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MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tively, the whole resembling a thick cord of leaves, shoots and fruit, whence 

 the name cordon." This mode is reported to be so successful, that, with Mr. 

 Brehaut on the trees on the back wall, the peaches average three to each 

 square foot. As Capt. Austin adopted his method of training his pear trees 

 without any knowledge of that of Mr. Brehaut, indeed, as is presumed, long 

 prior thereto, he is as justly as any one entitled to the credit of the discov- 

 ery, and it would be but paying a graceful tribute to his skill to identify him 

 therewith, and thereby perpetuate a remembrance of the fact, by naming it 

 the Austin Method. When Captain Austin first announced his method, and 

 exhibited the trees that had been subjected to the treatment, doubts were ex- 

 pressed as to its value, and misgivings were indulged as to its permanent 

 results ; it has now however stood the test of more than fifteen years' expe- 

 rience, and whatever doubts may have once existed must have long since 

 vanished in the presence of so brilliant success as has constantly attended its 

 practice. 



The pruning and forming of standard trees on their own roots, does not 

 always receive the attention that the importance of it demands. Such trees 

 are often neglected, until attention to them becomes absolutely necessary, and 

 then the operations required are frequently conducted without any regard to 

 established principles, or ultimate results, the consequence being ill-formed 

 and unsightly trees. There are some pear trees that of themselves naturally 

 take a regular symmetrical form, as the Urbaniste and Seckel ; but there are 

 others so straggling and diflTuse in their growth, like the Rostiezer and Winter 

 Nelis, that they can only be made to take a tolerable shape, by a free 

 use of the knife, and close cutting back or shortening of the limbs. With 

 standards, as with dwarfs, the pruning and shaping should commence with the 

 young plant and receive regular and continued attention ; in this way the 

 removal of large limbs never becomes necessary, an operation that rarely 

 can be performed on a pear tree without serious, if not permanent injury. 

 The pear tree is, it may be said, impatient of the knife, and it may be laid 

 down as a rule that in pruning it no instrument should be used larger or 

 more powerful than a pruning knife ; a rule easily to be obeyed provided the 

 operation begins with the early years of the young plant, but when the young 

 tree has been neglected until it has acquired a thick head, body not properly 

 balanced, with limbs crossing each other in all directions, the use of the saw 

 has to be called into free requisition in the attempt to remedy the consequences 

 of early neglect. 



Grafting of pear trees is a process of easy performance and safe applica- 

 tion, from which the tree soon recovers when it has been skilfully performed ; 

 it is one to which all must be subjected, except in some rare instances where the 

 seedling plant is found to produce valuable fruits. It had better be performed 

 on the young tree, when the stock is not more than an inch or two in diameter, 

 but can be delayed until the limbs of the tree become sufficiently large, 

 though to do so is generally to the injury of its symmetry. Sometimes the 



