THE MANSE GARDEN. 65 



the alternate branches have been amputated. Of 

 thesef let one be laid to the wall, to run along the 

 site of the former branch; and let another be trained 

 along the front of the remaining branch, not scrup- 

 ling to nail it to the wood, smoothed of its spurs, in 

 the same manner as the other is nailed to the wall. 

 In this way proceed to fill all the vacant spaces, and 

 to furnish the naked front of every old limb of the 

 tree. In the first year, supposing your wall to be 

 three yards in height, you will have, perhaps, six 

 square yards covered with young wood, and ready for 

 full bearing in the second year; and that, too, in a 

 quarter where no fruit had appeared for a long period 

 before. But this is not the only region where you 

 may have the benefit of young wood, and consequently 

 of juicy well grown pears. For, on the first year's 

 growth after the operation, if, instead of clearing away 

 all the breastwood from the whole length of the old 

 remaining branches, you select and lay to the wall as 

 many scions as are needful for an interim supply 

 say one to every foot, and placed as in fan-training 

 they also will commence bearing, and serve for a 

 time, whilst the shoots first mentioned, and which 

 are designed to be permanent, are proceeding to fulfill 

 their destination ; and whilst they so proceed, those 

 adopted for an interim supply are gradually to give 

 way. In like manner, those running along the front 

 of the old branches must have a path cleared for them 

 by knocking off more of the knotty spurs as the 

 young wood advances; and in this way you lose no 

 chance of fruit on the old wood, except where you 

 have gained a far better by substituting the new. 

 Thus, whilst the fruit-bearing is maintained at the 



