CHAP. I. The Pruning or Lopping of Fruit-trees, for the Month of February.

ALmost all Trees begin to sprout forth in France toward the end of Fe­bruary, or the beginning of March; and this is the motion which we call the rise of the Sap, or the shooting of Trees. This ne­vertheless happens variously, the dispositi­on of the Air, the goodness of the Soil, the vigour or the kind of the Tree, make the Saps or shootings to come earlier or later: They come early in a dry year, and are backward in a moist.

This rise of the Sap invites then Gardi­ners to Prune or Lop Trees in the Month of February, which is the most proper time for this work; and tho' it may be done all the Winter, however the Moon be dispos'd, Trees being then at rest as to their Bran­ches; nevertheless it is much better to stay for this till the Colds are past, and that the Rains no longer infest the wounds which [Page 3]are made on Trees; by this means they seal themselves in a little time, and soon­ner cover the wound which has been made on them.

Before you Prune or Lop a Tree, you ought to consider the strength and kind of it for rendring it beautiful and fertile; for all Trees are not to be Lopt after the same fashion: We Lop diverly (for instance) a Peach-Tree and a Winter Pear-Tree; and its by Lopping of this last, that the skill of the Gardiner shews it self the most con­spicuously, and that we judge best of his ability.

There are Trees which we dare not Lop, by reasonof the abundance of their Sap; for the more we Lop them, the more Wood they shoot forth, and the less Fruit; even the Flower-buds yield Wood, which hap­pens often to the Tree, which yields the delicate Pear call'd the little Rousselet; to the lateward Bergamot, to the Virgoleuse, to the St. Lezan, &c. But when these sorts of Trees have shot forth their full, after this they bear but too much. In this oc­casion Lop sometimes short, and sometimes long, or not at all: take away sometimes the young Wood, and preserve the old; another while cut away the old, for the Tree to grow young again; at another time cut away the Branches, and all the false [Page 4]Sprouts, but remember never to disgarnish the Stock, by Lopping away all the lit­tle Branches of the sides of the Tree, and making the Trunk bare.

Gardiners have a very true Maxim, Lop in fair Weather, in the decrease of the Moon, and in the end of the Saps, or rather when Trees are at rest.

The decrease of the Moon of January, which happens in February, is the true time for Lopping Trees, and for preserving Grafts; not but this Rule has some excep­tion; for weak Trees, and those that are Planted but of that year, ought to be Lopt at the new Moon, to make them sprout vi­gorously: And we must remember that Trees ought not to be cut when we Plant them, but we ought to stay till the Month of February following.

When you Plant a Graft of three years, which has Flower-buds, preserve some to see the Fruit in the first year: It is of these sorts of Trees that you must always make choice, they shew from their beginning an assured fruitfulness, and bear afterward a great deal of Fruit as long as they live.

Because it is known that an abundance of Sap makes but Branches, and that a little or mean Sap makes Fruit: and more­over that the Moon has less influence on sublunary things, when she begins to be in [Page 5]the Wain, than when she Increases; expe­rience has taught us that the decrease of the Moon is the most kindly time for Lopping Trees, which have then less of motion. The decrease is from the time of the Full to the New, nevertheless some will have it that we may Lop Trees during the time that the Moon is not horned, that is to say, from her eighth day to her one and Twentieth. They say that it is not only the Moon which causes Fruit on Trees, but the disposition of the Branches; and that it suffices that the Moon has strength, provided that on the other side she finds in a Branch, Fibres transverse and dispos'd to cause Fruit-buds to be there form'd. True it is, experi­ence has taught me that the Seeds of Flow­ers cast into the Earth during all this time, turn double sooner than those that are Sown in another time.

We ought first to Lop Apricock, Ne­ctarin, and Peach-trees, &c. because they shoot forth the first; the Winter Pear-trees follow next, after these those of Au­tumn and of Summer, and the Portugal Quince-trees: We ought shortly after to Lop and Prune Plum-trees, and Apple-trees, and lastly Spanish Pomegranet-trees, because all these Trees shoot forth the one after the other; but above all, we ought not to Lop this last till it has shot forth a [Page 6]little, that we may the better distinguish the weak or dead Branches.

After the Observations which we even now made, we ought to begin to Lop and Trim up a Tree by one of its sides from the lower part to the top, and we ought af­terward to carry on our Work without con­fusion, and to take one Branch after the o­ther. This side being thus Lopt and paled, we descend on the other side from the top to the bottom in the same Order.

We must here remember always to cut the Branches in the form of a Hinds foot, so that the Sun may not dry the wound, which ought to be as far as we may on the North side; but after such a manner that the sloping side of the wound be not too straight downward, to the end that the knot be not endammag'd; otherwise the eye which ought to push forth wood, being cut too much by the slope of a too streight descent (chiefly in tender Trees) will not push forth at all or weakly, and will communicate ev'n to five or six eyes the evil of a wound ill made.

