deal firmer, and when they were as clofe
as the fmalleft buttons that grow natural,
many of them were four and five ounces
weight.

IF all be managed as directed, you will
be fure of fucceeding ; but if any one
fhould fail, let him not defpond at the firft
trial, there being a poffibility of erring,
though no great probability, for I have
not omitted the leaft article in the prepara-
tion of the materials, making and manag-
ing the beds : but information from books
written with the greateft candour may be
difficult, until a little practice renders it
eafy.

. '

ON ASPARAGUS. 301

•
CHAP. XV,

On Afparagus

f I ^ H E common method of managing
JL Afparagus beds is fb well known,
that it is not neceflary to fay any thing
on that head ; but there are feveral places
in England that are remarkable for having
larger afparagus than the common run of
the country, as Batterfea and Gravefend,
pear London, which fome may attribute
to a different management, which is not
the cafe, but the goodnefs and depth of
t;he foil.

I THINK that PontefracT:, in Yorkfhire,
is greatly preferable to the above places in
the goodnefs of its foil, and might produce
larger afparagus.

THE

202 ON ASPARAGUS.

THE largenefs is the thing fb much
talked of at the above places, for I never
heard that the beft judges ever aflerted
that it was any ways fuperior in tafte to
thofe raifed in other parts of the kingdom.

THE ground in the above places is
not all of the fame kind ; that at
Batterfea is a loam of a great depth ;
the foil at Gravefend is very light and
fandy, and alfb very deep.

THE ground at Pontefract is richer,
-deeper, and finer than either of the above ;
it alfo inclines to a brown fand, is the
beft foil I have ever feen, and I am con-
fident, if the alparagus beds were managed
as they are near L,ondon, they would pro-
duce much laigcr than any in the kingdom
in the common way.

I HAVE feen and taken notice of the
drerling of the afparagus beds at Batter-
fea and Gravefend, but cannot fay there
js any material difference in their method

ON ASPARAGUS. 203

from the general run ufed about London,
only they lay a deeper cover of earth than
is commonly praclifed in moft places, the
reafon for which is, that their foil is
lighter.

As I fee fo little difference in the method
of the culture of afparagus in thofe two
places, from that of their neighbours,
I can attribute their fuperior lize to no-
thing hut the fuperior goodnefs of tfyeir:
foil.

IT is evident that the foils of the above-*
mentioned places, notwithftanding their
difference, are all very good, and produce
fine afparagus, which is a plain demon-
ftration that there are different foils, that
the fame fort of foils may be planted in,
and that they will thrive equally well in
them all, which is a thing that mould be
paid more regard to than generally is the
cafe.

. IT is a general error in writers who

treat

204 ON ASPARAGUS;

treat on thefe fubjech, to mention only the
foil that fuch and fuch plants will grow
the beft in, and that in fuch a manner as
to leave their readers to think that they
will not grow at all in any other kind of
foil, which often difcourages people from
{owing or planting many different kinds of
roots, fhrubs, and trees, in foils where,
though they do not attain to the greater!
perfection, they may become very ufeful,
profitable and ornamental, and fome-
times to as great perfection as they do iii
that foil which was thought peculiar to
them,

ASPARAGUS will thrive in all light, rich,
deep foils, and all fandy foils may be made
rich with rotten dung, fo as to produce
very good afparagus ; and in every place
it is planted in, if it is not light and rich
by nature, it mull be made fo by art ; fa
that there is no place in England but
where good afparagus may be had, and at
no great expence, as there are few places
but where the proper materials may be

had

ON ASPARAGUS. ao$

had to make fuch a foil, which is what I
mall give directions for in the common as
well as the new method, for growing it
to a very large fize.

As the largenefs of afparagus is what
is greatly admired, it may be brought to
grow to a very large fize in every gentle-
man's garden ; but many will object, e£-
pccially thofe who have fmall kitchen-gar-
dens, and have little ground to fpare, that
it takes a much greater fpace than in the
common method ; yet I do not know, if
the product xvas to be weighed, but that
the largenefs would make up for number,
though I have not as yet tried that expe-
riment.

IN any part of the garden where no wet
Hands in the bottom (for where water
Hands afparagus will never thrive, as it
kills all the roots in winter, they finking
down to a great depth) make a trench two
feet broad at three feet diftance from the
border ; three feet from that another ; and
3 fo

ON ASPARAGUS.

fo on for as many rows of afparagus a3
are intended to be {own.

DIG and carry all the earth out of the
two-feet trench, which may be difpofed
of in different parts of the garden where
the ground is low. The trench mould
be two feet and a half deep at leaft.

IF the foil in the garden will not allow
fuch a depth, fome of the earth taken out
of the trench may be laid on the three
feet between the trench to heighten the
ground, for it will not be very material
though the ground be a foot higher than
the other parts of the garden ; but the
bottom of the trench muft not be dug
lower than the other parts of the bot-

tom.

LAY in trie bottom of every trench three
inches of good rotten dung, to which add
three inches of the natural mould, if it is
light; but if of a {tiff nature, none of it
mould be put in. If there is any mould

added,

ON ASPARAGUS. 20?

added, mix the dung and mould well by
pricking it over three or four times with a
fpade.

•

THE proper time to do this work is the
beginning of February, that the mould
which is laid in the trench may be well
fettled before the middle of March, which

is the proper time to fow the Afparagus.

•

THE fummer before this is intended to
be done, .the compofition for filling the
trenches mould be prepared, and turned
feveral times, that it may be well mixed
and incorporated before it is tifed.

THE materials of which I have made
the competition, with the greateft fucceis,
are as follow : Sludge from a river that
runs flow and is muddy ; but the heft is
where the tides flow and ebb ; though if

CD

neither of thefe can be got, the fludge
from the bottom of an old pond that has
not been cleaned for a long time will an-

r 11

Iwer very well.

LIGHT

ON ASPARAGUS.

LIGHT peat-mould that lays at top and
is very foft ; if it is difficult to get, as it
Is in many places, the bottom of wood-
flacks, or the places in woods where
much leaves and {ticks have rotted, the
light mould to be got there will do. Light
rich loam from a common pafture. Fine
rotten dung that has laid two years, and
has been turned feveral times, and reduced
to a fine mould. Sharp fand from a pit,
or river-ride, which is better. Thefe are
the ingredients.

THE quantities of each, to make a good
compofition, are two loads of fludge, one
load of foft peat-mould, a load of loam,
two loads of rotten dung, and two loads
of marp fand. This is the proportion ;
the quantity mud: be according to the
number of rows of afparagus to be fown.
If the ground, where the feminary is to
be made, is of a light nature, there fhouJd
be two loads of loam and one of fand ; but
then there muft be more of the natural
earth and more rotten dung laid in the
bottom.

ON ASPARAGUS. 209

Afparagus will thrive exceeding well in
this compofition, and grow to a great fize,
beyond what can be imagined. Ther
trenches fhould be filled with the prepa-
red ftuff as foon as they are dug out,
which fhould be laid in lightly, and with-
in three inches of the top, that it may
fettle equally ; it fhould be a foot below
the level of the ground between when the
feeds are {own. Make a drill in the mid-
dle of the trench two inches deep, and at
a foot diftance drop four good feeds an inch
from one another ; prefs them gently into
the ground, and cover them with mould
two inches deep.

IF all the feeds grow, leave only two
of the heft ; and if the fpring and fum-
mer be very dry, give them a little water
once a week, and keep them clear from
weeds. If a thin cover of mofs was laid
round them, it would prevent the ground
cracking after watering.

VOL. II. O Is

2io ON ASPARAGUS.

IN the autumn, when the ftems are de-
cayed, cut them off two inches from the
ground, ftir the furface gently that the
crown of the plant may not be hurt, and
then lay on an inch and a half of the fame
competition that the trenches were filled
with, the whole breadth of the two feet,
railing it a little higher in the middle
to carry the wet off the crown of the
plants.

IT will be neceffary this winter to cover
the whole two- feet trench with light lit-
ter from the {tables, as the roots are near
the furface ; but this is no more to be
pra&ifed. This fmifhes the firfh year's
work.

