396 FRUIT TREES FOR ESPALIERS AND DWARFS. 



pear than by paying more attention to it as an espalier tree. This is 

 also the opinion of many of the best fruit-growers in Britain, who 

 agree that there is no finer fruit than that gathered from well-managed 

 espalier trees. It is well known that some pears lose quality by being 

 grown against walls. It is equally certain that a fuller degree of sun 

 and exposure than the shoots and fruit get on a pyramidal tree is very 

 desirable in many parts of this country, especially for particular kinds. 

 Many sorts grow beautifully as pyramids ; others, to be had in perfec- 

 tion, must be grown upon walls ; but by means of the improved espalier 

 system the majority of the finer kinds may be grown to the highest 

 excellence. If the French can teach us nothing else they can certainly 

 give us a lesson as to the improvement in appearance, cheapness, and 

 utility of the espalier mode of growing fruit, especially as regards the 

 finer varieties of pear-trees. 



" It should be borne in mind that the good opinion of espalier trees 

 given by British cultivators has been won by them under great disad- 

 vantages, for nothing can be uglier or more inefficient than the usual 

 mode of supporting and training espaliers in our gardens. It is gene- 

 rally so costly and disagreeable to the eye, that it has been done away 

 with for these reasons alone in many gardens. I know some important 

 ones near London, and indeed in many parts of Britain, where the 

 espalier support is the most unworkmanlike and discreditable affair to 

 be seen in the place. Great rough uprights of wood, which soon rot 

 and wabble out of position, thick and costly bolt-like wire, cumbrous 

 and expensive construction, and, in a word, so many disadvantages as 

 would suffice to prevent the prudent cultivator from attempting any- 

 thing of the kind. The form of tree used, too, is such that the lower 

 branches become impoverished, and often nearly useless. 



" To support his espalier fruit trees the Emperor's gardener, M. Hardy, 

 has largely adopted a system which is at once cheap, neat, and almost 

 everlasting. Instead of employing ugly and perishable wooden supports 

 he erects uprights of T-iron, and connects these with slender galvanized 

 wire. These are tightened with the little raidisseurs before alluded to, 

 and then there is an end of all trouble. He manages to erect this 

 trellising nine feet high for less than a shilling a yard run ; but it 

 could not be done so cheaply in smaller quantities. Then, instead of 

 adopting the common form of espalier tree, with horizontal branches, 

 he more frequently uses trees of which each branch ascends towards 

 the top of the trellis, and thus secures an equable flow of sap through 

 the tree. The accompanying figure (fig. 336) will give a better idea of 

 both trellis and tree than any description. There is no more important 

 matter connected with our fruit culture than this very point, and 

 therefore I should be much obliged to all my readers, both amateur and 

 professional, if they will give the subject attention, as I am sure that by 

 doing so they will be led to adopt it largely, and will much improve their 

 fruit culture. The finest stores of pears I have ever seen were in 

 gardens with a good length of trees trained in this manner ; and I know 

 few places in France where the espalier system is so extensively and so 

 well carried out as here. The form here represented is much better 



