THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



35 



of oak uprights six feet apart and 

 a li'jjht upright deal lath to give 

 support to the wires midway be- 

 tween each two posts. The wires 

 are twelve inches apart, and the tree^ 

 are all trained horizontally. We have 

 never seen any evil results from the 

 use of metal, and do not scruple to 

 recommend it. But light laths can 

 hi used by those who prefer wood, 

 and the metal can be improved by 

 painting it. For these espaliex's the 

 best forms for apple, pear, and plum 

 tree'^ are the horizontal and the up- 

 right, mode of training. But there is 

 a marked difFereuce in the behaviour 

 of trees trained on various methods. 

 Trees allowed to grow naturally up- 

 right grow witli much more vigour 

 th:ni \\h.e\ fan or horizontally trained, 

 and they are longer in coming into 

 bearing. There is no quicker method 

 of uisuring a fruitful habit in espaliers 

 tlian by horizontal training, as in the 

 annexed sketch. When received from 

 the nursery such a tree will perhaps 

 have a strong leader and one or two 

 side- branches. The leader should be 

 cut back to within two or three buds 

 of the topmost side 

 branch, and each of 

 the side branches 

 should be cut back to 

 about half their length. 

 The top bud of the 

 leader will in the next 

 season start away and 

 make considerable 

 growth, and the cul- 

 tivator now has two 

 distinct objects in 

 view, namely, to cause 

 the development of 

 side-branches at regu- 

 lar distances for tying 

 in. and to promote 

 the formation of fruit 

 spurs on all the wood 

 of previous seasons. Wherever shoots 

 break in positions suitable to train in 

 to tlie wires, tie them loosely as they 

 grow, that they may have a proper 

 direction from the first, and do not 

 stop them at all. All other buds that 

 break where not wanted, and threaten 

 to form strong shoots, should be 

 pinched in to three leaves from the 

 base, and if they push again pinch 



in the secondary growth two leaves 

 from the base, and most of them will 

 form fruit-buds and produce frnit the 

 next year. Gross shoots that get 

 ahead unnoticed on the breast of the 

 tree or on the side-branches should 

 as soon as discovered be first pinched. 

 In the course of a fortnight about a 

 third of their length should be cut 

 away, and towards the end of the 

 season they should be reduced to 

 about three buds at the base, one or 

 two of which will originate blos- 

 som buds. At the end of the season 

 cut back the leader again to within 

 about three buds of the topmost late- 

 ral branch, and the next growth will 

 probably soon reach the top of the 

 trellis, at which point take out the 

 top-bud and allow the side-buds to 

 push and furnish the top rail. 



In upright training the trees will 

 exhibit greater vigour of growth. 

 There shouldbe retained, to commence 

 with, a leader and two side-branches 

 as nearly opposite each other as pos- 

 sible. Choose a plump bud placed at 

 the upper side of each side of these 

 branches, at the di^ance of ten or 



tjpright-teained peab-teee. ' 



twelve inches from the leader, and 

 cut the side-branch back to bud 

 next beyond that bud. The last bud 

 will push on, and is to be trained 

 horizontally, the next will push up- 

 wards, and is to be trained to form 

 the first upright next the central rod. 

 This central rod at the first pruning 

 is to be cut back about half its length. 

 All through the season strong growths 

 C 2 