THE beginning of March take off the
litter, and dig it into the three-feet left
between the rows ; prick up the fur-
face in the trench where the afparagus is
{own, and lay over it an inch more of the
fame compoft it was (own in.

THERE ftiould be as much of the com-
pofition

ON ASPARAGUS. 211

portion made at firft as will fill up the
trenches at lea ft two inches higher than

o

the ground between, which Should be
turned over twice a year, for it will be
three or four years before it is all ufed.
It is quite imnece-ffa-ry to repeat the keep-
ing- clean from weeds, as that fhould rbe
always imderftood.

IN the autumn, when the ftems are de-
cayed, cut them off four inches from this
ground, and lav over th£ whole trench
four inches of the composition, railing <k
.a little round in the middle.

THE crowns of the plants will now be
near eight inches below the fur face, fo
there will be no occalion for any long co-
vering ; but as the plants are ftill in danger
from froft, it will be right to cover them
a foot wide with two inches of (harp fand,
which Ihou.ld be laid round to carry off
the wet in winter, to prevent its hurting
the buds. This finishes the fecond year's
work.

02 IN

2i2 ON ASPARAGUS.

IN the fpring the fand mould be fpread
all the breadth of the two- feet trench, and
two inches of the compoft added to it ;
then prick it over with a fork to mix it
well with the fand. This work mould be
done the beginning of March, and let lie
until the end of April before it is raked.

IN the autumn there fhould be four
inches of* the compel! laid all over the
trench that the afparagus is fown in,
which mould be two inches higher in the
middle than at the fides, fo that the crown
of the roots will be a foot under the fur-
face, and there will be no occafion for any
further cover to keep out the froft. This
ends the third year.

THE next fpring fork the rows, and Let
them lay a month before they are raked.
This fpring the heads will be large and
fine, and there will be great temptation
to cut, but it would be much better to
defer it until the fpring following.

THE next autumn there mould be four

ON ASPARAGUS. 213

inches of the compoft laid all over in the
fame manner as before, fo that now the
two- feet trench will be an inch or two
higher than the ground between.

As the roots will now begin to come
to the hard ground between the rows,
there muft be ibme provifion made to en-
courage them to fpread, that they may
grow ftrong and fupply the buds, which
will now be very plentiful and very luxu-
riant, teufw

ANY time in the winter there mould
be a trench opened at the end of the
three-feet between the rows, the fame
depth that the afparagus was fbwn in. If
the ground is light and tolerably good,
only a third of the natural earth mould
be carried off ; but if fliff, one half at
leaft.

THERE mould be fix inches of good

o

rotten dung laid in the bottom, then eight

inches of the natural mould, and on that a

O 3 layer

ON ASPARAGUS.

layer of dung, and fo on until the ground
is four inches higher than the ground the
afparagus is in, for it will fink to its own
level. If the ground is fHrT there mould
be lefs mould laid above the dung, and an
inch or two of land added ; then it will
be neceliary to mix each layer of dung,
fand, and mould, by pricking it over
twice with a fork.

THE next' autumn there (hould be four
inches of the compofl laid over the trench,
which then will be jufl fo much higher
than the ground between. If there is
any of the compofition left it may be laid
all over the ground ; but if there is none,
an inch of rotten dung will anfwer as
well.

IN two yeafs after this it will be necef-
{ary to fpread an inch of rotten dung all
over the ground in autumn, and fork it
in, taking hold of the ground three or
four inches, and let it lie rough all win-
ter ; but the middle of the row, where

5

ON ASPARAGUS. 21*

the afparagus is (own, fhould always be
higheft, and lie round. This fhould be
repeated every third year ; and by being
thus managed the afparagus will laft for
twenty years, and be much larger than
what is fown or planted in the beds in the
common way.

As to the proper age to cut afparagus,
there ihould be none cut before the third
year ; but as the intention of fowing and
managing it in this manner is in order that
it may be very large, there mould be none
cut before the fourth year ; and none even
then but a few of the largeft heads, which
will give it ftrength to grow to the fize in-
tended.

THE many directions here given may
feem tedious, and to require fo much la-
bour that it is not worth" the trouble:
there is not a great deal more than gene-
rally is ufed (or mould be) in preparing
of ground for planting in the common
way, as trenching and dunging is always
O 4 pra&ifed j

2i6 ON ASPARAGUS.

'

pra&ifed ; for after the trenches are emp-
tied and filled again with the compoft,

there is much lefs labour in the dreffines

c

than is ufed in the common method. But,
as this is a new way, I have not omitted
the minuteft article in the directions, by
following of which, afparagus will be
brought to a furprizing largenefs.

I HAVE often heard gentlemen com-
plain that they could never have good afpa-
ragus in the common way, their foil not
being fit for its production : this does
not come within my province ; but for
the advantage of fuch as are fo fituatcd, I
ihall lay down a method, by following of
which good afparagus may be obtained,
lot the natural foil be what it will.

A CLAY bottom is very bad for afpara-
gus ; therefore where that is the cafe, in
all the ways of lowing and planting, it
will greatly add to its growth to lay two
inches of coarfe gravel, or fome {tones
broken very fmall, in the bottom of every
. trench,

ON ASPARAGUS. 217

THE bottom fhould be very even, and
have a good fall to carry off the water (if
clay) ; for if there is not a free paflage it
rots the roots of all plants that are perma-
nent, and it affe&s none fo much as it
does afparagus ; fo that imlefs the ground
is dry at the bottom, and of a good depth
of foil, all endeavours to have it goodwill
prove in vain.

:

ALL the heft afparagus grows in light

foils. If the ground is naturally ilifF it
muft be made light ; for which purpofe
there fhould be as much fand and coal-
afhes, finely fifted, mixed up as will make
at firft laying twice as many inches as
there is of the natural foil (for fand and
afhes will not raife the ground in propor-
tion to what is laid in, when well mixed
with the mould) ; the fand mould be the
fharpeft that can be got ; for foft fand,
laid in ftifF clay, only binds it fafter.

MARK out the ground that is intended
to be fovvn, and open a trench as deep as

the

2ig ON ASPARAGUS.

the ground will allow ; lay in the bottom
fix inches of good foft cow-dung that is
not rotten, but has little ftraw amongft
It ; then fix inches of the natural foil,
and on that fix inches of the fand and
afhes, which mould be well mixed (but
the dyng mould not be disturbed) ; then
}uy on three inches of rotten dung, three
of mould, and three of the fand and allies-,
which mould be all well mixed ; then
three inches of mould, two of dung, and
four of fand and aflies, all well mixed ;
let them remain thus until fowing time*
This mould be cone the beginning of
\vinter, and it will be in fine order, and
bring very good afparagus.

IT mould be fown in drills two inches
deep, and covered with an equal quantity
of rotten dung, fand, and good light

mould, well mixed.

|

THE beds mould be covered with light
litter the firft winter ; the fecond, with
two inches of rotten dung, which mould

be

ON ASPARAGUS. 219

be forked up> and mixed with the earth
on the beds in the fpring j the third win-
ter there mould be a good covering of
dung, fand, and good light earth laid all
over, which will be fufficient to keep out
the froft.

THERE flhould never beany thing plant-
ed in the alleys, neither mould they be
deep ; but the beds mould be laid round,
the alleys dug every winter, and fome
earth thrown over the beds out of them,
the moft of which will be raked off in
drafting.

THEY mould have at lead an inch of

•

rotten dung thrown over them every third
year, which fliould be forked up in the
fprlng, taking hold of three inches of the
mould on the bed. This {hould be done
the beginning of March, and lay rough
until the beginning of April before it is
raked.

IF the ground intended to be fown be

gravel

220 ON A'S P A R A G U S.

grayel or.fand, a fine rich loam mould be
ufed inflead of fand and afhes *r but rotten
cow-dung will anfwer better than horfe-
dpng ; and if all the layers of dung, ex-
cept the laft, is not fo very rotten it will
be the better. gJJ ?

