Book I. ESPALIERS AND DWARF-STANDARDS. 479 



of nutriment : if taken up well, in season, and pruned properly, they may be planted 

 elsewhere." While the principal wall-trees are making progress, Abercrombie observes, 

 " riders may be introduced between them ; these should be confined to sorts which are 

 the quickest in coming into bearing, for else, as soon as the trees become productive, it 

 will be time to remove them. Against low walls, currants, gooseberries, and raspberries 

 may be placed instead of riders. Plant a wall-tree nine inches from the wall, to give the 

 root some room behind ; detach or shorten the roots pointing towards the wall, so that the 

 parts left on that side may not be cramped." (Pr. Gard. p. 189.) " On walls ten feet 

 in height or upwards, Nicol plants riders between the dwarf or principal trees, in order 

 the sooner to furnish the wall ; but for low walls it is not worth the while, as goose- 

 berries, currants, or raspberries, answer better, and produce fruit more immediately. 

 Riders of all or most of the kinds in the foregoing lists can be had in the nurseries ; but 

 they should consist chiefly of apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums ; as few 

 kinds of apples or pears would begin to produce crops before it would be necessarv to 

 root them out in order to give place to the dwarfs." 



2507. With respect to the mode of planting, the roots of each plant should be trimmed, 

 previous to being planted, by pruning off the points of those bruised in the taking up, 

 and moderately thinning them out, if thought too thick, or too much crowded. This is 

 seldom necessary for maiden trees, but it is often so with respect to plants that have 

 stood several years in the nursery, or that have been trained against walls or pales, and have 

 made strong roots. The roots should be, in some measure, rendered proportionate to 

 the tops ; and as the shoots and branches are to be headed down, or to be well shortened 

 and thinned out, it follows that the roots should also be moderately thinned and pruned. 

 In doing this, however, be careful to retain those most promising and best furnished 

 with fibres. The surface level being determined on, prepare the pit so as that the plant 

 may be placed just as deep in the ground as it was before, and not deeper ; spreading 

 out the roots and fibres, and carefully bedding them in the compost prepared for that 

 purpose, as hinted at last month. Fill in the common earth, gently tread it round the 

 stem, keeping it a few inches clear of the foundation, and secure the plant from the 

 bad effects of high winds, by tacking it to the wall. Proceed thus, tree by tree, till all 

 be planted. They require no further care till March, when it will be proper to head 

 them down. (Nicol.) Most writers agree in recommending November as the best time 

 to plant on absorbent soils, March for heavy or wet land, and February for medium soils. 



Sect. II. Of the Selection and Arrangement of Espaliers and Dwarf-standards. 



2508. Espaliers or dwarf-standards are planted in the borders of the principal walks 

 in all complete kitchen-gardens. Besides the value of their fruit, they form a sort of 

 counterpart to the trees on the walls, and add much to the general effect of the garden, 

 by increasing the appearance of design ; and much to its beauty in detail by the variety of 

 the blossoms in spring and the fruit in autumn. Some gardeners, however, disapprove 

 of them, or do not consider them of much consequence. " If espaliers are planted," 

 says Marshall, " let them be only fruit of the best sorts, and in spacious gardens, 

 where they may have a good length and height allowed them to grow freely ; and let it 

 be resolved to do the business neatly." M'Phail disapproves of espaliers, as hurtful to 

 crops of vegetables in the kitchen-garden. Forsyth is silent on the subject. Aber- 

 crombie says, " Espaliers may be planted in some of the borders, in a row along the 

 inner edge." Nicol observes, " Espaliers, if well managed, are both ornamental and 

 useful in the garden, affording a deal of fruit, yet taking up little room." " Of late 

 years," Neill observes, " some have proposed to banish espalier-trees altogether, alleging 

 that they injure the kitchen-garden compartments, by depriving them of sun and air. But 

 in point of fact, they exist in the greater number of kitchen-gardens, and are not likely 

 soon to be laid aside. If they are sometimes injurious, by depriving the plants of air, they 

 are at other times very useful, acting as a hedge in protecting the young crops from the 

 violence of strong winds. Espalier-trees generally produce excellent fruit, the sun and 

 air having access to both sides of the tree ; they commonly afford abundant crops, and 

 the fruit is not apt to be shaken by high winds. Further, they tend to hide the crops of 

 culinary vegetables from the eye, and to render the walk of the kitchen-garden as pleasant 

 as an avenue in the shrubbery." Espalier-trees, like wall-trees, may be considered in 

 regard to the kind of espalier-rail, sort of fruit, sort of plant, distance, and planting. 



2509. The proper situation for an espalier-rail, according to Nicol, is in the border, 

 by the principal walks, and at three or four feet distant from the walk. They may be 

 placed on each side of the cross walks, if the garden be not very small ; but in that 

 case, they would both confine and overshadow the kitchen-crops too much. The railing 

 ought to be plain and neat, four or five feet high, and the upright spars to which the trees are 

 trained, nine inches apart. The posts should be set on blocks of stone, and should be run 

 in with pitch, or, which is a better way, set in blocks of stone, in an iron hose batted into 

 the stone. These blocks, in either case, should be sunk under the surface of the ground. 