We must further remember to cut always a Branch near a Wood-bud, and never near a Flower-bud; because in this last Lop­ping, the Fruit which would come there, would not be secured by the Leaves against the injury of the Air. Moreover the Branch [Page 7]would be expos'd to the Air, and finally the wound would not close it self, nor e­ver come to an Eschar the Pears carrying a­way all the Sap, that ought to make it:

We ought not moreover to leave a Stub to a Branch which we cut at a Wood-bud, that we may give way to the Branch to close it self in a short time by the sprout that ought to grow there; I say not the same of a Branch which we cut an Eye or two from the Trunk; this may put forth near the Stub, which we leave there, some Fruit. buds, or some Branches which will have dispositions to produce them, at least if the Branch be little or of a mean size; for if it be great, it ought to be cut near the Tree. If in Lopping where we leave a Stub, no­thing shoots forth there, the year follow­ing the Stub must be cut smooth to the Tree.

I speak not here only of Fruit with Ker­nels, we ought ev'n to leave a Stub to Fruits with Stones, not to make them push forth Wood there, for this is not their Ge­nius, but to keep them from being cor­rupted by the Weather, and not to cause them to push forth Gum there, which is their Sap, and in this occasion their Capi­tal Enemy.

When the little Branches are too con­fus'd, care must be taken to cut them off [Page 8]an Eye or two from the main Branch, or near the Trunk as I have said, both to disburthen the Tree, and to make it push forth some Branches anew, but after such a manner, that there be always room for placing the Sprig which will come.

We ought also to Observe that to fill out a Tree well, its Branches ought not to be distant from each other above a Fingers breadth.

You must never cut Fruit-buds whatever reasons are alledged thereon; Trees at that time do what they are ordain'd for, by dis­playing their Riches, and Nature gives us what we demand of her for recompence of our cares and Labours.

We know a Fruit-bud by its Figure, by the small bearer where it comes, by the motion it makes in the shoot of the Tree or finally by the abundance of Leaves that accompany it.

If a little and long Branch be well stor'd with Flower-buds, do not cut any of them (I say it once again) and do not so much as touch the Branch, wait rather till the Flowers are come forth of the Bud to de­stroy them, or till the Fruit are kern'd to cut with Scissars the Stems of the least and worst form'd; by this means you will not cut away the Bud which will produce o­ther [Page 9]Fruit the following years when the Branch has fortified it self.

Nevertheless, if for some great reason, we are Obliged to cut Flower-buds in a Branch bared of shoots, for drawing thither the Sap, and to cause some void space to be fill'd, and that there are no other Branches found for supplying this Default, we must cut the Branch at a Wood-knot to fill out the Tree, and we must take good heed not to cut it near the Flower or Fruit-buds, for the reasons which we have mentioned, and after this we must take away the Fruit-buds to give it more strength to push forth.

The old Buds which have yielded Fruit for many years together, and which give us no longer hope of producing more, must be cut away to embellish the Tree, and to disburthen it of somewhat which is useless and superfluous.

The bearers which are two, three, or four Inches long are the best, especially when they Issue from the great Branches near the top of the Tree; they bring forth many years one after the other, and bear very great Fruit. Those which are bared of Branches last indeed a long time; but they do not bear so Beautiful Fruit, and often they are drain'd, unless you cut the Stems of the Pears with Scissars; and those which are [Page 10]not above a nail in length, and which come from the Trunk, bring forth very great Fruit; but ordinarily they last but a year

A Shoot of August never yields Fruit, the Wood is not then well fill'd with Sap, it ought always to be cut away, unless it be extreamly necessary for filling a void space.

If a useless or irregular Branch grows be­hind, it is always cut away, ev'n tho' it has on it a Flower-bud; for the Fruit which would come of it, would be spoil'd by the shadow of the Tree, and would be good for nothing: if it be before, we cut it an Eye or two from the Mother Branch, to try to make some Flower-buds spring forth there.

A Branch bent by force bears much Fruit, but it is small, unless it were plyed so the first year; the reason is evident, its Fibres are bent, and the Sap does not carry it self briskly to it.

Sometimes forked sprouts, or knots of Scions shoot forth from certain places of Trees, when they are Old and at a stand that they need to be cut to renew them. In this occasion we ought to cut at a good length a Master Sprig in Pear-trees and Apple-trees, and to cut some an Eye or two from the Mother Branch, and cut others near the Trunk, but in Necta­rin [Page 11]and Peach-trees, we ought to cut all the lesser Branches an Eye or two from the Mother Branch, and let the longest and streightest run on, tho' it would be the shor­test way in these last Trees, to cut a great Branch near the Trunk, or to cut the Trees two or three Fingers breadth from the Earth to renew them.

You must cut one Branch short betwixt two long to fill out the Tree. The year following the short Branch must be cut long, and the long short: It is the secret to have much Fruit, and to preserve Trees; there are some who say that a Tree Lopt after that manner is not agreeable to behold: but I desire them to stay to consider them till the Month of May; and I am well as­sur'd they will change their sentiment.

A Tree is ordinarily compos'd of three sorts of Branches, we find on it Ravenous or Prodigal, Indifferent, and Fertile.

1. The Ravenous grow most common­ly at the top of the Tree, and sometimes they spring from an Old Branch; they are finely even and without Moss, greater and more smooth than the others.

2. The Indifferent are of a mean sort, among which there are sometimes some well supply'd with Juice, they bearing some­times Fruit within three or four years.