.rim c: . b jiailw riv/ol

AFTER all the ground is trenched and

well mixed,, there mould be an inch ot
very rotten dung, two of loam, and one
of good black mould, laid all over, and
pricked over at leaft three times, that they
maybe well mixed. This work fhould
be done in the beginning of winter, and
by lying rough it will be in good order
for fowjng in the fpring.
»sn sdi teL

IF the natural foil is either a light loam
or a fine black mould, there will be no oc-
cafion'for- any thing except dung; but in
all forts of foils there mould be a good
layer of dung in the bottom of the trench,
?.s the lower parts of the beds cannot be
mended after the afparagus is fown ; and
the roots get to the bottom (as

they

ON ASPARAGUS. 221

•

they foon will) they will grow ftrong, and
greatly increafe the growth of the plants.
; af>fT» -

IT is a wrong method to plant afpara-
gus, for the roots fhould never be cut,
bccaufe they are of fuch a nature that they
never make fo good roots as when they are
ibwn where they are to remain,

IT is natural for afparagus to rife in the
crown as it grows old, for which reafon
there fhould be a good covering of earth
laid on at different times, that it may be
in a condition to refift the frofl without
a covering of long dung, which is very
prejudicial to it, efpecially on ftifF land.
Thofe who prepare and manage their beds
thus will have good afparagus, let the na-
tural foil be what it will.

•

ASPARAGUS draws a great deal of nou-
rifhment from the ground every year ; it
is a very luxuriant plant, and fhould have
Ibme fupply every other year, or it will in
a. few years be very {mall ; but if properly
2 fup-

222 ON ASPARAGUS.

^r '

fupported it will be very good for many
years.

FORCING afparagus, and having it in the
winter months, is much in practice : it
is fometimes (when the plants are good)
pretty large, and looks tolerably well, but
it is impoffible it can "be- good ; for the
buds are forced out by. the heat, only,
without having any fupply from the roots,
except what juices were in them ; and
they flrike no new fibres, therefore can
draw no nourifhment from the mould
they are planted in; for .when the bud?
that were formed before planting are all
fhot, there is an end, and the plant decays.

GOOD afparagus may be obtained at a
trifling -expeiice, from the beginning of
March until the beginning of May, of a
fine colour and good tafte. . This is no
part of what I propofed to treat of; but,
as it is not -in common practice, I fhall
give directions how.it may be brought to
perfection.

BUILD

ON ASPARAGUS. 223

BUILD a pit thirty or forty feet long,
fix feet broad (inward dimenfions) and
three feet high. Before the flues are be-
gim the foundations moiild be laid two
feet four inches broad; that is, eight
inches for the flue, four inches for its in-
fide fupport, and fixteen inches putdde
wall, which may be built either of ftone
or brick, as moft convenient; but the
fupport and cover of the flue mufr. be
brick.

WHEN the wall is three feet high aU
round, begin the flue, which fhould be
two feet deep ; and after it is covered
<moiildj have fix inches of ftonc or brick
built over it before the capingk laid on.

IF the ground this pit (lands on be clay,
there mould be a foot of loofe (loaes
broken imall, fpread all over the bottom,
and on- that a foot of brufh-wood, cut
fmall, and a drain through the wall at the
bottom-, to carry oft" the wet ; but if it is-
land, gravel, or rock, two feet of brufh-
wood will be fufficient without a drairt.

224 ON ASPARAGUS.

THE fire-place mould be funk a foot
lower than the bottom of the pit, to give
room for an afh-hole below the grate, and
fufficient height to the fire-place, that
there may be a rife of eighteen inches at
leaft before the flue comes to the level,
which mould go all round, and the chim*
ney ftand over the fire-place, which mould
ftand without the fquare of the pit.

THE flue at firft mould go along the
end, and be carried within four inches of
the outfide of the wall, to prevent its be-
ing too hot at firft going off; but mould,
as foon as paft the end, be brought gradu-
ally into the fquare, to have only the four
inches fupport the remainder of the way
round.

WHEN the whole is finifhed, and the
bottom prepared according to the ground
it ftands on, the pit fhould be filled with
the fame compofition that was made for
the trenches for large afparagus. This
ihould be done at leaft two months before

the

ON ASPARAGUS. 325

the time of fowing ; for it will fink great-
ly, and it fhould be juft a foot below the*
caping when the feed is fown.

IT may be fown thicker than that in
the trenches ; but five rows will be fuffi-
cient in the fix-feet bed, as the rows on
the outride next the flue muft be at leaf!
eight inches from the flue, for the heat
will dry the roots too much if nearen

THE firft year after fowing it fhould
covered with litter, in the fame manner'
with that fown in the trenches ; and ma-
naged, as to covering, with tne compo-
fition, after the fame manner (which need
not be repeated). When it is fmimed,
which will be the third year, it fhould
lay round the fides, next the flue, an inch
above the caping, and the middle four
Inches higher.

IT mould not be forced before the fourth
year. The fires fhould be made 'the be?
ginning of February, but very flow at firfr,

VOL. II. p ai>d

226 ON ASPARAGfS.

and increafed gradually. If the feafon is
not very fevere there will be afparagus fit
to cut the latter end of March.

THERE mould be a wood frame made
like that which fupports the tilt of a wag-
gon laid over, that it may be covered with
mats at nights and in cold wet days.

WHEN the fires are made ftrong it mould
have a little water all round the fides next
the flues every day, and the whole bed
fhould be kept moderately moift.

As the forcing will wafte the afparagus
much more than that which grows hi
common ground, thefe mould have a little
rotten dung laid over them every year,
and it would be proper to provide two fuch
places in order to have a conftant fupply *
for if it is forced every year it will not lafk
a long time, as the heat will force all the
buds to fprout ; fo that it mould have reft
every other year to recover ftrength.

THE

Oft ASPARAGUS. 227

THE forcing of afparagus in the winter
months, by planting it on hot-beds made
of clung, is brought to as great perfection
as it can be, unlefs a better method be
found, that it may have the advantage of*
roots and fibres to encourage its growth^
-as well as heat to force the buds to ihoot>
which I hope to accomplish.

WHERE tan can be conveniently got, it
hiakes a much better bed for forcing win-
ter afparagus than dung ; for after the tan
is brought to a proper heat it keeps fo a
long time, and is not fo apt to burn the
roots as dung beds ; which, after they
have come to their heat, decay much
fooner than the bark, and occasions much
more trouble in lining, as the heat mufl
be kept up at that feafon, or all is foon
loft.

THE- roots of afparagus are foft, fuccu-

lent, and fibrous ; and when cut, broke,

or difturbed, are very fubjeft to rot : if it

does not rot, it pufhes out fmall {lender

P 2 roots,

228 ON ASPARAGUS.

roots, which fpread and entangle one
amongft another, fo that they never make
fuch vigorous fhoots as when the roots
are ftraight and flrong, which they are
when fown and never difturbecf.

THIS is a good reafon for being at fo
much trouble in preparing the beds before
fowing, alfo for laying fo great a quantity
of dung in the bottom of ihe trench ; for
planted afparagus will never ftrike their
roots fo deep as what is fown.

ASPARAGUS feed is very hard and dry,
and long in coming up ; yet it is of fuch
a nature, that if fown very early, and
hard frofts or much rain happen after-
wards, it is apt to rot ; or if the feafon is
mild at firft, and it comes up foon, and a
hard froft fucceeds, it cuts off the young
fhoots clofe to the ground, which is a great
detriment to the plants, for there are few
roots to fupport them, and a good deal of
the fubftance of the feed is fpent in produ-
cing the firft moots : thofe that come

after

ON ASPARAGUS. 229

after are very weak, and it is a year before
they recover their ftrength.

THE beft method is to prepare the feed
three weeks before the time of fowing,
which then may be three weeks longer
deferred, by which time the hard frofrs
will be .over, and the feed will be as far
advanced as if it had been in the ground in
a mild feafon.

