The compleat planter & cyderist. Together with the art of pruning fruit-trees: In two books. I. Containing plain directions for the propagating all manner of fruit-trees, and the most approved ways and methods yet known, for the making and ordering of cyder, and other English wines. II. The art of pruning, or lopping fruit-trees. With an explanation of some words which gardeners make use of, in speaking of trees. With the use of the fruits of trees for preserving us in health, or for curing us when we are sick. By a lover of planting.

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 Fe∣bruary, or the beginning of March; and this is the motion which we call the rise of the Sap, or the shooting of Trees. This ne∣vertheless happens variously, the dispositi∣on 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 Gardi∣ners 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 Bran∣ches; nevertheless it is much better to stay for this till the Colds are past, and that the Rains no longer infest the wounds which

are made on Trees; by this means they seal themselves in a little time, and soon∣ner 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 con∣spicuously, and that we judge best of his ability.

There are Trees which we dare not Lop, by reason of 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 hap∣pens 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 oc∣casion 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

Sprouts, but remember never to disgarnish the Stock, by Lopping away all the lit∣tle 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 excep∣tion; for weak Trees, and those that are Planted but of that year, ought to be Lopt at the new Moon, to make them sprout vi∣gorously: 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 more∣over that the Moon has less influence on sublunary things, when she begins to be in

the Wain, than when she Increases; expe∣rience 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, experi∣ence has taught me that the Seeds of Flow∣ers 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, Ne∣ctarin, and Peach-trees, &c. because they shoot forth the first; the Winter Pear-trees follow next, after these those of Au∣tumn 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

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 af∣terward to carry on our Work without con∣fusion, and to take one Branch after the o∣ther. 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 Lop∣ping, the Fruit which would come there, would not be secured by the Leaves against the injury of the Air. Moreover the Branch

would be expos'd to the Air, and finally the wound would not close it self, nor e∣ver come to an Eschar the Pears carrying a∣way 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, no∣thing shoots forth there, the year follow∣ing the Stub must be cut smooth to the Tree.

I speak not here only of Fruit with Ker∣nels, 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 Ge∣nius, but to keep them from being cor∣rupted by the Weather, and not to cause them to push forth Gum there, which is their Sap, and in this occasion their Capi∣tal Enemy.

When the little Branches are too con∣fus'd, care must be taken to cut them off

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 dis∣playing 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 de∣stroy 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 o∣ther

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

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 be∣hind, 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 Necta∣rin

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 shor∣test 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 as∣sur'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 common∣ly 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 some∣times Fruit within three or four years.

3. The Fertile are ordinarily small, and

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 Wrink∣les 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, where∣as when the Fibres are all streight, the Sap is carryed upward vigorously and with∣out resistance, and not staying it self in a∣ny 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.

[illustration] depiction of 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 In∣different Branch, having not been cut in Fe∣bruary, 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 expe∣riment; for in cutting the wood in this place, as I ev'n now mention'd, the cut will not ap∣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.

[illustration] depiction of branch

Fig. 2

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

3. The third kind of Fertile Branches Is∣sues 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 dis∣covers

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.

[illustration] depiction of branch

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 In∣different, and which are become Fertile through the little Sap that is come to them, and by the Buds which are grown to a ful∣ness.

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 least∣wise hinders the Tree from pushing them so vigorously. Its by reason of this experi∣ment that we ought not to cut Trees much, because by cutting them in all their Branch∣es, they are made to Languish and after∣wards 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.

[illustration] depiction of branch

Fig: 4

A. A Prodigal cut in February at the Se∣cond 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

of them ought to be Lopt, others not; that is to say, we ought in the Month of Febru∣ary 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 Geni∣us at the Lopping of June. The great∣est 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 dis∣pos'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 speak∣ing concerning a Fertile Branch, I say that that which has Rings in its source, Wrink∣les at the beginning of its shoot of May or of June, or finally knots near each o∣ther, ought not to be cut without a great

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 prece∣dent 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 pro∣duce. That which I say being somewhat difficult to comprehend without seeing it, the fifth Figure will make you under∣stand it.

[illustration] depiction of branch

Fig: 5

A. The Lop of February in an Indiffe∣rent 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 in∣different 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. Experi∣ence has taught me that these Branches ne∣ver 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 Geni∣us 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

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 Infi∣nite 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 Gar∣diners Ignorance.

When we will have larg Fruit, especi∣ally 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 al∣most bare: we might leave in it some clear space in the middle and the sides, to

give entrance to the Sun which must co∣lour the Pears, but we ought not to cut it too much: the shadow of the Leaves ought to secure the Trunk of the Tree a∣gainst the parching heat of the Sun which makes it chop, and which breeds the Scab and the Canker by the dryness of its Bark. Tree 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 thin∣ner 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, provi∣ded that they are Grafted on the small bitter Cherry-tree; and they take to it

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 a∣way, than to cut it in many places; the divers wounds which we give Trees, de∣cay them, and make them dye languish∣ing, 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 Ne∣ctarin, 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

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 a∣way 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 car∣ry away the Fruit, and we blockishly de∣prive our selves of that which we seek with so much passion. Its a remark which we ought well to Observe, for the Sap ha∣ving 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 nim∣ble at the end of a Branch as in the begin∣ning of it; also it employs it self rather to form Buds for Flowers when it acts mild∣ly, 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

year, and having produced Fruit there, lose their force in this same Branch the year following, and shoot forth nought but Sci∣ons 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.

[illustration] depiction of branch

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 prece∣dent year, which are dry.

The Nectarine and the Peach-tree, be∣ing of the nature of those Trees which shoot much in their tops, we must not hope to be able to subdue them as Pear-trees, 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 low∣er part; they mount always, and by cut∣ting them after that manner, no Fruit comes of it, and we kill them in a short time.

In general, the Plum-tree and the Cher∣ry-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 Espa∣liers.

Because the Corand-tree has much Pith, and that it comes easily of a slip, its na∣ture does not endure it to be Lopt in the middle of its Branches, no more than the

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 low∣er part some young shoots of the year to hinder it from being too much con∣fus'd. The young shoots which we pre∣serve, serve to renew it when we cut it in its old Wood. Nevertheless, tho' it does not delight in being Lopt, we make Bush∣es 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 use∣less Branches, for rendring them regular: and neither of them can be made to grow low, they love too much the free and o∣pen Air.

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

The Portugal Quince-trees, and the Pome∣granate-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

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 Oun∣ces 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 Plai∣ster 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 for∣got 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.