3. The Fertile are ordinarily small, and [Page 12]growing athwart; sometimes there are found of them great and long; they always bear Fruit; there are counted five sorts of them.

1. The first have in their source, and in the place whence they spring, little Wrink­les like Rings; which shew that in this place there are transverse Fibres in the Wood. Its in these Fibres where is made a slow circulation of the Sap of the Tree, which produces the Flower-bud, where­as when the Fibres are all streight, the Sap is carryed upward vigorously and with­out resistance, and not staying it self in a­ny place, it produces nought but Wood: We may Observe these transverse Fibres in cutting the Wood where there are of these Rings, the cut will not be close and even as elsewhere.

The Figure following will Represent to you the Fertile Branch.

Fig. 1

A. The Wrinkles and Rings of a Branch of a Bon-Chrêtien Pear-tree.

2. The Second Fertile sprouts have no Rings in their Origine, where they Issue from their Mother Branch; but they have in the middle, that is to say, when an In­different Branch, having not been cut in Fe­bruary, shoots forth Wood in May, and forms Wrinkles at the beginning of its shoot; or when a Branch in its middle forms Rings betwixt the end of its shoot of May, and the beginning of that of June, which may be known easily, if a Man will make the expe­riment; for in cutting the wood in this place, as I ev'n now mention'd, the cut will not ap­pear [Page 14]pear smooth as elsewhere, but uneven by the transverse Fibres that are there.

The following Figure Represents the Second Fertile Branch in a Bon-Chrêtien.

Fig. 2

A. Rings, and Wrinkles at the begin­ning of the Shoot of May, or betwixt the end of the Shoot of May, and the begin­ning of that of June.

3. The third kind of Fertile Branches Is­sues from a Flower-Bud, which has fail'd to blow sometimes for outward causes, and often through the abundance of the Sap of the Tree: They Issue also from a Bud which has yielded Pears; they are call'd Fertile, because they come of a Flower or Fruit-bud which experience dis­covers [Page 15]to us to have transverse Fibres.

The third Figure shews it us in a little Branch with Flower and Fruit-buds of a Bon-Chrêtien.

Fig. 3

A. The Bud which has yielded Pears, or has fail'd to blow.

B. The Fertile Branch which we must let grow on.

C. The lesser Branch which we must cut away.

D. Where it ought to be cut at two knots.

E. The Bearer.

4. The Fourth kind of Fertile Branches are those which the year before were In­different, and which are become Fertile through the little Sap that is come to them, and by the Buds which are grown to a ful­ness.

[Page 16] 5. Finally, the Fifth are those which have a Flower-bud at the end of the Branch.

1. Of these three sorts of Branches, that is to say, of the Prodigal, Indifferent, and Fertile, the Prodigal are always cut very short at the first or second knot, to make the Sap pass to another side of the Tree, and produce there Branches Indifferent or Fertile. This Lopping reiterated many times, makes the Prodigal Dye, or at least­wise hinders the Tree from pushing them so vigorously. Its by reason of this experi­ment that we ought not to cut Trees much, because by cutting them in all their Branch­es, they are made to Languish and after­wards to Dye. The Prodigals which have been cut many times the precedent year, ought to be Lopt at the first knot near the Mother Branch whence it grows, as the Fourth Figure shews.

Fig. 4

A. A Prodigal cut in February at the Se­cond knot.

B. A Prodigal cut in June at the Second knot.

C. A Shoot of the Prodigal in July which has not been cut, because it has shot very little.

D. Where we must cut a Prodigal in February, of the following year at the first knot.

Lop therefore the top of the Tree, where the Prodigal Branches are Ordinarily found, and spread it at the bottom and at the sides; this Lopping gracefully fills a Tree, and hinders it from Growing to too great a height and from destroying it self in a short time.

2. As for the Indifferent Branches, some [Page 18]of them ought to be Lopt, others not; that is to say, we ought in the Month of Febru­ary to let those grow on which have Buds for Wood very near each other, and which issue from a good place, as also those which have two great Leaf-buds which touch each other at the end of the Branch; to the end we may know their Geni­us at the Lopping of June. The great­est and best supply'd with Juice will be the best for keeping. The Indifferent which we ought to cut at the third or fourth knot, are those which are least dis­pos'd to bear Fruit, and which have the Leaf-buds far from one another.

3. The Fertile ought never to be Lopt, tho' they are as long as the Arm; Trees left to run up from which we Lop no Branches and which bear so much Fruit, shew us well that we ought never to Lop the Fertile: nevertheless, if there be need of them for filling up a void space where it happens, and that no other Branch can be found for this purpose, I permit them to be cut for embellishing the Tree.

And to explain my self farther in speak­ing concerning a Fertile Branch, I say that that which has Rings in its source, Wrink­les at the beginning of its shoot of May or of June, or finally knots near each o­ther, ought not to be cut without a great [Page 19]necessity; for experience has taught me that all these Branches bear Infallibly their Fruit toward the end of their Branches, which our ill Gardiners always cut away. So at the beginning of February Observe exactly the end of the shoots of the prece­dent year, that you may always cut the Branch when the Saps are at a stand at the first or second knot in the Wood which comes after, and to leave all the knots which will be as many Flower-buds, that will not fail to form themselves there in two or three years. Its an Observation which will embellish your Trees by the abundance of Fruits which they will pro­duce. That which I say being somewhat difficult to comprehend without seeing it, the fifth Figure will make you under­stand it.

