166 THE GARDENER. [April 



ing of the trees may be proceeded with at once as already directed ; 

 and I may here state that a considerable gain is effected if tlie trees can 

 be procured and planted about the middle of October, or even earlier, 

 before the leaves fall. In the case of trees, however, which have to 

 come a long distance, this would be impracticable, as they would be- 

 come heated upon the journey, and consequently mucli injured. 



We now come to speak of the distances which ought to be between 

 the trees at planting. This will depend entirely upon the mode of 

 training and the stock used for grafting. If the Quince has been 

 used, and the trees are intended for pyramids, the distance need not be 

 more than 12 feet, or 15 at the most. If on the Pear stock, the dis- 

 tance ought not to be less than 18 feet if intended for border lines; and 

 if intended for an Orchard plantation even more will be necessary, say 

 from 24 to 30 feet, according to the size they are to be allowed to 

 grow. If the trees are to be planted against the wall, the distances in 

 this case will be regulated by the height of the wall as well as the 

 stock used. For a wall of 8 feet in height the Quince will answer 

 very well, and the trees may be planted every 12 to 14 feet. Where 

 the wall is from 10 to 12 feet, or higher, the Pear will suit better as a 

 stock than the Quince, as it will grow quicker and fill up the space 

 sooner. For a wall 12 feet high, 18 to 20 feet is a good distance to 

 plant, while 20 to 24 will be better where the height is 15 or 16 feet. 

 It is seldom that walls are much higher than this, but a good guide to 

 planting is to put the trees one and a half times the distance from each 

 other that the wall is in height. When the trees deviate much either 

 way from this rul6, they do not look so proportionate or so well. 

 Nothing looks worse than to see trees upon a 15-feet wall planted 

 every 14 or 15 feet ; or, what is even worse, to see a 9-feet wall with 

 the trees planted 24 or 30 feet apart. 



In concluding this chapter upon the Pear, it may not be out of 

 place to make a few remarks upon walls. It is now a demonstrated 

 fact, that of all materials used for garden walls, there is none so 

 suitable, or which answers the purposes of fruit -culture so well, as 

 brick. These, however, ought to be of the very best quality, as 

 nothing can be more teasing than to see the bricks decaying from 

 the effects of the weather, in the course of a few years after being 

 built. The difference between good and inferior bricks is very trifling, 

 while all the other materials and workmanship will be the same. The 

 good old rule, therefore, holds good in this as in other cases — viz., 

 get a good material, pay a good price for it, and you will get good 

 satisfaction out of your bargain. The thickness of the wall will 

 depend entirely upon the height thereof. A wall 9 inches in thick- 

 ness — that is, one brick thick — should not be more than 6 or 7 feet 



