Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 15, PLA-RAM

P R U [ 617 ] P R U
Frunlnp. th« fucceeding year fliould not be fhortened during the
time of their growth, becaufe tin's would caufe them to
produce two lateral flioots, from the eyes below the
place where they were flopped, which would draw
much of the ftrength from the buds of the firft flioot:
and if the two lateral {hoots are not entirely cut away
at the winter-pruning, they will prove injurious to the
tree. This is to be chiefly underftood of ftcne-fruit
and grapes ; but pears and apples, being much harder,
fuffer not fo much, though it is a great difadvantage to
thofe alfo to be thus managed. It muft likewife be re¬
marked, that peaches, neftarines, apricots, cherries, and
plums, are always in the greateft vigour when they are
leafl maimed by the knife ; for where large branches
are taken off, they are fubjeft to gum and decay. It
is therefore the moll prudent method to rub off all ufe-
lefs buds when they are firft produced, and to pinch
others, where new (hoots are wanted to fupply the va¬
cancies of the wall; by which management they may
be fo ordered as to want but little of the knife in winter-
pruning. The management of pears and apples is much
the fame with thefe trees infummer; but in winter they
muft be very differently pruned: for as peaches and nec¬
tarines, for the moft part, produce their fruit upon the
former year’s wood, and muft therefore have their bran¬
ches fhortened according to their ftrength, in order to
produce new (hoots for the fucceeding year; fo, on the
contrary, pears, apples, plums, and cherries, producing
their fruit upon fpurs, which come out of the wood of
five, fix, and feven years old, flmuld not be fhortened,
becaufe thereby thofe buds which were naturally difpofed
to form thefe (purs, would produce wood-branches ; by
which means the trees would be filled with wood, but
would never produce much fruit. The branches of
ftandard-tre.es fhould never be (hortened unlefs where
they are very luxuriant, and, by growing irregularly on
one fide of the trees, attract the greateft pait of the fap,
by which means the other parts are either unfurniftied
•with branches, or are rendered very weak ; in which
cafe the branch fhould he fhortened down as low as is
neccffary, in order to obtain more branches to fill up
the hollow of the tree: but this is only to be underftood
of pears and apples, which will produce fhoots from
wood of three, four, or more years old ; whereas moft
forts of ftone-fruit will gum and decay after fuch ampu¬
tations : whenever this happens to (lone-fruit, it ftiould
be remedied by flopping or pinching thofe (hoots in the
fpring, before they have obtained too much vigour,
which will caufe them to pufh out fide-branches; but
this mud be done with caution. riou muil alfo cut
Out all dead or decaying branches, which caufe their
heads to look ragged, and alio attradl noxious particles
from the air: in doing of this, you ftiould cut them
clofe down to the place where they were produced,
otherwife that part of the branch which is left will alfo
decay, and prove equally hurtful to the reft of the tree;
for it feldom happens, when a branch begins to decay,
that it does not die quite down to the place where it
was produced, and if permitted to remain long uncut,
often infedls Come of the other parts of the tree. If the
branches cut off are large, it will be very proper, after
having fmoothed the cut part exaftly even with a knite,
chiffel, or hatchet, to put on a plaftcr of grafting clay,
which will prevent the wet from foaking into the tree
at the wounded part. All fuch branches as run acrofs
each other, and occafion a confufion in the head ol the
Vol. XV. Part II.
tree, fhould be cut off; and as there are frequently Pruning,^
young vigorous (hoots on old trees, which rife from the''"
old branches near the trunk, and grow upright into
the head, thefe ftiould be carefully cut out every year,
left, by being permitted to grow, they fill the tree too
full of wood.
As to the pruning of foreft-trees, if they be large, it
is bed not to prune them at all; yet, if there be an ab.
folute neceflity, avoid taking off large boughs as much
as pofiible. And, t. If the bough be fmall, cut it
fmooth, clofe, and Hoping. 2. If the branch be large,
and rhe tree old, cut it off at three or four feet from
the ftem. 3. If the tree grow crooked, cut it off at
the crook, (loping upward, and nurie up one of the moft
promifing (hoots for a new ftem. 4. If the tree grow
top-heavy, its head muft be lightened, and that by
thinning the boughs that grow out of the main branches.
But if you would have them fpring, rub off the budsy
and fhroud up the fide-fiioots. 5. If the fide-bough dill
break out, and the top be able to fuftain itfelf, give the
boughs that put forth in fpring a pruning after Midfum-
mer, cutting them clofe.
PRUNUS, in botany: A genus of the monogynia
order, belonging to the icofandria clafs ot plants ; and
in the natural method ranking under the 36th order.
Pomace*. The calyx is quinquefid, inferior ; there are
five petals; the fruit is a plum, having a kernel with
prominent futures. There are 15 fpecies, of which fix
are cultivated in Britain: they are originally natives of
America and Siberia.
1. The domeftica, or common plum-tree, grows 20
or 30 feet high, garnifhed with oval, fpear-(haped leaves,
and with the pedunculi for the moft part (ingle, termi¬
nated by flowers, fucceeded by plums of many different
colours, fizes, and (hapes in the varieties. 2. The in-
fititia, wild-plum, or bullace-tree, grows 12 or 15 feet
high ; the branches fomevvhat fpinous ; the leaves oval,
hairy underneath ; and the pedunculi by pairs, termina¬
ted by white flowers fucceeded by’’fmall, round, plum¬
like, fruit of different colours in the varieties. 3. The
fpinofa, black-thorn, or floe-tree, grows 1 o or 12 feet
high, very branchy and bufhy quite from bottom, arm¬
ed with (trong, (harp (pines, fmall, ipear-fhaped, Imooth
leaves, pedunculi growing fingly, terminated by flowers,
fucceeded by fmall, round, black cherries in autumn.
It grows wild everywhere in hedges and woods ; and
is.very proper for planting field hedges, being of very
quick and clofe growth. 4. The cerafus, or common
cherry-tree, grows 20 feet or more in height, garnifhed
with oval clufters of lanceolate, fmooth leaves, umbellate
flowers, fucceeded by clufters of red roundifh fruit of
different fizes and properties in the varieties. Hanbury
fays, “ were this tree fcarce, and with much difficulty
propagated, every man, though poffeffed of a Angle tree
only, would look upon it as a treafure ; for befides the
charming appearance thefe trees have, when befnowed,
as it were, all over with bloom in the fpring, can any
tree in the vegetable tribe be conceived more beautiful,
ftriking, and grand, than a well-grown and healthy
cherry-tree, at that period when the fruit is ripe.”
The many kinds of cherry-trees afford an almoft end-
lefs variety ; all differing in fome refpeft in their man¬
ner of (hooting, leaves, flowers, or fruit: two in parti¬
cular demand admifiion into the pltafure-garden ; the
double-bloffomed and the red-flowering. The pleafmg
(how the common cherry-tree makes when in blow is
4. x known