To prepare the feed, mix an equal quan-
tity of dry fand and frefh grains from the
brewhoufe ; rub them well together, lay
it in a heap four or five days, then rub
and mix the feed with it, and put it in a
little box or garden-pot, covering it over
an inch at top with fand, and fet it in a
dry airy place ; in fix days examine it, and
if it inclines to mouldinefs, rub all .over
again, and it will require no further trou-
ble, but will be fprouted, and in good or-
4er for fowing in three weeks,

P 3 CHAP.

53Q CULTIVATION OF

CHAP. XVI,

On Cabbages*

THE cultivation of cabbages far feed-
ing cattle is of great benefit,
and its advantages are fo great, that it is
furprizing that it has not become general
long before this, efpecially as there are
feveral gentlemen that have brought them.
to great perfection, and found them very
profitable.

IN feveral conversations I have had with
farmers on this head, moil of them made
the following objections : That it was
too expenfive, and that it impoverimcd the
land ; that it alfo required more dung than
they could afford. So far they were quite,
wrong-, for it takes no great labour, and

CABBAGES. 231

it greatly improves the land ; and if they
are properly managed, it ferves for a fum-
mer fallow and there will be a very good
crop after cabbages without any dung.

IF they are well managed and brought
to a large fize, there will be more weight
on an acre of good cabbages than there
poffibly can be on an acre of the very beft
turnips. They are eafier to cultivate ;
for they are not fubject to the fly, which
in dry feafons often deftroys whole fields
of turnips : whereas if winter cabbage-
plants are planted, they feldorn require any
water ; and for the fpring plants, if the
feafon is ever fo dry, a good watering at
planting willfuffice to make them grow.

CABBAGES are of great ufe in deep mows
and hard frofts, when turnips cannot be
got ; and I have been informed, that if all
the rotten leaves are taken off, and the
found cabbages given to milk-cows, that
they affect neither butter nor milk. This
\ cannot affert as a fac~l that I have feen
P tried,

232 CULTIVATION OF

tried, but I had the information from an
ingenious gentleman of veracity.

IT is well known by every perfon that
has given turnips to their milk-cows,
that they give the butter ib ftrong a tafte,
that in a few days it is hardly eatable,
even by thofe whofe tafte is not very nice.
In markets it is generally the firfr. queftion,
Is it turnip-butter ? and if it is, no gentry
will purchafe it, and it is always fold
cheaper. If feeding milk-cows with clean
cabbages will remedy this, it will be an
acquifition to the public, and a very great
advantage to the farmer.

CABBAGES will thrive in all foils except
in poor gravel, which is a great advantage
tp the farmer, as gravelly grounds are fit-
for turnips.

JN the ftrongefr. clays cabbages may be
brought to great perfection ; and as that
is not a foil fit for turnips, there they mult
be a great improvement ; for if mod of the

farm

CABBAGES.

fkrm is ftrong clay, and unfit for turnips,
in years when hay is fcarce it will be a
great advantage to have a good crop of
cabbages.

IF cabbages are intended to be planted
on a very ftiff clay, fuppofe bean or wheat
ftubble, the field mould be plowed as foon
as the corn is cleared, and then again juft
before winter, in the fame manner ; and
if the fpring is dry it will be of fervice to
harrow it well ; but that mould be done,
juft before it is plowed, for it will become
very fine by harrowing after the winter's
froft ; and if much rain mould fall before
it is plowed, it will run all together and
become quite ftiff ; fo that it muft be
plowed as foon as poflible after harrowing,

BEFORE the laft plowing there mould
be eight or ten loads of good rotten dung
fpread over each acre ; then plowed, well
harrowed, and planted immediately.

PLANTS that have been fown in the au-
tumn.

234 CULTIVATION OF

tumn, and pricked out in beds four inches
afunder, are the fitted for clay ground, as
they are larger and hardier thanthofe that
are fown in the fpring, and they may be
planted three months fooner, which will
be a great advantage, for they grow very
{lowly for fome time in fuch ground ; but
after they have got good hold they will
grow very fair,

ALL cabbages mould be pulled and car-
ried to a fold, or fome convenient med, to
be eaten, it being very improper to allow
cattle to go amqngft them ; for if they are
confined to ever fo fmall a fpace they wafte
and deftroy them greatly ; and that is
the reafon the farmers fay it impoverishes
the ground, for the crop is carried off and
fpent in another place ; but they mould
,confider what a quantity of dung is got in
the fold, the cabbage ground having na
need of it, which is a great advantage.

A GOOD crop of beans may be had
on clay ground after cabbages without
any dung.

CABBAGES.

IF it is intended to have beans, the
cabbages fhould be all cleared off by Can-
dlemas, and the ground plowed and fown
as loon as the weather will permit ; but
if after plowing it was well harrowed, and
the beans planted with fetting-fticks, there
would be a much better crop, and a quar-
ter of the feed would be fufficient.

THIS is praclifed in many places in the
fouth, where both labour and ground
are much dearer than in the north, and
they find it turn to good account.

THEY plant them eighteen inches, fome-
times two feet, row from row, and three
inches in the row. Two women, with a
bag in their aprons to hold the beans,
plant them very quick. They have two
lines beginning at oppofite ends, each
planting the whole of their own line, fb
that they are ready at both ends to fhift
the lines. They make the holes with
the fetting-ftick, and drop a bean in each ;
and when the field is planted, harrow it
all over.

236 CULTIVATION OF

WHEN the beans are two or three inches
above ground they mould be hoed in the
tow, to defhroy the weeds that are in the
line of the beans, and then a furrow
drawn with a plow between the rows.
This furrow mould be drawn as foon as
the beans are hoed, for if they are any
taller they will be in danger of being
broken. It may lie until the beans are a
foot high, and then be drawn up tp their
•items with a hoef

BY this method of working the ground
is kept quite clean, and will be almoft as
good as another fummer fallow. The
goodnefs of the crop will pay all the ex-
traordinary expences triple, befides the ad-
vantage of tjie ground being kept clean.

IF the ground intended for cabbages be
a ftrong rich loam (which is the very beft
for them) they will grow very large ; but
it fhould be plowed before winter, and lie
rough to mellow. If it is to be planted
with winter plants, which is alfo the beft

for

CABBAGES.

for this foil, it fhould be harrowed, dung-
ed, plowed, harrowed, and planted in fuc-
ceffion as foon as can be ; but if it is to
be planted with fpring plants, it fhould be
harrowed as foon as tolerably dry in the
fpring, and plowed directly ; for if it is
not plowed before planting time it will be-
full of weeds*

JUST before the feafon for planting,
winch fhould be as foon as the plants can
be got to a good fize, it fhould be dunged,
plowed, and harrowed, and then planted.

LITTLE dung will be fufficient for fuch
ground, and a good crop of barley will
grow after the cabbages without dung.

IF the ground to be planted with cab-
bages be of a fandy nature, or a light
loam of a good depth, they will thrive
extremely well. It would be better to
plow it before winter ; but if plowed early
in fpring it will anfwer,

GROUND of this nature anfwers the be/l

CULTIVATION OF

of any for fpring plants, it being natural
ly foft, and they will take root much
fooner than in any other kind of foil, and
it fhould be dunged and plowed juft be-
Fore it is intended to be planted;

AFTER it is plowed it fhould be well
harrowed, and then a flial low furrow drawn
by the plow at four feet diftance from one
another, and the cabbages planted in the
bottom of it at two feet and a half diftance;

WHEN the cabbages are grown to have
three or four inches of ftem, the weeds
fhould be hoed between the plants in the
rows, and the loofe earth that was thrown
up in making the furrow, fhould be drawn
clofe up to the {terns.

V
ALL the cabbages that are planted in the

different grounds that were winter plants^
about the end of June fhould have two
furrows drawn by the plow between every
row, throwing the mould up to the cab-
bages ; after which it fhould be drawn
3 quits

CABBAGES. 239

quite clofe to the ftem by a hoe. It will
be the middle or latter end of July before
it will be neceffary to draw the furrows
and earth up the fpring plants.

WHEN cabbages are planted in a fine
light fandy foil that is of a good depth,
if the ground is kept clean, and the
cabbages cleared off* by Candlemas, the
ground may be put in good order to pro-
duce a fine crop of carrots.