Fig. 5

A. The Lop of February in an Indiffe­rent Branch.

From B. to C. three Branches of the shoot of May.

D. The Lop of June in Indifferents.

From D. to E. The shoot of June.

From E. to F. The shoot of August, the Wood of which is very full of Sap.

G. Where we must Lop in February, of the following year when the Saps are at rest.

H. Where in two years Fruit-buds will be form'd in a Branch which from in­different is become Fertile.

The Fertile Branches which Issue from a Bud which has yielded Fruit, and which have not been cut at the beginning of May, ought not to be cut in February, unless they are double. In this occasion we must let run the better, and Lop the other at the first or second knot. Experi­ence has taught me that these Branches ne­ver fail of bearing Fruit the second or third year. See the third Figure.

Finally, the same Experience has taught me that the Fruit-buds which come at the end of the Branches in Trees whose Geni­us is often to bear their Fruit in this place, ought not to be cut, especially if they produce little, and we should have but few Gracioli, Coins Francs, nor Grenades d'Espagne, if we should cut these sorts of Trees at the end of their Branches.

It is said that the Fruits which come at ends of Branches are small, and that the Wind blows them down. I own that the first default is without remedy, but the [Page 22]Second is not so, for we may bind up the Branch laden with Fruit against the Wind. Nature doing well what she does, when she places a Fruit-bud at the end of a Branch of a Pear-tree, has an intent to render this Branch Fertile; for the Fruit which she produces there, seals that Branch, and hinders it from pushing forth afterward; this Branch receiving not then much Sap, forms in all its length an Infi­nite number of Fruit-buds, and two or three years after it is all deckt with them; which it continues to do for five or six years following, till the Branch is worn out; if this Flower-bud be cut away the Sap will come freely and vigorously into the Branch cut, and instead of the Fruit which Nature had there design'd, we shall have nought but Wood through the Gar­diners Ignorance.

When we will have larg Fruit, especi­ally in the Bon-Chretien and in other Trees, which bear great, we ought to Lop short, the nearer the Fruit-buds are to the Trunk, the greater the Fruit is, for it receives more of the Juice.

There are Gardiners who make the Bush of a Tree too thin by cutting away the little Branches, and leaving the Trunk al­most bare: we might leave in it some clear space in the middle and the sides, to [Page 23]give entrance to the Sun which must co­lour the Pears, but we ought not to cut it too much: the shadow of the Leaves ought to secure the Trunk of the Tree a­gainst the parching heat of the Sun which makes it chop, and which breeds the Scab and the Canker by the dryness of its Bark. True it is that we ought to cut shorter Trees with a round Bush head than Espaliers, and that we ought not to let them run up too much: In a strong and moist Soil we must keep a Bush head thin­ner of Branches than in another Soil, which is poor and dry; but in all places we ought to keep it well filled, and not cut away the Branches in the midst of it as much as is done at this day.

The nicest Trees do not delight in this Figure, Pear-trees do not much take to it, and Apricock-trees less. Trees Grafted on the great Quince-tree, are more proper for it than those which are Grafted on a Pear-tree, these later cannot be reduc't, the more you cut them the more they shoot of Wood; and besides with this, they do not bring forth much Fruit, their nature being to be always high.

Cherry-trees which bear sharp Cherries, grow very well with a Bush head, provi­ded that they are Grafted on the small bitter Cherry-tree; and they take to it [Page 24]better yet if they are permitted to grow up, for they do not much delight in the Pruning-knife, and less when they are old.

The Plum-tree is of the same nature with the Cherry-tree; it is ordered also after the same manner.

We ought rather to cut a Branch a­way, than to cut it in many places; the divers wounds which we give Trees, de­cay them, and make them dye languish­ing, witness the Prodigal, which we kill by often cutting.

Experience has taught me for many years following, that Fruit with stones (that is to say the Apricock-tree, the Ne­ctarin, and the Peach-tree) ought not to be Lop't as Pear-trees.

We ought only to cut away Branches, and sometimes the greatest to make them renew themselves: and contrary to the custome of other Trees, they bear in young shoots which lade themselves with Fruit the first year. Its after this manner that they last Twenty or Thirty years; the more therefore that a Peach-tree shoots forth, the more Fruit it bears.

We never ought in these Sorts of Trees to cut a Branch in the middle, tho' the Apricock-tree is not so much damnified by it as the others; because they have a larg [Page 25]Pith very susceptible of the injuries of the Air. The wound often causes five or six knots to dye in a Branch, which has been cut after that manner, and by taking off with the Pruning-knife the end of the Branch, as is ordinarily done, we carry a­way at the same time the Fruit that ought to form it self there, and we leave but an end of a Branch which brings nought but Wood.

I say it once again; the Fruit comes but at the end of the shoot of the two first Saps; if we Lop away this end, we car­ry away the Fruit, and we blockishly de­prive our selves of that which we seek with so much passion. Its a remark which we ought well to Observe, for the Sap ha­ving spent and as it were wearied it self after having past all along a Branch, does not exert it self with so much vigour, and its motion is not so impetuous, nor so nim­ble at the end of a Branch as in the begin­ning of it; also it employs it self rather to form Buds for Flowers when it acts mild­ly, than when it agitates it self with so much praecipitation.

