FRUIT TREES. Chap. III. 63 



the trellis sections are mounted should be positioned at the same distances & in the same 

 arrangement as those on an espalier wall. The iron wire bindings should cross, some from 

 right to left, the others from left to right, so that during transport the lattice squares won't 

 slip into diamond shapes. Finally, care must be taken during assembly of the trellis panels 

 on location that the lattice spaces at the connections are kept the same size as the others. 



Holding annealed iron wire in the left hand, the laths are grasped and tied 

 diagonally at their intersections in order to bind the lattice squares & hold them fast. The 

 wire is crossed over, or a half turn is made. Then, gripping it with a pair of non-cutting 

 pliers held in the right hand, it's pulled toward oneself so that the laths are tightened 

 properly and the two ends of the wire are twisted around each other two or three times. 

 Finally, still gripping it tightly, after four or five swift & vigorous quarter-turns back & 

 forth, or circular movements to the right and left, the iron wire will break off in the pliers. 

 With a few hours practice, a trellis-maker can become adept at this little maneuver. A 

 cutting pliers can be substituted if this skill is lacking. 



To anneal iron wire, it's rubbed with tallow & buried in live coals from a furnace. 

 Or, without tallow rubbed on it, it's tossed into the fire & left there an amount of time 

 depending on its size. An iron wire half a ligne [see translator's note, p. 0053] in diameter 

 should remain there eighteen minutes. Usually this thickness of iron wire or slightly less 

 is used for this purpose. 



Once the trellis is finished, it's painted with two or three coats of paint well 

 ground up in second press walnut oil, or better yet in linseed oil which has more 

 substance. For the first coat, litharge or oil of lavender is mixed in to hasten drying. 