WHEN carrots are intended after cab-
bages, the cabbages ihould be pulled up
by the roots, for1 their roots would be very
troublefome in the carrot ground. The
ground mould be plowed as deep as poffi-
ble and lay rough.

THE feed for winter plants mould be
fown at two different times, for there is
often three weeks difference, or more, in
the feafon. The firft lowing fhould be
about the latter end of July, and the
fecond about the i8th of Auguft.

IF

CULTIVATION OF

IF the autumn is very fine, which often
happens, thofe fown firfl will be too
large ; and if they Hand through the win-
ter many of them will run to feed in the
fpring ; but if the autumn prove cold and
frofty, as it fometimes does, thofe laft
fown will be too fmall and weak, and un-
able to refift the cold winds and hard frofts.

WHEN the plants have got four leaves
they mould be pricked out into beds in an
open fpot in the garden or in the fields
(where hares and rabbits cannot come at
them) at four inches diftance every way.
If they are planted near walls or hedges it
draws them, and they have long items,
which makes them weak, and is a great
detriment ; for it is the flrong ftifF plants
which make the large cabbages.

ALL thofe that are the leaft acquainted
With gardening know, that if the feafon
is dry, all young plants, when firft planted
out, mould have water, and it would be
very fuperfluous to direct it ; but this is
5 defigned

CABBAGES. 241

defigned for the farmer (not the gardener)
who is fuppofed not yet to have come to
a perfect knowledge of managing plants
of this kind.

IF the feafon is very dry when the
young plants are planted out, they mould
have a good watering in the evening or
morning after planting ; but if ever fo
dry mould have no more. It is much bet-
ter for them to be ftifFand fhort, both fof
franding the. winter and planting out in the
fpring, than thofe that are flufti, tall, and
tender, which watering or a wet feafoa
makes them.

THE ground which the young plants are
pricked out in to ftand the winter, mould
be a good natural foil, not made rich with
dung ; for then the plants grow too fair,
and are fo thick that they are drawn ; and
if it comes a hard winter they are in dan-
ger of bejng loft.

VOL. II. Q IF

242 CULTIVATION OF

IF there are no winter plants, and the
whole is to be planted with fpring plants,
they mould be fown as foon as poffible, in
a fpot of good ground that lies pretty
warm, to bring them forward.

THEY fhould not be fown too thick>
and it would be worth the labour, after
they are come up, to thin them by hand
to four inches diftance, as the trouble
would be all faved in the planting* befides
the advantage of the plants being much
larger ; for when they are very thick they
are long ftemmed, crooked, and very
troublefome to plant, which they are not
when thin.

THE feafon for planting plants that have
been kept over the winter, is any time
from the beginning of March to the end
of April ; but the fooner they are planted
the Crop will be the better ; for in that
early feafon they have a good chance to
get rain after planting ; and as the ground
is for the mod part moift, they will re-
6 quire

CABBAGES. 243

quire no watering when planted, which
is faving more labour and expence than
the tranfplanting of the plants cofts in
autumn^ befides the advantage of the
plants having almoft three months longer
to grow.

IF {harp f roils mould enfue after the
cabbages, are planted in the fields, it will
not hurt them, for the moving makes
them more hardy than if they had not
been tranfplanted.

IT yvill be the beginning or middle of
June before the plants that are Ibwn in
ipring are ftrong enough to plant out. It
is wrong to plant them iinall in the field,
for if the ground is not fine it will be
very difficult to make them fafl, and at
that feafon the weather is generally hot.
If they are not good large plants they will
ftand a bad chance, although they are well
watered when planted.

IF

244 CULTIVATION OF

IF the weather is rainy and dull, it will-
be much better for them ; and if there is
an appearance of rain it will be right to-
wait a few days ; for it is much better
planting if the ground is wet at top, as it
prevents the mould running into the hole,;
which is very troublefome in planting.

IF a good deal of rain mould fall juft at
the time of planting (but it very lei dom,
happens that a fufficiency falls- at that
feafon to moiften the ground deep enough
for the roots of the plants) it would even
be a great fervice to them to be watered
when the weather is dull. One quart
will be of more advantage than a gallon
when it is hot and dry ; and if in a few
days -it mould be very hot, and continue fo
for a longtime, they wilL require no more
watering.

IF the ground has been well prepared,
and is very tender and fine, it will have a
good dear of moifture in it; and if fome
rain has fallen they may do without water ;

but

CABBAGES. 245

i if the ground is. rough and lumpy,
xv ate r is absolutely neceflary, although
there has been a good deal of rain.

IF cabbages are managed on the different
foils, as here directed, they will be a pro-
fitable crop, and few will be without them
after they have experienced the great ad-
vantage they are of in winter- feeding.

No cattle are fond of eating vegetables
when they are frozen ; therefore if the
cabbages are carried home and laid in a
cow-houfe fingly, where cattle are kept,
the heat of the place will foon thaw them ;
but if they lie in a heap they will continue
frozen, although in a very warm place.

IT will require no great room to thaw
them ; for after a few are thawed, and
the cattle fed, fome may be laid all along
behind them, to be ready -againft thefe are
eaten. This will be very little trouble,
the cattle will be much better fed, and
{here will be no wafte.
QL3

246 CULTIVATION, &c.

CABBAGES may be taken up and laid
clofe together in the earth and covered
with peafe or bean ftraw to keep the froffc
from them ; that light covering will ad-
mit the air and prevent their rotting.

THE feeding in winter with vegetables
that are not frozen muft be a great ad-
vantage ; they are more nouriming an4

make the cattle much fatter and fooner,

i

'

CHAP,

0 N C A R R O T S. 247

CHAP. XVII.

On Carrots,

'

flF

CARROTS are another very beneficial
vegetable for feeding, and many
other profitable ufes. The cultivation of
them in all the different foils they will
thrive in will be very advantageous to the
farmer. I mail endeavour to give fuch
plain and eafy directions for the propaga-
tion of them, as I hope will be liiccefs-
ful, allowing for the common accidents of
ieafons.

ALL the farmers may keep their horfes
from the beginning of September to near
May-day with carrots and hay, without

one grain of corn, which muft occafion a
great faving of oats.

248 ON CARROTS.

THE following is an abfolute fact : That

o

three acres of carrots, on a foil that is not
the very belt for the growth of them, fup-.
ported twenty-four working horfes, thirty
grown fwine, and feveral ypung horfes and
cattle, from the end of October to the be-
ginning of Aprif, The horfes were worked
every day, looked well, and were fat.

. Bfisi0E$ there were quantities frequently
given to the milk-cows during that time,
which had no bad effect On the milk ;
arid they gave a greater quantity at a meal
than if they had not had carrots, and the
butter was fweeter than of thofe which
were fed with the beft hay only.

THE labour in keeping carrots clean is
not much different, nor more expenfive,
than that of turnips, where turnips are
Jioed and kept clean as they mould be.
'

TURNIPS will befomething like a crop,
although they are not hoed, and are full
of weeds, and there are many places

5 where

ON CARROTS. 249

where fuch flovenly work is feen ; but the

•

occupiers of the grounds fuffer for their
negligcnce, both in the lofs of turnip?
and the dirtinefs of their grounds, as the
feeds blow all over the farm ; but unlefs
carrots are kept clean and hoed to. a pro-
fer diftance, they will be good for no*
thing.

I AM of opinion that there are few far-
mers, after they have found the great ad-
vantage carrots are of in feeding, but
will endeavour to have fbme acres of them,
which requires no great art, if the whole
farm is not a hard clay or a mallow gravel ;
in that cafe it is in vain to attempt their
propagation,

CARROTS will thrive on fandy grounds
of all kinds ; light loams, ftrong loams,
light black moulds, and all kinds of land
that is of a loofe, open nature.

THE ground which carrots are {own on
ihculd never be dunged that year ; but

ON CARROTS.

they fhould follow a crop that has been,
dunged the preceding year ; for the
ground mutt be in good heart, or there
will be little profit,

*

THERE is no crop that prepares the
ground & well for carrots as cabbages ;
when carrots are intended after cabbages,
before the cabbages are planted the ground
fhould be well dunged previous to the
laft plowing.

