PEAR TREES FOR WALLS. 27 



have five young leading shoots. As soon in June as 

 they have attained to eight inches in length, pinch off 

 the end of each ; and when they break into two or 

 three shoots as before, pinch so as to leave the spurs 

 with three leaves, and the leading shoot unpinched to 

 each branch. This may be repeated, if the soil be rich, 

 two, three, or four times in the summer. Your tree 

 will soon reach the top of the wall, and every bud in 

 the five branches will be perfect either a blossom- 

 bud, or one in embryo. When every branch has 

 reached the top of the wall, commence root-pruning 

 (or biennially lifting them) in autumn, the directions 

 for which are * given in treating of pyramidal trees. 

 These may be followed exactly ; and if so, the trees 

 will be kept in a stationary bearing state. It must be 

 recollected that the spurs on the branches will often 

 put forth shoots even while bearing fruit ; these must 

 be pinched in to three leaves. 



I may as well hint to the reader that, if larger trees 

 are wished for, so as to give more fruit of each sort, 

 trees with nine upright branches may be planted seven 

 feet apart, or trees with eleven upright branches, nine 

 feet apart. Trees, however, can seldom be purchased 

 with shoots so numerous ; young trees must, therefore 

 be planted, and cut back annually for two or three 

 years, till the proper number of perpendicular shoots 

 are supplied. It may happen that trained trees with 

 five or seven branches can not be procured, perhaps 

 trees with only three shoots, two horizontal and one 

 leading shoot ; in such cases they must be cut back, 

 leaving five buds to each shoot, and the young shoots 

 in June trained as required. 



