254 ON TRAINING ANl) 



been affected by the weather, can be removed to the extent 

 to which the damage has been sustained. As the pruning 

 of such unripe wood in the Autumn would be injurious, so 

 it frequently is when it is done during Winter, and the more 

 so, according to the severity of it ; because, whenever a cut 

 is made on such green-wood, the frost generally affects it, 

 as the sap is not dense nor the wood so firm, as to be able to 

 resist its intenseness. 



Whatever method is adopted in training trees, care should 

 be taken to keep the two sides as nearly equal as possible ; 

 this may easily be done, whether they are trained in the 

 fan or horizontal method. For espalier trees the horizontal 

 method has many advantages over any other ; the small 

 compass in which the trees are obliged to be kept, requires 

 such a direction for the branches, in order to make them 

 fruitful. And were very high trellises formed, so as to ad- 

 mit of the trees being trained in the fan method, such would 

 be very objectionable, by reason of the shade- they would 

 _ cause, and the trees would also be deprived of the benefit of 

 a warmer temperature, which those less elevated receive. 



As some young gardeners may not know what is meant 

 by espaliers, it may be necessary to explain, that espaliers 

 are hedges of fruit trees, which are trained up regularly to a 

 frame or trellis of wood work ; they produce large fruit 

 plentifully, without taking up much room,and may be planted 

 in the Kitchen Garden without much inconvenience to its 

 other products. For espalier fruit trees in the open ground, 

 a trellis is absolutely necessary, and may either be formed 

 of common stakes or poles, or of regular joinery work, 

 according to taste or fancy. 



The implements employed in pruning, and the manner of 

 using them, are matters of moment. If the operation is 

 commenced when the tree is young, and judiciously followed 

 up, a good knife, a small saw, a mallet, and a chisel fixed 

 on a six-foot handle, to trim the tops and extremities of the 

 branches, are all the tools that are required. A large saw 

 will be occasionally wanted ; but an axe or hatchet should 

 never be employed, as they fracture the wood, bruise and 

 tear the bark, and disfigure the tree. 



