TRAINING 353 



tion in which it is desired to train the shoot is indicated by the dotted lines ; 

 a represents the shreds and nails put over the shoot to bring it to its place 

 over the dotted lines, and 6, dotted lines indicating the points which will be 

 covered by the shreds and nails when the shoot has been rendered straight, 

 by drawing both shoots from a to b. The nails used, whether of cast or 

 wrought iron, should have round shanks and small round heads, as being less 

 likely to injure the branches than sharp-angled nails. Nails an inch in 

 length are sufficient for ordinary branches, but twice that length is necessary 

 for very large ones. Cast-iron nails are most generally employed, and they 

 are so cheap, and, besides, not liable to bend in the points, that they are 

 generally preferred to nails of wrought iron. They seldom break when 

 being driven into mortar joints; and if they do so when drawing them out, it 

 is perhaps cheaper to buy new cast-iron nails than to point and straighten 

 wrought- iron ones. Boiling nails in linseed- oil prevents, or, at all events, 

 greatly lessens their rusting. Nails should in general be driven into the 

 joints, and not into the backs, because the joints are easily repaired. They 

 should never be driven far in, and in summer training a much slighter hold 

 of the wall will suffice than in winter training, because in the latter case 

 the shoots will not be moved for a year ; for if they hold at the time of 

 nailing, they become faster as they begin to rust ; the oxide requiring an 

 additional space to that required by the metal on which it is formed. 

 Before a nail which has been some time in a wall is attempted to be drawn 

 out, it should receive a tap with the hammer (407), by which it will be 

 loosened, and be more likely to separate without breaking. Shreds of 

 woollen are preferred to those of any other cloth or to leather, as being 

 softer and less influenced by the weather. Their length should be such as 

 to contain a shoot double the size of that for which they are intended, in 

 order that they may never compress the shoot so much as to impede the 

 returning sap, and their breadth may be from half an inch to three- quarters 

 or one inch. They should be folded up a little at each end, so that in 

 driving the nail through the shred it will pierce four times its thickness, 

 and be in no danger of tearing, as it often does when the nail passes through 

 only twice its thickness. When a shoot is merely to be nailed to the wall, 

 without requiring constraint on either side, then the nails are placed alter- 

 nately ; but when a crooked branch is to be nailed in, two or more nails in 

 succession will frequently be required on the same side. In driving the 

 nails, they should incline with their heads downwards to prevent water as 

 much as possible from hanging on them, as the rust produced is often 

 injurious, especially to fruit. The list, as already observed, should always 

 be placed on the internodes, and the branches should be fastened quite close 

 to the wall, in order not to lose the benefit of its heat. The colour of the 

 lists is a matter in which gardeners have different tastes. The late Rev. W. 

 Marshall, an ardent lover of horticulture, preferred scarlet lists: others 

 select those of a grey colour; some choose black; and a few mix various 

 colours together, which is perhaps the most picturesque mode. Brown 

 and black, however, being least conspicuous, generally obtain the pre- 

 ference. Shreds will last two or three years ; but every time they are 

 taken off to be put on again they should be boiled, to destroy any eggs of 

 insects there may be on them. Trained fruit-trees are generally loosened 

 from the wall at the time of winter or spring pruning, when the wall 

 can be cleaned and coloured if necessary, and the tree washed with 



