TRAINING. 347 



broad at the mouth, for the same purpose ; to which we may add, a 

 couple of step-ladders, on which a plank may be placed at diffe- 

 rent heights, parallel to the wall, for the operator to stand on, by 

 which he will do much more work, and with much greater ease to 

 himself. In cutting branches of trees trained against walls, the cut or 

 wounded section should always, if possible, be on the under side of the 

 branches, or next the wall ; and in the case of espaliers, it ought to be 

 on the under side. 



Comparative View of the Different Modes of Training. It is well to 

 understand the various methods of training detailed in the foregoing 

 pages ; and, knowing them, any modification may be adopted which 

 circumstances may require, provided the general principles are kept in 

 view. Ornamental shrubs are easily managed, because they have not 

 a tendency to rear themselves by forming a strong stem ; but with 

 regard to fruit trees the case is otherwise. These, it is well known, if 

 left to nature, form one strong stem, supporting a top which reaches 

 the height of twenty, thirty, or forty feet, or more. In order to attain 

 this, the sap rushes, whilst the tree is young and vigorous, towards the 

 leading shoot ; and if lateral branches are occasionally produced, the 

 flow of sap is not strongly directed towards them compared to that which 

 is impelled towards the more upright part. At length, however, a 

 ramification does take place, in comparison with which the leading 

 shoot becomes less and less predominant, till it becomes ultimately lost 

 amongst its compeers. A tolerably equal distribution of sap then 

 results, and a conical or spherical top is formed bearing fruit, not 

 generally in the concavity, where it would be greatly excluded from 

 light, but at the external surface, where the fruit itself and the leaves 

 immediately connected with the buds producing it can be fully exposed 

 to light, air, and dews. It was remarked that lateral branches were 

 occasionally produced on the stem in the progress of its ascent. When 

 the top is formed, these are placed at great disadvantage, owing to their 

 being overshaded, and they are then apt to decay, the tree assuming 

 the character of a large elevated top, supported on a strong naked stem. 

 This is the natural disposition of trees, and to this it is necessary to 

 attend, in order that it may be counteracted where the natural form of 

 the tree cannot be admitted. It should be borne in mind that the 

 disposition to form an elevated naked stem is still strongly evinced in 

 dwarf trees, in which, although subdivided, each branch possesses its 

 share of the original disposition, and its lower and horizontal shoots 

 are left to become weak in comparison with the upper ones and those 

 that are vertical. 



A standard tree, from its being least restrained from attaining its 

 natural habit, requires least management in regard to training, as has 

 been already explained. When trained in any dwarf form, attention 

 is in the first place required towards counteracting the disposition to 

 form one large elevated stem by stopping the leading shoot. In this 

 and other processes in pruning and training, it is necessary to be 

 aware of the nature of the buds on different parts of the shoot, and the 

 effect of cutting near or at a distance from the base. Where a shoot 