Because Fruit with Stones shoot more briskly and more in confusion than Pear-trees, we must also take good heed to Lop them with discretion. These Trees having shot forth vigorously a Branch during one [Page 26]year, and having produced Fruit there, lose their force in this same Branch the year following, and shoot forth nought but Sci­ons here and there, but which are laden with an infinite number of Fruit; and the greatest part of these same Scions dye the year following as well as all the annual buds of the Tree. When a great Branch is old we ought to cut it in its Source, as you may see in the Figure following.

Fig: 6

A. Wood worn out of three or four years.

B. The place where it ought to be cut.

C. Young Wood of the year which ought not to be cut in the middle.

D. Flower or Fruit-buds of the prece­dent year, which are dry.

The Nectarine and the Peach-tree, be­ing of the nature of those Trees which shoot much in their tops, we must not hope to be able to subdue them as Pear­trees, and force them to fill themselves well in the lower part: if we Lop them as these Trees, that is to say, if we Lop their Branches in the middle we hinder them indeed from shooting in their tops, but they do not fill themselves for this in their low­er part; they mount always, and by cut­ting them after that manner, no Fruit comes of it, and we kill them in a short time.

In general, the Plum-tree and the Cher­ry-tree delight more in Lopping than the Apple-tree: but all three of them do not delight in it as much as the Pear-tree, which is the only Tree that endures it best. We must take nought from these three first Trees but the dead Wood, unless we will form them at first for Bush-trees or Espa­liers.

Because the Corand-tree has much Pith, and that it comes easily of a slip, its na­ture does not endure it to be Lopt in the middle of its Branches, no more than the [Page 29]Peach-tree; above all we must take good care of cutting it, when we set it. We ought in an old Corand-tree to cut near the Root a Branch past bearing, in order to renew it, and to cut also from the low­er part some young shoots of the year to hinder it from being too much con­fus'd. The young shoots which we pre­serve, serve to renew it when we cut it in its old Wood. Nevertheless, tho' it does not delight in being Lopt, we make Bush­es of it, and form it in an Espalier, which is beautiful to behold, at the time that it is laden with Fruit.

I say the same of the Mulberry-tree, and of the Fig-tree, which cannot endure the knife by reason of the abundance of their Pith; the last especially is visibly damnified by it, unless we Lop from them great use­less Branches, for rendring them regular: and neither of them can be made to grow low, they love too much the free and o­pen Air.

Medlar-trees and Service-trees natural­ly grow high, the former endure the knife much more than the latter.

The Portugal Quince-trees, and the Pome­granate-trees of Spain will not be Lopt, because they bear their Fruit at the end of their Branches. Nevertheless we may take from them entire Branches, which cause a [Page 30]confusion, and which are old; and cut near the Trunk the useless Prodigals, which are usual enough in these sorts of Trees. As for the other Prodigals which embellish the Tree, and which in four or five years will yield Fruit, we ought not to Lop them.

Care must be taken to cover the great Wounds of Trees with a Plaister made of a pound of Drogue a flambeau, four Oun­ces of Rosine, and two Ounces of Sheeps Sewet. When we walk in our Garden in a fine day of the Month of April, we must have in our hand a Magdaleon of the Plai­ster ev'n now mentioned, we must cut a little of it with a knife, and after having wrought it betwixt the moistn'd Fingers, for rendring it a little soft, we must apply it on the great Wounds, which we had for­got to seal in the Month of March. And to the end that this Plaister may keep the longer on the Wounds, we must put on it a bit of paper as a binder, which we must press on softly with the Finger, to the end that the heat of the Summer making the Plaister melt, the paper may press it, stay it, and glew it more to the Wood: it is what we ought to do in the two other Loppings following.

CHAP. II. The Lopping of Fruit-trees, at the be­ginning of the Month of May.

PRoperly speaking, it is not a Lop­ping that is done to Trees at this time; they are as yet in the motion of their Sap. We cut but Scions; which tho' Fertile of themselves, bring in the mean time a great prejudice to the Fruit; at the beginning of May we must therefore take a particular care to cut away the useless Branches which grow by the Buds for Fruit, and especial­ly in Pear-trees; that is to say, to cut a­way at the second knot a little Scion which comes among the clusters of Pears: to de­lay this is not good, the Sap which ought to Communicate it self to the Fruit, is car­ried into the shoot, which draws a part of the humour of the Fruit-bud, where the Pears are fastn'd, which causes either that their Stem drys for want of Sap, or that they come very small.

You may see what I mean in the follow­ing Figure.

Fig. 7

A. A shoot which comes on the Fruit­bud through the abundance of the Sap.

B. The place where you must cut it.

CHAP. III. The Lopping of Fruit-trees at the be­ginning of June.

IN the Decrease of the Moon of May, which happens often in June, you must Lop Trees for the second time; but with more moderation than in February: for we ought never in June to cut great Branch­es, and properly speaking, it is but a re­lopping of Trees.

