480 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



2510. Espaliers, Abercrombie states, " may be inserted three feet from the edge of the 

 border ; but if the ground under the walks has not been prepared, five feet will be 

 better. The stem or head of a wall-tree or espalier must be planted with a little in- 

 clination to the fence or trellis ; and nailed or tied to prevent the wind from shaking it. 

 Espaliers have the branches trained to an upright superficial trellis, standing detached, 

 and thus bear on both sides. Occupying little room, they drip and shade less than 

 standards, but are more troublesome to manage. While young, they may be rendered 

 in some degree ornamental ; but as the plants get old, the most skilful pruning can 

 hardly keep the espaliers fruitful, or prevent them from looking formal, unless the order 

 of bearing will allow the old wood to be freely cut out. Not having the benefit of re- 

 flected heat from a wall, there is a distinct motive for training them with a short stem, 

 and with the branches laid horizontally, rather than in a fan-like expansion, and with the 

 highest branches at four feet, or not exceeding six from the ground ; for thus they receive 

 a stronger reflection of sun from the earth. At planting, it is easy to set them to the 

 best aspect." 



2511. The proper kinds of fruit Jot espaliers and dwarf-standards, according to Nicol, 

 are included in the following list, in which those marked with an asterisk (*) are deemed 

 the most valuable. For small gardens the apples ought to be grafted on paradise, and 

 the pears on quince stocks. 



Apples. 



* Royal codling, kentish ditto, *carlisle 

 ditto, *grey leadington, royal pearmain, 

 *ribston pippin, gogar pippin, *oslin 

 pippin, golden rennet, *royal russet. 



Pears. 



* Jargonelle, *summer bergamot, *grey 

 chan, *swan egg, *moorfowl egg, yair, 



*carnock,*warden, scots bergamot, lon- 

 gueville. 



*May-duke, holman's duke. *black 

 heart, white heart, *morello, *kentish. 



Plums. 

 *Green gage, Orleans, *fotheringham, 



Other Sorts. 

 The mulberry, quince, medlar, and ser- 

 vice are sometimes introduced as espalier, 

 trees, or dwarf-standards, especially where 

 there is no orchard. 



2512. Dwarf-standards are by some preferred to espalier-trees. Hitt and Switzer approve 

 of them, and Forsyth and Marshall prefer them. Abercrombie approves of dwarfs in 

 common with espaliers, but seems, with M'Phail, to prefer them planted by themselves 

 in the compartments. This we conceive to arise from the peculiar notions that many gar- 

 deners have, that the kitchen-garden ought to be a mere place of culture, without any 

 of that neatness, or of those beauties which would render it a scene fit to be included in 

 the course of walks for recreation. Where different ideas are entertained, and that order, 

 regularity, and neatness are attempted, which is to be found in an eminent degree in 

 the kitchen-gardens of Scotland, espaliers and dwarfs will be valued as forming the 

 chief furniture of the borders. Abercrombie observes, " Dwarf-standards are raised 

 with low stems, of one, two, or three feet in height, and with round heads propor- 

 tionately diminished. These are the earliest bearers compared with other standards, and 

 produce large fruit in great abundance for the size of the tree. In small gardens 

 the same benefits and conveniences which recommend the half-standards are attached 

 to these in a superior degree." Marshall observes, that " dwarf-standards occasion 

 less trouble to keep them in order than espaliers, and are generally more productive ; 

 planted at eight or nine feet distance, pruned and kept in an easy manner, they make 

 a fine appearance, and produce better fruit and in greater quantities, than when they 

 are in espaliers." {Introd. to Gard. p. 37.) 



2513. The sort of plants, as far as respects age, are chosen on the same principle as in 

 choosing wall-trees ; but such as are grafted on dwarfing stocks are generally preferred : 

 apples on paradise, creeping apple, or doucin stocks ; pears on quince-stocks ; and 

 cherries on the perfumed cherry or small wild cherry stocks. 



2514. The distances at which to plant espalier-trees, according to Nicol, are, "for apples, 

 on crab-stocks, thirty ; cherries, twenty ; pears, on free stocks, thirty to thirty-five ; and 

 plums, twenty to twenty-four feet. Pears on quince-stocks are planted from twenty 

 to twenty-five feet asunder. Dwarf standard apple-trees, on paradise-stocks, may be 

 planted very closely, as they occupy but little room ; they do not require more than ten 

 or fifteen feet." 



Sect. III. Of tall Standard Fruit-trees in a Kitchen-garden. 



2515. Though tall standard fruit-trees are more generally confined to orchards, yet 

 (hey were formerly common in the kitchen-garden, and are still occasionally introduced 

 in the circumferential portion, called the outer border of the slip. They cannot, how- 

 ever, be recommended, on account of the extent of their drip and shade, which renders 

 it impossible to grow culinary vegetables to any degree of perfection, either in size or 

 flavor ; and also to the too orchard-like character which they in time give the garden. 



2516. According to Marshall, " The fewer standard-trees in a garden the better, as they 

 take up much room, and by their shade prevent the proper growth of vegetables that are 

 any thing near them." 



2517. M'Phail considers them as hurtful to crops of vegetables. 