THE cabbages mould be all got off by
Candlemas, and as foon as the ground is
tolerably dry it fhould be plowed as deep
as the plow can go, and lie rough until
near the time of fowing ; it then fhould
be well harrowed with a large harrow,
which will make it fine at top. It mull
be plowed again directly, for if rain
mould come before it is plowed, all the
fine mould at top will run into a hard
crufr., and all the advantage of the early
plowing will be loft.

ON CARROTS, 251

THERE are fome kinds of foils (which
have been mentioned before) that cab.-
bages will thrive on, that are not fit to he
fucceeded by carrots ; but as carrots are
fo advantageous a crop, if there is any
ground in the farm that is fit for them, it
mould be fo contrived as to be planted
with cabbages, that the carrots may be
fovvn after them.

IT is a good method, where there arq
large quantities of potatoes propagated,
to plant firfl potatoes, which are always
dunged with long dung.

T o prepare the ground properly, it
fhpuld be plowed as foon as the potatoes
are taken up, to mix and rot the long
dung that they were planted with. It
ihould lay rough all winter ; early in the
fpring harrowed, then dunged according
as the ground is in heart ; then plowed,
harrowed, and planted with cabbages, to
be managed as before directed, and fown
with carrots next fpring.

252 ON CARROTS.

ALL tliofe crops will thrive on the
lame fort of foil, and produce good crops

of each kind.

•

T ' .1 ' r J • r cr

IF the crops are iown in this uiccemon,
the potatoes mould be kept very clean,
and no weeds allowed to feed ,on the
ground ; for if they do they will be very
troublefome in the carrot ground.

THE cabbages the next year mufl alfo
be hoed and kept clean, and well pldwed
between the rows, which is almoil as
good as a fummer fallow ; by this ma-
nagement the carrot ground will be in
fuch good order next ipring that the
hoeing will be eafy, and the crop good.

THE befl foil for carrots is the black
deep fandy grounds that are in low hot-"
toms by river fides ; there they grow large
and fine, and prove a very profitable crop.
If fucli ground can be had, the labour will
be trifling. Suppofing it had produced
cabbages the year before, it fhould he

pkrweij

CARROTS. 255

plowed when the cabbages are got on\
and lie rough until the time of lowing the
carrots, and mould then be harrowed with
a large harrow, plowed immediately, and
harrowed, the feed fown, and then flight-lj
harrowed with a bum -harrow,

IF the ground intended to be fown be a
deep but hungry fand, it mould be ma-
naged in the fame manner, but fown as-
early as poffible ; for if the plants do not
get good hold of the ground before the
dry weather comes on in the fpring, they
will come to nothing; ; but if {own earlv,
there will be a fine crop.

SANDY loam is a very good foil ; fucli
ground is always of a good depth, and a
fine crop may be ex-peeled. It fhould be-
treated much in the fame manner as the
former, only it will require a little more
harrowing before the feed is fown.

I F fliff loam, carrots will thrive very
well ; but it will require a good deal more

working

ON C A R R 6 T S.

working to reduce it ; for rough ground is
very unfit for carrots.

• -/H*

IF fliff loam has not produced cabbages
the year before, it would be much better
to be fallow for a fummer ; and if it is
not in good heart, to have five or fix loads
of very rotten dung per acre fpread over it
in fummer, and plowed in direclly. It
mould be kept very clean*

.
THIS method will be much condemned

by the generality o£ the farmers as too ex-1
penfive, on account of the two winters and
one fu miner's working and dunging alfo
for one crop; but I am fure it will pay
very well, for it will produce a very good
crop if the feafon proves temperate.

I F there is a more proper fpot I would
not recommend fuch foil, only in cafe of
neceffity, that it is the befl in the farm,
that thofe who have not a fitter foil may
not defpair of having good carrots.

BLACK

ON CARROTS. 255

BLACK mould, and all loofe earths, will
anfwer very well for Carrots ; but they
mould be Town early, for the fame reafons
that were given for lowing fandy ground.

I F the heft ground in a whole farm is
all {tiff and next to a clay, it is very unfit
for carrots ; but at a fmall expence it may
be made to grow them tolerably well ;
and the ground will allb be greatly im-
proved for all kinds of grain, and laft
many years.

THE following cornpofition, prepared
and laid on, and plowed and harrowed two
or three times afterward, will mix with
the natural foil, and bring it into good
order for fowing. If the feafon is not
very wet there will be a good crop.

TWELVE loads of (harp fand, four load
of light loofe earth, and one load of rot-
ten dung, all well mixed, and turned at
"leaft twice before it is laid on. Twelve
loads to an acre will do pretty well ; but

to

25<? ON C A R R O ± S.

to make the ground very good it would
take fixteen.

ALL the expence of this muft not he
reckoned to the account of the carrots, for
next year a good crop of turnips may be
had, if the ground is plowed and laid rough
all winter, and properly worked in the
Ipring, and fown at the ufual time*

THE ground that is intended for carrots
fhould always be plowed in the autumn,
and lie rough all winter ; but if they are
to lucceed cabbages, thefe mould be all
got off by Candlemas, and the firft time
the ground is tolerably dry it mould be
plowed, that it may get fome froft to
mellow it.

IF the ground intended for carrots is of
a ftiff nature, it mould be well harrowed
with a large harrow every time juft be-
fore the plowing ; but it mould be dry
when both harrowed and plowed ; for
wet plowing is very detrimental to all

ground,

ON CARROTS. 257

ground, but much more fo to ground
where carrots are to be fown.

THE reafon for fo much harrowing is,
that the ground may be all very fine the
depth of the plow ; for if the furface be
only fine and rough below, the clods will
ftop the fmall roots of the carrots in their
going down, and make them forked and
good for nothing.

IF the ground was quite hard it would
be i»uch better for them than rough ; for,
when rough and loofe, the fmall end, as
foo'n as it meets with the leaft obftrudtion,
(if the mould is loofe) the root bends,
and fo grows into many forks ; whereas if
the ground is all equally hard and free of
ftones, they will ftrike a great depth into
the hard ground*

THE ground mould never lie any time
after the lafc plowing before it is fown ;
for if dry weather mould let in, the feed
will lie a long time before it comes up,

VOL, II. R and

258 ON CARROTS,

and a great deal of it will not appear until
there is rain.

THE weeds at the fame time will growr
and there is no hoeing until the carrots are
all up : in that cafe the largeft of the
weeds muft be pulled by the hand; for
if they are permitted to grow until the
carrots are vifible, they will be too ftrong
to cut with the hoe ; and if then pulled
they will draw many of the carrots out of
the ground, for there are many of the an-
flual weeds that ipread their roots very
much when they are permitted to {land
to grow large;

WHEN the feafbn will permit, the earlier
the carrots are fown the better : if the
ground is tolerably dry, they ma-y be fown
the beginning of March, for after they
are come up they will ftand a hard froft
without fuftaining any injury.

THEY mould be fownasfoon as poffible
after the ground is plowed for the laft

time*

ON CARROTS. 25

The method to proceed is this :
plow and harrow ; then fow and harrow
fcgain.

IF the foil is ftiff (which it will not be
if it has been managed as directed) a heavy
harrow mould be drawn over it three of
four times before it is fown, and then har-
rowed twice over with a light harrow after
it is fown. A pound and a half of feed-
is fiifficient for an acre ; but thofe who
have riot been accuftomed to fow it had
better ufe two pounds* They are eafily
cut out in hoeing* if too thick.

THE feed being very light) the hufks
that adhere to it make it very apt to flick
elofe, and render it hard to feparate ; there-
fore the beft method is to mix it with
twice as much fand as feed, of a different
colour from the land that it is fown in ; if
the land is of a red colour ufe white fand,
and red fand, if the ground is of a whiteifh
colour ; rub it between the hands until the
hulks are moftly broken off; then the
R z feeds

z6o ON CARROTS.

feeds will fly more regularly, and the fand
will fhew where the ground is fown. It
is more difficult to fow than turnips, but
a little practice will make it eafy.