We must wait above all till the Sap be ended, according to the Maxim which we have alleag'd before, and it will be good to repeat it here: Lop in Fair wea­ther, in the Decrease of the Moon, at the end of the Saps; or rather when Trees are at rest.

The rest of a Tree is known by a bud Garnish't ordinarily with two Leaves, which forms it self at the end of the Branches, and we observe chiefly this bud at the end of May, or at the beginning of June, that is to say, after the first Sap or shooting.

The second Sap or shooting of Trees begins ordinarily in the middle of June, and ends a Month after, towards Mag­dalen-tide, so that betwixt the end of the first Sap, and the beginning of the second there is about a Month: and its at this time that we must cut Trees again.

The effect of this re-cutting is to make the Buds of the first Sap to fill up, to force Trees to make Fertile Branches, or to form Flower-buds for the following year; whereas the Lop of February, fur­nishes but Wood to yield Fruit three years after, if we except the Orange, the Berga­mot, the Double-flower, the Summer Bon-Chretien, and some others.

You ought here to call to mind that we have distinguisht the Branches of Trees Into Prodigals, Indifferent and Fertile.

There are few Trees Grafted on cultiva­ted Trees, and on Trees come of Kernels, which do not yield some Prodigal in the first Sap, and which do not continue even to yield of them in the others. Care must be taken therefore to cut them at the se­cond Leaf-bud, and thus to correct the shoot which transports it self, and which draws a great part of the Sap of the Tree. On this matter you may see the fourth Figure.

As for Trees Grafted on the great Quince­trees, they have not often of these sorts of [Page 35]Prodigal shoots: and some Gardiners are ev'n of the mind that they ought not to be Lopt at this time, and that the tops of them ought only to be pincht off with the Nails.

We must not deal with the Indifferent Branches as with the Prodigal: for we ought to keep the best without touching them, and observe exactly those which we permitted to run on in the Month of Fe­bruary. If these have good marks for pro­ving Fertile, we must cut nothing there; but if they have not, they must be cut short enough to make them yield some; that is to say, they must be cut at the fifth or sixth knot for Leaves: As for the other Indifferents, we ought to cut them at half a foot, or ev'n a foots length, for rendring them Fertile the year follow­ing. The Indifferents which we must not cut, have particular marks which we have observ'd in the first Chapter.

We ought not to touch the Fertile Branches for the reasons mentioned else­where, unless it be sometimes those which Issue from a Flower-bud which has fail'd.

Before I pass farther, it will be proper for me to explain my self on what I pre­tend to say by a Flower-bud which has fail'd; and you must give me leave to make two sorts of Flower-buds. One sort is cer­tain [Page 36]and never shoots forth Wood: they are these which will yield Fruit in a short time. The others shoot forth Wood when the Sap abounds too much, or when we cut a Tree too short, and that by this means we draw the Sap too much toward these sorts of Buds. They are these Buds which will not blow under two or three years. Their Origine, their situation, and their Figure make them easily distinguisha­ble to a Gardiner which has experience and a good sence. This being thus establisht, I may say that a Scion which shoots in a Fruit-bud which has fail'd, is situated in a good place for being called Fertile as I have said it elsewhere; and that if the Sap of the Tree had not been so abundant, to make this Bud shoot which yielded the Scion, doubtless this Bud would have be­come the year following a Flower-bud; besides the Fibres of the Bud being trans­verse, cause the Sap to circulate more slowly, and during all this time the Sun concocts and digests the humour to form there Fruit-buds for Fruit.

I though good to alledge all this, to shew the errour wherein some are, who will have us always to cut this Scion, ev'n when the Fruit has fail'd, and for this they call it a false and an ill shoot. But experi­ence has taught me that it has marks of [Page 37]Fertileness, and that two years, or at far­thest three years afterward, if it were not cut away, it would furnish it self with Flower-buds; and would bear during six or seven years an infinite number of Fruit.

If therefore the Flower-bud which is on a little bearer, that has fail'd, which would yield Fruit the next year or two years af­ter, shoots Wood; it ought to be cut short in June, to make it form there Fruit-buds, which happens sometimes otherwise through the abundance of the Sap; for a Scion or two form themselves there as may be seen in the third Figure.

Nevertheless, there are some who will not have us to cut this Scion in June; they preserve it for the Fruit, and cut it long in the Month of February following, or do not Lop them at all; and if there are two, they let the best grow, and cut the other an Eye or two from the Mother­Branch.

But however, I think we must here distinguish two sorts of Scions which come in a Flower-bud which has fail'd. There are bearers and vigorous Buds, which shoot forth two or three Scions, whereof some are long and slender, others short and slender, and others again short and thick: We must not touch these last; because most commonly a Flower-bud forms it self there, [Page 38]and we must not always cut the others an Eye or two from the Mother-Branch: If some disposition for a Flower-bud forms it self near the Scion, cut within an Eye or two of the Mother-Branch, we must ac­cept of it from the liberal hand of Na­ture; if none be form'd there, and that another Scion grows there, they must be lest for the Months of July or February following. If the Bud which produces the Scion, be weak, we must not touch it, but we must preserve the Scion for the Fruit, at least if it appears well furnisht with Sap in August; for if we cut it, it will be at a stand and will not shoot.

