36 Ow anew Method of trailing Fruit Trees, 



commend, is applicable, even with superior advantages, to 

 the cherry, plum, and pear tree; and I must observe, that 

 when trees are by any means deprived of the motion, which 

 their branches naturally receive from winds, the forms in 

 which they are trained, operate more powerfully on their per* 

 manent health and vigour, than is generally imagined. 



My peach trees, which were plants of one year old only, 

 were headed down, as usual, early in the spring, and two 

 shoots only were trained from each stem in opposite direc- 

 tions, and in l an elevation of about five degrees ; and when 

 rhe two shoots did not grow with equal luxuriance; I de- 

 pressed the strongest, or gave a greater elevation to the 

 weakest, by which means both were made to acquire and to 

 preserve an equal degree of vigour. These shoots, receiving 

 . the. whole sap of the plants, grew with much luxuriance, 

 and in the course of the summer each attained about the 

 length of four feet. Many lateral shoots were of course emit- 

 ted from the young luxuriant branches; but these were 

 p'nehed off at the first or second leaf; and were in the suc- 

 ceeding winter wholly destroyed ; when the plants, after 

 being pruned, appeared as represented in Plate II. Fig. 1 ► 

 This form, I shall here observe, miyht with much ad van* 

 tage be given to trees whilst in the nursery ; and perhaps it 

 is the only form which can be given, without subsequent 

 injury to the tree : it is also a form that can be given, with 

 very little trouble or expense to the nurseryman. 



In the succeeding seascln as many branches were suffered 

 to spring from each plant as could be trained conveniently, 

 without shading each other; and by selecting the strongest 

 zndearlicst buds towards the points of the year old branches, 

 and the weakest and latest near their bases, I was enabled 

 to give to each annual shoot Nearly an equal degree of vi- 

 gour; and the plants appeared in the autumn of the second 

 year nearly as represented in Fig- 2. The experienced gar- 

 dener will here observe, that I exposed a greater surface of 

 leaf to the light, without placing a|iy of the leaves so as to' 

 shade others, than can probably be) done in any other mode 

 of training ? and in consequence of this arrangement, the 

 growth of the trees was bo great, 'that at two years old some 

 * of 