THE befl method of fovving carrots is
to prepare the feed before fowing ; and
then, if fown as directed, it will be all
up as fbon as the annual weeds, and may
be hoed before the weeds come to any
height, which is of great advantage, and
faves much labour.

To prepare the feeds : Take three parts
dry fand and one of frefli. grains from the
brewhoufe, mix both together, rub it all
over between the hands feveral times, and
then lay it in a box.

THIS muit be repeated daily for four or
five days ; then it mould lie four days,
and be rubbed again; -in four days more
it mould be examined, and if there be no
ilgns of mouldinefs it mould be covered
an inch thick with dry fand, and remain

for

ON CARROTS. 261

for fifteen days, by which time it will be-
gin to fprout, and be in proper order for
lowing.

IF there be any figns of mouldinefs
when the feed has lain eight or nine days,
(for it will be right to examine it about
that time) it muft be all turned out of the
box and rubbed over ; and if it appears to
be wet, it mould be fpread a few hours in
an open airy place, but not in the fun,
and then put up again, and afterwards
there will be no danger of its moulding.

As foon as the carrots are fairly up they
fhould be hoed with a three-inch hoe. If
the weather is favourable they will grow
very faft, and in iix or eight weeks will
want hoeing again, which may be per-
formed with a fix-inch hoe, and left at
that diftance.

Two hoeings will be fwfficient for the

prepared feeds, if the ground be in tolera-

R 3 ble

1,62 ON C A R H O-T-S.

ble good order ; for before any weeds can,
grow after the fecond hoeing, the plants
will cover all the ground and prevent
them,

WHEN the car-rots are taken up they
may be laid in any dry place ; but where
there is a quantity Jt would be heft to build
a med or hovel on purpofe for them. It
may be q, double roof, or a Hied againfl a
wall ; if againft a wall, it muft be well
fecured at top between the wall and the
ihed, for the wet is apt to come in there,
and run down the rafters, and fpoil the

whole,

t

A DETACHED hovel is the beft with a
Double roof, the fide-walls of which fliould
be afyout fix feet high, and the breadth of
the houfe ten, or twelve feet ; for if it was.
much broader there would be too great a
body of carrots, and they would be apt
to heat. The fide-walls would be better
if rrjade of whins very clofe, as they ad-

ON CARROTS. 263

mit a free air and keep out the frofl ; for a
wall would make it very damp.

THE roof mould be thatched, as it will
keep out the froft much better than any
other kind of covering. The floor mould
be a foot higher than the ground round,
in order to keep the carrots dry ; and if
the ground is wettim, it mould be raifed
with dry rubbim, that there may be no
damp at bottom.

THE fhed, or hovel, mould be got
finifhed in the beginning of the fummer,
that all may be perfectly dry ; and as foon
as poflible a good quantity of fand laid in, j
in dry weather, the fharper the better.

THERE can be no particular time fixed
for taking up the carrots; but as foon
as the tops begin to grow yellow it mould
be done,

THE weather mould be dry and fine;

for if they are taken up wet it will be

R 4 very

264- ON CARROTS.

very bad for them. They mould never be
taken up when it is frofty.

A NUMBER of men mould be employed
to take them up with dung-forks, and
women fufficient to cut off their tops at
an inch from the carrot, and put them into
carts to be conveyed home.

IF the ground is light and fandy, and
the weather dry, they will be very clean ;
but if the ground is of the loamy kind,
the mould adheres to them, which mould
be rubbed off with the hand, and care
mould be taken not to break the rind.
Thole that are cut or broke, mould be
thrown by for prefent ufe.

WHEN they are brought home there
mould be an inch of the dry fand fpread
over about fix feet in length of the floor,
and fome very dry wheat-ftraw laid up at
the end and both fides of the houfe ; then
the carrots mould be brought in and laid
even on the floor a foot thick, and a pile

of

ON CARROTS. 265

of them made ftrait up at fix feet diftance
from the end of the houfe.

A LITTLE fand fhould be fprinkled in
amongft them, and fome at both the fides ;
then another foot of carrots and fand, as
before, until they are within a foot of the
top of the houfe. The laft layer mould
be covered two or three inches with fand.

WHEN that layer is finimed another
mould be begun in the fame manner, and
' carried up after the fame method, until
the houfe is filled, or the carrots houfed,
takjng care to lay fand on the floor at the
beginning of every layer, and to fill up
the fides of every layer with fand, to pro-
tect the carrots from froft and air. If
the fide-walls of the hovel, or med, are
made of whins, the air will pafs all round
the fand that is laid on the outfides, and
keep the whole dry.

IT will be neceflary to have two doors
in the med, or houfe, if it is of any length,

for

ON CARROTS,

for the conveniency of houfing the carrots ;
for it would be very troublefome to go the
whole length of the houfe with every
fcaiket of -them,

CARROTS laid up in this manner will
keep very well till May, and be as firm
and good as when firfl taken out of the
ground.

THE horfes that have not been accufc
tomed to feed on them will be very nice
at firft, and will not eat them ; therefore
they Ihoujd be cut fmall, and mixed with
their corn, and they will foon grow fo fond
of them as to leave corn and feed on the
carrots,

THERE will be no occafion to cut them
after the horfes have taken to eating them,
Cows and young cattle will feed on them
very freely at firft. The fwine want no
invitation, and for them they want no
warning.
3

ON CARROTS. 267

UNFORESEEN accidents fometimes hap*
pen, fo that there may be poor crops of car-
rots ; this is common to every thing that
is fown ; and although all the directions
are followed, and the foil proper and in
good order, the feafon may be fo bad and
contrary to them that there may be few ;
but this will feldom happen.

ACCIDENTS of this kind often happen in
all the common courfes of gardening and
hufbandry that have been in practice for
many years, and allowed to be a good and
fubftantial reafon ; but in things that are
new, if the feafon is ever fo bad and con-?
trary, the fault is laid to the new projects
as being of no utility, only fpeculative, and
without any real exigence but in the brain
of the projector,

LET no fuch prejudices as thefe affect
thofe that intend to make trial of growing
carrots ; for although they mould be un-
fuccefsful in the firfr, and even in the fe^
cond attempt, Jet them perfevere with re-.

folution,

ON CARROTS.

folution, and they will find their labour
well rewarded, for they are in general a
more certain crop than any thing that is
fown for feeding, and of greater profit
than any one can conceive that has not
tried them.

THE truth of this I can affert by what
I have feen, and by what has been done at
Sir Thomas Gafcoigne's, at Parlington,
where they are the mod: advantageous, and
profitable vegetable for feeding cattle that
is fown or planted in England.

GREAT advantage may be had from the
cultivating of carrots in large quantities,
as they feed working horfes, cattle for fat-
tening, young cattle, and {wine, without
corn, which muft greatly leffen the con-
fumptipn of oatst

THE kinds of carrot-feeds proper to fow
in fields are the large red-horn carrot, and

the long large orange.

IF
6

ON CARROTS. 269

IF the ground is mallow the horn-carrot
is the only feed fit to fow ; they will go
down as far as the foil will permit, and
grow to a great thicknefs, fo that many
of them will weigh four or five pounds,
and even in fuch ground will be a very pro-
fitable crop.

IF the ground is fandy and deep, the
large orange carrot is the beft kind. Al-
though it is a hungry, poor, fandy foil, if
it is ibwn early it will produce a good crop,
if it has been managed according to the
directions here given.

IF the ground is a good, deep, fandy
loam, fuch as the foil is in general about
Pontefracl, in Yorkshire, they will grow
to an immenfe fize, and produce a crop
advantageous beyond imagination.

IN fuch ground, if hoed to a proper dif-
tance, which mould not be lefs than ten
inches, and kept clear of weeds, they will
grow to be ten and twelve pounds weight.

CHAP.

CULTIVATION OF

CHAP.