We must cut larger in June than in Fe­bruary; because it is at that time that we give the Figure to the Tree for the year following, and that we cause Fruit-buds to be form'd for two years after.

If Grafts within a cleft made in the top of a Stock; are vigorous the year that they are grafted, it is better (as some think) to pinch the ends of them away with the Nails at the beginning of June, than to cut them. But experience has taught me that if we design a Graft which shoots vi­gorously either for a Bush head or for an Espalier, we ought to cut it at the New of the Moon, three or four Months after it is Grafted, to make it spread below, [Page 39]and to secure it from the Wind: We gain a year by so doing.

As for Trees which we design to let run up to a height it will be good not to cut them at all till the second year.

We must not touch the first year a Bud Crafted, be it never so vigorous; we must wait the year following to cut the Stump of the Tree come of Seed, mean, while care must be taken to stay it up against the Wind.

I repeat it once again here, that we ought never to cut Flower-buds, because we take away the Buds which bring a great deal of Fruit during six or seven years fol­lowing. When the little Branches, where the Buds are fixt, are fortified by the hard­ness of the Tree, it is then that we must no longer cut off with Sheers, neither Flowers nor Pears.

there are some who say, that we ought to cut Apricock, Nectarin and Peach-trees, four or five times a year, to wit, in Febru­ary, in May, in June, and in July: but Ex­perience has taught me, as well as Father Feüillant, who has writ of Fruit-trees, that these sorts of Trees do not much love the knife; otherwise, they do not last long, and we destroy them in the end, by much cutting them: We are oblig'd in this Month to nale them up, and to cut at the same [Page 40]time the Branches which cannot be apply'd to the Espalier. Some preserve them to be eut in the Month of February, according to the Maxim that these sorts of Trees, be­ing very nice, do not love to be cut, or rather, they pull away with the Finger the Branches, as fast as they come against or­der, and in an Irregular place.

After the first Lopping of February, I am not of opinion that we ought to cut any thing from Apple-trees, or Plum-trees, or Chefry-trees, or Goosberry-trees, or Por­tugal Quince-trees, or Spanish Pomegranate­trees, unless we take from these two last Trees some Prodigals, which ordinaly grow there, and which do not fill, nor embellish the Tree.

Tho I resolv'd to speak here but of Lop­ping Trees, nevertheless it may be allow'd me to say somewhat curious concerning their watering, which contributes much to the abundance and greatenss of their Fruit.

It will be proper in the Evening at Sun set, during the great heats of the Summer to sprinkle with Water sometimes the Branches and the Fruit of Trees with a Dutch Pump. The Tree will be greener, and the Fruit better supply'd with nourish­ment: it is far better to do so than to Wa­ter them at the Root; for this last wa­tering renders Peats unsavory, and of any ill [Page 41]taste, whereas the first, answering to an Evening Rain, or the due of the Night, keeps the Tree supply'd with nourishment, which afterwards gives its Fruit the Juice, which is meat for them, for rendring them good and delicious.

For this we ought to observe that the Water which we will make use of, ought to be drawn in the Morning, and to have been a little expos'd to the Sun, so that it should not be cold in the Evening when we would use it: Moreover that the Pump has three or four little holes, that it may make the Water which issues from it to divide it self into a Thousand little drops. Finally, that we ought to place our selves at fifteen or twenty Foot from the Tree which we will Water.

CHAP. IV. The Lopping of Fruit-trees at the end of July.

WE said in the foregoing Chap­ter, that the second Sap or shoot began in the middle of June, and ended at the end of July; and we say at present, that the third manifests it self in the Month of August, and sometimes in the Month of September according to the disposition of the Air, and the difference of the seasons: so that it is at the end of the second Sap that we ought to meddle with Trees; for in the Month of August we must take good heed not to cut any thing there, and if we cut then any Branch, the Wound does not cicatrize it self all the year, the heat drys it, and the approaching Winter incommodes it with the excess of its Rains and colds.

This Lopping is not performed but to cause the Branches to be fortified, to make the Flower-buds to fill themselves, and to cause the Fruit to be nourisht the more.

If we ought to be scrupulous in the Month of June to Lop Trees, we ought to be so for a much greater reason this Month, for at present we must but pinch away with the nails the ends of, or cut a little some Branches.

We must choose then in July a fine day and the decrease of the Moon to visit the Trees: and we must call to mind the di­vision which we have made of the Branch­es of Trees.

We must Lop again at the second knot the Prodigals a third time, if they have shot vigorously, that we may wound so often the Branch which receives much of Sap, that its divers Wounds may weaken it, and divert by this means the Sap to o­ther places, that it may be divided into many Branches. These Prodigals come not much but in Trees Grafted on the Pear­tree; and Planted in a good Soil, as I have said: and so we must not seek for them elsewhere, for those which are Graf­ted on the great Quince-tree do not shoot much: and in this Month we ought to cut nothing in these last sorts of Trees.

In this Month we must not touch the In­different Branches, which we judg'd to be so in the Months of February and of June, we must stay till the Month of February fol­lowing to Lop them, if they ought to be Lopt.

