414 THE PARKS AND GARDENS OF PARIS. [Chap. XXIV 



Pears till we pay more attention to Pears on walls than we do at 

 present. The French, from whom we have adopted the pyramidal 

 form, employ it to an enormous extent, but do not stop there. It 

 is in planting the pyramid that most of our improvement in this 

 direction has taken place for a good many years hack. Almost 

 every nurseryman has now a stock of the tree in this form, and 

 we cannot employ it too much, provided sorts that ripen well in 

 ordinary seasons are selected ; but there are other ways of equal 

 importance. The pyramid is so pleasing in outline, and indeed 

 in all other respects, that, although so highly suited for the 

 kitchen or fruit-garden, it should by no means be confined to 

 either. Handsome specimens and groups may well be introduced 

 in favourable spots in the pleas are-ground and shrubberies, and 

 thus the owners of those numerous small ornamental gardens 

 near towns may gather fine fruit. 



Another important way towards improvement is re-grafting 

 worthless fruit-trees. Fruits — Pears in particular — are strangely 

 afi'ected by difterent soils, localities, aspects, etc. A fruit may be 

 found to be extremely good in one locality, and worthless in others. 

 Thus, sometimes after taking great care in planting fruit-trees, 

 and after growing them and training them for many years until 

 they have become good specimens, so far as fruit is concerned they 

 have turned out to be but cumberers of the ground. Many, doubt- 

 less, have proved the truth of this assertion, and yet have hesitated 

 to destroy their trees because of the beauty of their appearance 

 and the blank occasioned by so doing, years being required to 

 again fill up the space thus left bare. The plan now recommended, 

 however, obviates all disappointment ; all that is necessary to 

 be done being to re-graft as the illustration indicates. It is easily 

 accomplished, and it is astonishing how soon a tree is thus re- 

 furnished and in full bearing condition after being re-grafted. 

 The advantages of the process may be summed up thus : — 

 1. It enables us within two years or little more, to obtain a full- 

 sized fruitful tree of a new variety, which otherwise could only 

 have been done at the expense of planting and training a young 

 one for ten or twelve years. 2. Double-grafting on a well-seasoned 

 stock assists the fruiting properties of many shy bearers. Many 

 Pears very commonly found in this country ought to be re-grafted, 

 and much good may be effected by the process. 



