78 DWARF FRUIT TREES 



the best varieties of pears will not succeed at all 

 unless given this advantage. A west wall is recom- 

 mended as giving the very finest results. It should 

 be noted, however, that some varieties do better on 

 walls than others. Those which grow vigorously in 

 bush, pyramid, or standard forms receive compara- 

 tively less benefit from wall training. 



The pear is the best of all trees for training in 

 pyramid form. Sometimes very tall slim pyramids 

 are made, becoming almost pillars of foliage and fruit 

 in their old age. These may be in fact upright cor- 

 dons which are trained with strong stems and allowed 

 to support themselves without a trellis. Some of the 

 less upright growing varieties are difficult to form 

 into pyramids, and such may be pruned in the ordi- 

 nary bush or vase form. In growing dwarf pears 

 commercially, as is sometimes done, it is probably 

 best to give most varieties the bush form. The pyra- 

 mid is rather harder to maintain. 



The pear succeeds well as a cordon tree. Perhaps 

 the best form is the oblique cordon, one placed at 

 an angle of about forty-five degrees with the horizon. 

 The upright and horizontal cordons may also be used, 

 though neither of these forms is specially well adapted 

 to pears. 



All of the better types of espaliers are suited to 

 pear trees. Probably the Palmette-Verrier is the 

 best, although the old fashioned espaliers are often 

 used. The U-form and the double U-form also suc- 

 ceed if well built. 



The pruning of the pear tree is substantially the 

 same as that of the apple. Where pear blight is a 



