PRUNING. 251 



assistance of the sun's heat and full air for the roots ; 

 and with the greatest success. This is done hy lay- 

 ing a bed of gravel, if no such thing exist naturally, 

 twenty inches from the surface, on which a vine com- 

 post is laid about fourteen inches thick, and over 

 this the gravel, to form a walk of good width in front 

 of the vinery. 



Fruit trees which bear their fruit chiefly on the 

 shoots of last year's production, are pruned so as to 

 allow of being trained in the fan manner ; and though 

 the spur-bearing trees may and are also trained in the 

 same Way, yet as low espaliers, or on low walls, they 

 are most commonly trained horizontally, i. e. with 

 the stem erect, whence lateral branches are led in 

 opposite pairs. Trees so trained have a neat sym- 

 metrical appearance, and may be continued to a great 

 distance on each side. The only drawback on this 

 style is, that the greater part of the tree on each side 

 of the stem is generally barren. This is caused by 

 the trainer's dislike to long irregular spurs projecting 

 from the horizontals, which destroy the snug regu- 

 larity of the tree, to maintain which the knife is used 

 at least twice in the year. Thus the strength of the 

 tree is chiefly wasted in the production of numerous 

 shoots, destined by this style of pruning and training 

 to be cut away. 



That this fashion of sacrificing the use of the tree 

 to its artificial beauty is a very prevalent horticul- 

 tural error, must be granted ; but that both objects 

 may be gained is not an impossible case ; for it has 



