340 



TRAINING. 



climbers may be attained by allowing them to run wild over stumps, 

 banks, common shrubs, &c. ; but when they are trained against walls, 



they should be 



Fig. 316. trained differently 



from what is usu- 

 ally the case to 

 secure a good re- 

 sult. We fre- 

 (juently see all the 

 vigorous shoots 

 allowed to start 

 up from the base 

 and rush towards 

 the top of the wall , 

 the only training 

 given being an- 

 nually to back 

 away all these vi- 

 gorous shoots. A 

 space of wall that 

 should be devoted 



to one tree is often occupied by half a dozen ; the walls are seldom 



well and regularly covered. Those, however, who first take a strong 



main shoot to each side, and from these train erect a 



Fig. 317. number of shoots, obviate the bad results we deprecate, 



TjT and perfectly cover the wall with foliage, flowers, and 



i uJkoc^ fruit. A contracted variety of the same form is admirable 



Perpendicular for the pear trained against walls, especially when grafted 



training, first on the pear-stock, and, therefore, less likely to remain 



stage. within fertile limits as a cordon. Four, five, or six shoots 



trained erect form a handsome and easily-trained tree. 



Fig. 318. Fi 319 ' Fi S' 320 ' 



Half -fan training, sixth year. 



Perpendicular 

 training, second 

 stage. 



Perpendicular training, 

 third stage. 



Cordon Training. This system, about 

 which so much has recently been written, is, 

 in this country, chiefly valuable for the pro- 

 duction of the finer apples and pears : the 

 kinds that do not attain perfection in this 

 country. The following account, which treats 

 of it as applied to the apple, will serve to 

 explain its merits. 



Perpendicular training, 

 complete. 



Whatever may be the merits of this system applied to other fruits, 