Neither must we touch of those which are Fertile: but concerning those which issue from a Flower-bud which has faild, there are differing sentiments. The shoot which issues from this Bud having been cut at the second knot in the Month of June, shoots sometimes at the second Sap, and yields one or two Scions. Some will have it that we should cut these also at the second knot: because they pretend that Nature ought to form there some disposition to make Buds. Others Lop at the second Eye the least, and preserve the fairest and best fed and knotted, to see in February following if it will shew its Genius, and at that time they leave it all entire, because it comes from a Fertile place, or cut it very long. They have ob­serv'd by experience that three years af­terwards it brings a great many Buds, whence issue an infinite number of Fruit.

If in this Month there are found some useless Branches besides, they must be cut an Eye or two from the Mother-Branch, to make them shoot forth somewhat that is good.

There come often on Peach and Necta­rin-trees, and sometimes on Pear-trees a cluster of Branches, which happens often to Trees grown old, and fit to be cut for renewing themselves. We must do at this [Page 45]time as we did in the February before: that is to say, we must make choice of the Master Sprig to preserve it, and cut away the others. Nevertheless there are some who stay till the Month of February ensu­ing to do this, because that in July the heat penetrates to the quick into the Wounds of nice Trees; and besides that which Trees shoot after this season ought not to be preserv'd. They cut therefore Trees at this time the least they can, re­lying doubtless on experience which has obliged them so to do.

Toward Magdelan-tide, in the Decrease of the Moon, which happens in the Month of July, we must nail up again Peach-trees, Nectarin-trees, &c. and we must cut all the Branches which are not flexible, and which are grown contrary to Order, tho' with this diligence, that we must cover as soon as may be with a Plaister, and paper the Wounds which have been there made.

Those who are for the lasting of these Trees, pale them up at this time, but they stay to cut them till the Month of February; these sorts of Trees (according to their sentiment) being so nice, that they cannot endure the Summer, the great heat penetrating into their Wounds, causes five orsix Eyes to dye. Which we perceive dryed the year following: [Page 46]this is the way (say they) to make them last forty years, as experience shews it. They chose much rather (as I have said) to pull away with the Finger, as they walk, the Branches which come contrary to order, than to cut them, and if there are found some which ought to be cut, they keep them for the Month of Fe­bruary following. Nevertheless, if they are too much confus'd, and that their shad­dow hinders the Sun from heating the Fruit, we shall be oblig'd to cut them a­way.

The abundance of Pears being ordina­rily the Enemy of Espaliers, and making the Trees often dye, we must cut with Sheers the middle of the stalk of the Pears, to disburthen the Trees. This ought to be done when the Fruit is a quarter or a third part as big as it ought. This Rule is only for great Winter-Fruit, and chiefly for the Bon-Chretien: we must observe al­so not to leave above one or two Pears on a weak Branch, a strong one being a­ble to bear more.

Its also in this Month that Fruit enter in­to Juice, and begin to take a colour through the light of the Sun: but because often there are Leaves, which hinder the rayes from touching the Fruit, care must be ta­ken in July to take away some from before [Page 47]them, and in the Month of August fol­lowing we must cut away the rest with Sheers, so managing the Light by rea­son of the burning heat of the Sun.

CHAP. I. Of Fruits which ought to be eaten be­fore Meals.

I Say in the first place that good Fruit which are Ripe, never do hurt, unless we misuse them, or commit faults in eating them; there are none but ill and unripe Fruit which cause Crudities, Indigestions, Colicks, and Fevers. I say much more; experience daily teaches us, that by the moderate use of them we prevent an infi­nite number of Diseases, and that we Cure as many. Our Gardens fail not of Reme­dies to relieve us, and I wonder we go so far into Forrein Countrys to seek for Drogues, which are musty or rotten, when they are brought to us, since we have so excellent at home. Our Fruits have ma­ny more Vertues and Charms than all those Drogues, and there are seen few Persons who refuse Peaches, Mulberrys, or Pears, to appease the burning of the Bowels; Whereas we daily see Persons have in hor­ror [Page 60] Tamarinds, Cassia, Rhubarb, and the o­ther Drogues which are brought us from so far.

Because I am oblig'd to follow the Or­der which I have prescribed to my self, I shall treat in this Chapter of the good use of those Fruits which ought to be eaten at Break-fast, or before Meals: and I shall begin with Figgs, which among all Fruits have always been the most esteem'd.

CHAP. II. Of Fruits which ought to be eaten af­ter Meals.

THo the Fruits which ought to be eaten after Meals are of a matter more firm, which nourishes more, and which does not corrupt so easily as that of the o­thers, nevertheless we must remember to use them with the same precautions which we gave in the Preface to this Tract: these precautions ought to be stood too as Re­ligiously in using these Fruits, as in eat­ing the others. The faults which are com­mitted in their use are very considerable, and that Person whom I Cur'd not long since of Vertigo's which threatn'd her with some severe Distemper, has been thankful to me since, for having forbidden her the use of Apples, which she ate irregularly after Meals.

CHAP. III. Of Fruits, which may be eaten before, or after Meals.

THere are Fruits which may be eaten at all times, because they do not corrupt in our Stomach, but through our fault: Wherefore we ought to have a pe­culiar design, and different praecautions in using them. One Person would only cool and moisten himself. And besides this, another will have a farther design of ren­dring the Belly soluble: thus there may be need of these Fruits in different occa­sions.