FRUIT GARDEN. 261 



of France and Germany, and which consists in re- 

 ducing the plant to a bush of two or three shoots, 

 and keeping these erect by a stake. The shoots 

 will each give two or three bunches within fifteen 

 or eighteen inches from the earth, and are naturally 

 succeeded by others, which in their turn become 

 bearers. 



2d. The prostrate or creeping form, by which the 

 vine is trained over the ground like a melon or cu- 

 cumber. This was early noticed by Bacon, and has 

 been since recommended by Vispre, " as least ex- 

 pensive and troublesome, and best calculated for ri- 

 pening the fruit, by placing it within the sphere of that 

 heat which is emitted by the earth during the night." 



3d. The espalier form, by which the leading and 

 lateral branches are trained against an open frame 

 or trellis, and in such way " as to expose the lar- 

 gest surface to the action of the sun in the shortest 

 space of time." And, 



4th. The wall espalier, which differs in nothing 

 from the preceding but in having behind it a solid 

 structure, and the additional heat reflected by it. 

 This form is often met with in Europe, where the 

 southern, eastern, and western sides of farmhouses 

 and cottages are made to supply the walls, and do 

 it very completely. In gardens, the structures in- 

 tended to produce the same effect are of two kinds : 

 the one rising to the height of fifteen and even 

 twenty feet, made of stone or wood, and meant to 

 protect the taller kinds of fruit-trees ; and the other, 

 of similar materials, but not exceeding six feet in 

 height, and calculated for bushes and dwarfs. 

 Speechley says the vine does well on the latter; 

 and we are instructed by Williams, of Pitmaison> 

 how best to derive advantage from the former. 

 " To fill up," he says, " the intervals between the 

 trees, plant vines, train them horizontally under the 

 coping of the wall, and, by inverting and inarching 

 their branches, find means to occupy every vacant 

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