Jane 27, 1867. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICUIiTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



Ul 



side shoots, from whatever part prodnced, are to be stopped 

 at the snmmer pruning at the lower tier when they reach 

 the dotted line, and so on upwards ; and as the side branches 

 will not be numerous enough, they maybe allowed to fork; 

 only a proper distance (9 inches), should he allowed between 

 the branches, and none but those required for permanent 

 branches ought to be allowed to extend. Such are necessary 

 to secure and preserve the outline of the pyramid, but all 

 within these must be kept closely pinched. The upper 

 branches will be stronger than the lower; they must, therefore, 

 be restrained by earlier and closer pinching, so as to equalise 

 the sap as much as possible. 



It will be seen that the mode of training above recom- 

 mended is different from that referred to in Vol. XL, page 4B1. 

 I have acted on the idea that when the cultivator will take the 

 trouble to train bis own trees, he should do so in the moat 

 handsome form ; but the mode of training which I have just 

 described is inapplicable to the majority of trained trees ob- 

 tained from nurseries. 



The great fault of the trees which I have received from nur- 

 series has been their having been originally headed back far too 

 high; the consequence was they were badly furnished with shoots 

 near the base. Sometimes the trees had been headed back at 

 3 feet from the ground, and were without shoots on one side for 

 a distance of 2 feet from the ground, whilst there were plenty on 

 the other side. This was probably owing to the trees standing 

 so closely together as they do in nursery lines. In other cases 

 the trees were badly furnished with shoots at the base, and 

 those situated there were weak, and consequently the tree could 

 never become so well furnished there as at the upper part, even 

 were the upper branches cut back, and the summer pinching of 

 the shoots produced at the upper part excessive. The case 

 would have been different had the leader been headed back to 

 12 or 13 inches. They would then have formed trees similar 

 to that represented in fir/. 13, which is the sort of tree I would 

 recommend, and the only description of tree that ought to be 

 selected. It is only justice to say, that the majority of the 

 trees which I have received from nurseries were well furnished 

 with shoots near their base, in many cases equal to the tree 

 represented hyfig. 13, and in most little inferior. 



Fig. 13. 



Fig. 14. 



In the case of such trees as those represented injifi. 13, 4 or 



5 feet in height, formed as shown in thj. 12, or bushes of the same 

 height {firi. 14), it would be well to head back the leaders at 

 the winter pruning to 13 inches until the height of 6 feet was 

 attained, when the leader should be stopped when it has grown 

 Cinches, cutting back the after-growth in the autumn to a bud 



6 inches above the last stopping, and so on in subsequent 

 years until the required height is attained. 



The only other mode of training Pear trees (ny. 15), is either 

 the original or a modification of M. Du Breuil's system, the 

 object, it wonld seem, being to cover the wall or trellis quickly. 

 The trees should be on the Quince stock, maiden plants being 

 eligible for planting. They should be planted 3 feet apart 



upon a 9-feet, and 2 feet apart upon a 12-feet wall. If planted 

 3 feet apart they may have three branches, and if at 2 feet two 

 branches, obtained as follows : — 



The trees being planted early in autumn may be headed 

 back to two eyes, from which shoots will push. The strongest 

 is to trained upright, and the other cut away. Every en- 

 couragement should be given during the summer by watering 

 freely during dry weather, and the tree having made a shoot 

 3, 4, or 5 feet in length, this should not be cut back in autumn 

 but be brought down to an angle of 4.5°. In the case of the 

 end trees, the shoot should be taken to the right or left 

 horizontally. 



The shoot in the case of all the other trees being brought 

 down to an angle of 4.5°, will in spring push every eye or 

 bud, and when this is done the branch may be nailed erect, 

 and all the laterals pinched at the sixth leaf, except a strong 

 shoot near the base of the tree, which is to be trained-in 

 to the right or left of the lowest branch, according to the 

 side of the wall which it is required to cover. Neither it 

 nor the leader of the branch must be shortened in summer 

 or autumn, unless one outgrow the other, when the strong 

 may be kept pinched-in during the summer. In autumn 

 they are to he brought down to an angle of 43°, as shown by 

 fig. 1.5, which is intended to represent a 12-feet wall covered in 

 the manner above described. The plan is that of M. Do 

 Breuil, but I have not read his work. 



Fig. 15. 



The end traes should be planted as many feet, less one, 

 from the end of the wall as the latter is high, but as the shoot 

 will not be of sufficient length the first year to reach to the 

 end of the wall if brought to a horizontal position, it should in 

 the second year be kept at an angle of 45°, a strong leader 

 being insured by closely pinching back the laterals, and in the 

 autumn it may be brought down to the horizontal li ne, shoot 

 in the following year being trained in diagonally at a f '^ ot apar 

 all along the horizontal branch. 



Upon a 10-feet wall three branches will be required ; the ad- 

 ditional branch is to be originated in the same way as the 

 second, and during the third year. The central tree on the 

 wall must be fan-trained. It wonld be as well to have it and 

 those at the ends of the wall on the Pear stock. 



Summer Fkdnisc.. — This is the most important operation of 

 fruit-tree culture ; for it is evident that if the laterals are not 

 shortened the crop must be small from the vigour of the tree 

 being expended on a quantity of spray, and the fruit must bs 

 badly coloxired and ripened from its being shaded by the need- 

 less crowding of the foliage. It is not the present production 

 only, but the crops of succeeding years that are injured by 

 neglecting to summer-prune ; for the crowding of the shoots 

 and foliage prevents the spurs receiving sufficient light and air 

 for their full maturation and perfection. Summer pruning ha s 

 for its object the maintaining of the tree in order and fertility; 

 it tends to check overluxurianee, prevents the overcrowding of 

 the shoots, secures the formation and perfection of the spurs 

 and fruit-buds, and favours a more full perfection of the fruit. 



