296 Summer Pnining Dwarf Fruit Trees. 



which he particularly speaks of the French mode of summer 

 pruning trees. It was our intention to give a full abstract of 

 this article when the Journal came to hand ; but, from some 

 cause, not having yet reached us, we now present that por- 

 tion of it which we find in the Gardener'' s Chronicle^ as the 

 season has arrived when this operation of pruning should be 

 commenced. 



It is scarcely necessary for us to remark, that, around Paris, 

 as our readers know, from our account of the gardens there, 

 (XI. p. 243,) nearly or quite all the pears are cultivated as 

 dwarfs or pyramidal trees. These specimens, as we have 

 stated, are perfect models as regards form and management, 

 being from twelve to fifteen feet high, symmetrically shaped 

 from the ground up, and, with few exceptions, clothed with 

 fine specimens of fruit. 



Practising summer pruning to a great extent ourselves, 

 having more than a thousand trees under our care, many of 

 which are in full bearing, we intend to give more in detail 

 the results of our experience, accompanying the same with 

 sketches illustrating the advantages derived from this mode 

 of pruning ; but, in the mean time, as cultivators will like to 

 know the opinions of all, we invite their attention to the fol- 

 lowing hints upon the mode adopted by the best French gar- 

 deners, M. Cappe, having the charge of the fruit department 

 of the Jardin des Plantes, which contains some of the finest 

 specimens we saw during our tour. Mr. Thompson appears 

 to have been surprised at their symmetrical appearance, and 

 thus alludes to them : — 



" The pyramidal trained pear trees are from ten to fifteen 

 feet high or more, having a regularly tapering outline from 

 the base to the top, where they terminate in a single shoot. 

 The young plant is stopped according to its strength, and so 

 as to furnish side branches. The.se are not in stages at uni- 

 form distances along the stem; on the contrary, almost every 

 shoot which breaks out from the stem is allowed to grow ; 

 but the laterals produced on these are pinched in summer^ and 

 even such of the leading shoots as appear likely to become 

 too strong for the others, are stopped. M. Cappe pinches all 

 the young shoots, not required to form branches, when iii a 

 very young state ; when they have scarcely pushed a finger's 



