PRUNING AND GENERAL CULTIVATION. 133 



adopted for wall pears. Trees procured from the nursery 

 should have from two to four tiers of branches already 

 trained, as per Fig. 33. The pruning required will be 

 as follows. Select on the leading or upright shoot two 

 buds as nearly opposite each other as possible, at a dis- 

 tance of ten to twelve inches above the upper tier, and to 

 cut the shoot off at one bud above these. The two side 

 buds will then form branches, which may be trained hori- 

 zontally, and the upper bud will form the leader, which 

 may be trained upright. The same process may be re- 

 peated until the top of the wall is reached. The pruning 

 of the body of the tree will 

 be precisely the same as in 

 fan-trained trees, only that 

 the leading shoots at the 

 ends of the branches must 

 be tied in full length, instead 

 of being pruned to double 

 them as in the case of fan 

 trees. 



Watering, etc. This may 



FIG. 33. 

 HORIZONTAL TRAINED PEAR. 



be done in the same way as 



directed for peaches, only more sparingly, especially 



if the soil be cold and retentive. Liquid manure may 



be given about once a week, when the fruit is swelling 



rapidly. 



Protecting the blossoms with net or canvas may also be 

 done in the same way as for peaches, etc. 



Thinning the Fruit. Pears frequently require a good 

 deal of thinning, especially in the case of the large 

 varieties. A few, such as Pitmaston Duchess, etc., should 

 be thinned to a distance of twelve to fifteen inches apart, 

 to produce fine fruit. The medium and smaller varieties, 



