•JHAP. VH.] THE PEAR. 189 



allowed to bear only once, viz. in its third year; 

 and, after this, it is cut out to give place to 

 another spur, which has been trained to succeed 

 it. By this mode of treatment, a constant suc- 

 cession of young spurs is kept up, and fruit is 

 produced all over the tree ; whereas, by the old 

 method of pruning and training, in the course 

 of a few years, the projecting spurs became 

 barren, and fruit was produced only at the ex- 

 tremity of the branches. Pears are frequently 

 grafted standard high, when intended for train- 

 ing against a wall, in order that thev may be 

 used as riders between dwarf plums or 

 peaches. Pear trees generally bear better as 

 espaliers, or dwarf standards, than against a 

 wall, and this has been attributed to rather a 

 curious reason. The stamens of the pear have 

 naturally very little farina ; and where the blos- 

 soms are exposed to great heat, and have little 

 air circulating round them, as is the case with 

 wall trees, the pollen is very apt to dry up with- 

 out fertilising the stigma. The blossoms of 

 espaliers and dwarf standards are exposed to 

 less heat and more air than those of wall trees ; 

 and thus their pollen is more likely to perform 

 its natural functions. The truth of this ob- 

 servation has been proved by shading the blos- 

 soms of a wall pear tree during the whole 

 period of their expansion, and fanning them 

 with an artificial current of air by means of 

 bellows, when it was found that more than 

 twice the usual quantity of fruit was produced. 

 Espalier pear trees have generally a very rough 

 appearance, from their rugged projecting spurs; 

 but dwarf standards both look and bear well. 



