372 



TRAINING. 



v. 



becoming naked of bearing wood, because the sap cannot pass through a 

 sufficient space of bark to prepare it for fructification, until it is a great 



distance from the trunk. 

 But this defect may in a great 

 measure be remedied, if, 

 instead of being cut back to 

 make it throw out branches 

 to form the tree from a short 

 stem, a stem of four or five 

 feet be bent down as in fig. 

 306 ; and if all the buds, as 

 they push out, be rubbed off, 

 except the three at the end, 

 those may be trained up in 

 the same manner as if the 

 stem had been cut back or 

 shortened, and afterwards the 

 Fig. 305. A half rider trained in the wavy manner. 8 t em or centre may be treated 



in the same manner as the one that is cut back ; the difference will then be, 

 that the centre of the tree will be formed four feet on one side of the root, 

 instead of being immediately over it ; but as the sap will thus have a space 

 of four feet of bark to pass, the tree will produce its bearing wood in greater 

 abundance near the stem, and fill the wall more equally with fruit." 

 (Inquiry, S$c. p. 228.) 



806. Horizontal training is in a great measure confined to Britain, for it is 

 not generally approved of on the Continent, more especially in France. It was 

 first systematically described by Hitt, and is practised either with one or two 

 stems, and either with the upright stem straight, or in a zigzag direction to 

 stimulate the lateral buds to develop themselves. From this upright stem 

 the branches proceed at right 

 angles, generally at nine inches 

 apart for apples, cherries, and __ ^ 

 plums, and from ten inches to a 

 foot, or eighteen inches for pears. ~ 

 A maiden plant with three -.. 



, Fig.307- Horizontal train- 

 shoots having been procured, the ing, first stage. 



two side ones are laid in horizon- 

 tally, and the centre one upright, as in fig. 307 ; all the buds being rubbed off 

 the latter but three, viz., one next the top for a vertical leader, and one on each 

 side as near the top as possible, for horizontal branches. In the course of the 

 first summer after planting, the shoots may be allowed to grow without being 

 stopped. In the autumn of the first year the two laterals produced are 

 nailed in, and also the shoots produced from 

 the extremities of the lower laterals ; the centre 

 shoot being headed down as before, as shown in 

 fig. 308. But in the second summer, when the 

 main shoot has attained the length of ten inches, 

 or twelve inches, it may be stopped ; which if the 

 plant is in proper vigour will cause it to throw 

 out two horizontal branches, in addition to those 

 which were thrown out from the wood of the preceding year. The tree will 



&> 



Hsr*'*"^- 

 iw___ 



Fig. 308. Horizontal training, 

 second stage. 