The Cultivation of 'Turnips, dnd the Method
to keep them from Fro/I in Winter,,

TH £ cultivation of turnips is fo well
known all over England, that it may
feem fuperfluous to give any further in*
ftruclions with regard to their culture t
yet, notwithftanding they are already
brought to great perfection, there are frill
fbme particulars that are not generally
known, which, if put in practice, would
render that ufeful vegetable of double the
value it is at prefent eftimated, for the
feeding of cattle*

I SHALL endeavour to give fome ufeful
directions refpe&ing the fowing in drill
and broad caft, and the proper foils for
this kind of hufbandry. -Dry, light,

gravelly

TURNIPS. 271

gravelly foil is the beft kind for turnips,
in which they mould be fown broad caft,
and never in drills ; for the ground being
naturally dry, if thrown up in ridges it
becomes fo light, that if the feafon fhould
prove very dry there will be little profpect
of a fuccefsful crop. The more the
ground is worked, and the finer it is made,
the moifter it will be, although plowed
when very dry, and a great drought
follows.

DUNG laid on light ground for turnips
mould be fo rotten, that it will fpread like
afhes. The beft method to low fuchv
ground is to harrow it firft, then plow it,
and fpread the dung as you would lime or
afhes : this done, give the whole a triple
harrow, which muft be very heavy,
to incorporate the dung properly with the
mould. Sow the feed, and give the
ground a fmgle turn with a light harrow,
drawn with fmall thorns, to prevent the
harrow making drills, leaving a fmooth
lurface. If the weather is hot and dry,

and

CULTIVATION OF

and the ground light, it would be of con-
iiderable advantage to the turnips to roll
the ground a day or two after the fbwing.
If the ground is very ftrongj drilling will
be a more certain method for a good
crop than any other I know in practice.
When that is the cafe, the land mint be
plowed and harrowed frequently ; it mould
be harrowed after every plowing, but not
till juft before it is to be plowed again 5
for if it was to be harrowed foon after the
plowing, and much rain was to fall, if
would be ftiffer the next plowing than if
it had not been harrowed at all.

IF the ground is very rough after the firft
plowing, which fhould always be per-
formed when the furface is dry, and a
week or two of fine dry weather mould
follow, and then a good deal of rain, the
day after, if it was well harrowed with a
heavy harrow, it would break the earth very
fine ; but it mutt be plowed immediately,
for if it was to rain much, it would be-
come a folid mafs, and it would be impoffible
to get it into order in proper time.

TURNIPS. 273

IT is proper to fovv after a thorough
harrowing. This management will alfb
anfwer for broad caft. If the ground is
very rough, the day after plowing, it mud:
be harrowed with a heavy harrow, and
then rolled with a fpike roller, which will
break many of the clots,

IF the ground is not fubjeft to wet
ftandmg on it, in the winter the drills
mould not be raifed more than three in-
ches above the level ; for in winter when
the fheep are wet, many of them would
be loft when the drills are high. If the
land is liable to have the wet continue on
it after rain, the drills mould be raifed in
proportion, and then the turnips mould be
pulled, and the meep fed in a- dry field.
It muft be oMerved, that fat fheep mould
not be fed on fuch ground,

THE diftance for horfe-hoeing and
plowing between the furrows or ridges
mould be two feet ; but if the ground is
to be cleaned with the hand hoe, they

VOL. II, S •

274 CULTIVATION OF

may be from fixteen to twenty inches.
The <horfe-hu{bandry is preferable where
the land is fHff, as the plowing and turning
the land, that is to be fowed with turnips
the next year, makes it fitter for fowing ;
-befides it is full as good as afummer's fal-
low.
'

WHERE jthe horfe-hufbandry is ufed,
and the distance fo great as two feet, it is
alfo abfolutely neceffary to have them two
years in the fame field, that is, where the
opening between was the firftyear, mould
be the place for the drill the following
year ; by this means the field is equally
dunged, and alj of it has J:\vo years fallow.

WHERE this method is pracYifed on {tiff
Jand, and the land kept clean, it is of
greater advantage than can be conceived,
and the future crops will amply repay the
expence and trouble.

THE dung for fowing turnips in the
drill way mould be yery rotten, and turned

until

TURNIPS. 275

it is fo fine that it may be fown by
hand into the drill ; and if fome good
fluid was mixed with it, and well incor-
porated, it would be of great fervice to the
crops of turnipSj and a great benefit to the
land afterwards*

WHEN the land rs very rough", rolling it
with a fpike-roller would break many of
the clots, which mould be performed the
day after plowing ; let it be harrowed well
with a heavy harrow," and then rolled ;:
plow it again directly after rolling;.

A O J O

"

IT is a common error to make fpike-
rdllers tod heavy. If the ground is very
rough (which is generally the cafe when'
they are ufed) it is very difficult to draw
them ; befides they prefs the hard lumps'
that will not readily break into the ground
like fo many ftones, which will be found
Very troublefome the next plowing.

THE hoeing and keeping clean the
ground, where turnips grow, mould never
be negle&ed; Some content themfelves

S 2" with

CULTIVATION OF

with pulling out all the great weeds that
are above the turnips, and would prevent
their growth ; but pay no regard to the
fmall ones, even with the turnips, and fo:
full of feed that they flock the ground
with annual weeds for feveral years.

THERE has been a great deal written'
about the cultivation of turnips, but little
faid concerning their prefervation, which
is an article that would be of immenfe
profit if properly attended to, that is, to
lave them from the frofL

THE beginning of long and fevere frofls
in general are moderate at firft-;. fo
that the cattle feed on them with eafe for
fome days before the turnips are frozen
through ; in that time the tops of many
of them are bit, the froft continues, and
often a fall of fnow comes, which lays on
the ground perhaps fome weeks. As foon
as there is a thaw all thofe that were bit
rot direclly, and many of the largeft
turnips alto (although not bit) which are

in

277

m general fpungy, and when once fro-
zen through they foon rot.

WHEN the turnips are come to their
full growth, on a fine dry day pull up all
the largeft, and cut off the tops an inch
from the turnips for the fhcep to eat, for
if they are cut clofe they are fubjeft to rot.

IF this method is put in practice there
will be few of the turnips loft by rotting,
and fave hay in the fevereft weather,
which will be a great advantage in years
when that article is fcarce ; the fmall ones
will refift the feverity of the winter, and
be good feeding late in the ' fpring : the
turnips will be of great value, as they
will afford fufficient food through the win-
ter ; but few muft be given at a time, that
they may be all eat before they are frozen.

FROM November 1776 to March 1777,

although the winter was not fo fevere as

many I have known, yet the frequent

changes from froft to mow and rain

6 rotted

CULTIVATION OF

rotted one half of moil fields of turnips that
were large. If the ground is dry, a large pit-
dug and covered with flraw to prevent the
wet and froil will keep them : a thatched
hovel will anfvver, or they may he made
into a long or round flack, hut that is not
fo convenient for taking them out, being
ib very liable to tumble down.

THE fheep mould be fed in the fevere
winter weather on dry grafs fields in the
fold, and if the ground is (tiff where the
turnips grow, it would be better not to
feed on it in the fpring.

IT is a great profit in hard frofts and
deep mows to have plenty of turnips to
feed with ; and what makes it dill more
profitable is, that moft of thofe turnips
that are then feeding and fattening the
cattle would have been rotting in the field
as foon as the thaw came, if they had not
been fecured from the froft. According-
to the prefent method of feeding fheep on
turnips, when there comes a deep fnow

thcjr

TURNIPS. 279

.they muft have ha*y, and the turnips they
ihould be eating are rotting in the field,
and are of little fervice to the land they
rot on. If the cattle are fed on the largeft
of the turnips in winter, the fmall ones
that are growing will not run to feed {Q
fbon in the (pr'mg as the large ones would
liave done, fo that there will be food for
,the cattle much longer, and between the
turnips, and the grafs, there will not be a
fcarcity of food for fheep ; thofe that were
Jaft pulled would Lift until the grafs was
.grown, which would be a great advantage
to the farmers.

THE advantages in managing the tur-
nip crop, as here directed, are many, and
eafily put in practice ; the expence of
hoeing is trifling, and very little more
trouble than feeding with hay, and the
profit to the farmers will be very great, if
£h.e whole is put in practice.

FINIS.

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