THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN". 



19 



lation in regard to grafting and training, a single disti-ibuiors in the centre of fountains, that return 

 tree, where space is Umited, may he made thus to the waters in semi-spherical lines or unbroken 

 produce almost any num- 

 ber of sorts, and Apples 

 enjoyed all the year round 

 from a single root-stock. 



The Vase Pyramid 



is another ornamental and 

 useful form of Apple or 

 other fruit-tree seldom seen 

 in this country. It is, how- 

 ever, well adapted for ama- 

 teurs who have time foi 

 tasteful training. The base 

 of the tree is moulded into 

 the form of a vase by set- 

 ting out the base branches, 

 as in Fig. 27, only the 

 boughs maybe more curved 

 at the bottom, and brought 

 up at regular distances to 

 form the sides of a vase, say 

 a yard or four feet in depth. 

 In the centre of the vase, 

 however, a branch is 

 brought up like the centre 

 stem or jet of a fountain, 

 and this, so soon as it gets 

 a foot or two above the line 

 of the outer framework 

 of the vase, is forced to 

 break into the production 

 of side shoots, and then is 

 moulded into a pjTamid. 

 A yet better and more 

 ofEective style of 

 combining two 

 forms of train- 

 ing into one, is 

 to start with the 

 vase shape for a 

 base as in the 

 foregoing, and 

 run up the 

 centre stem to a 

 height of a yard 

 or a yard and a 

 half, and then 

 prune and train 

 the top at that 

 lofty elevation 

 into a weeping 



standard. By keeping the circumference of the top 

 well within the diameter of the base, the effect, when 

 fully formed, is something analogous to the circular 



Pig. 26. — Pyramidal Tree in a finished state. 



Fig. 27.— Vase-shaped Tree, 



sheets into the central basin. 

 The effect of the weeping 

 centre may be enhanced, 

 and the analogy to the vase 

 or fountain be made more 

 exact, if the base branches 

 are wound round the top of 

 the base so soon as sufficient 

 height has been reached, 

 thus forming a fruitful rim 

 of beauty to the vase, as in 

 the spiral cordon. Fig. 22. 

 Those who wish to imitate 

 the vase more closely at the 

 base may raise it on a stem 

 or pedestal of any height, 

 then form the vase pm-e 

 and simple, or add any 

 other combination to it that 

 they may think desirable. 

 The vase pure and simple 

 is however, as a rule, a 

 dwarf tree with an open 

 centre, as shown in the 

 making, not the finished 

 state, in Fig. 27. 



The open centre has con- 

 siderable cultural advan- 

 tages as well as artistic 

 merits. It may also be 

 formed in various ways — 

 as, for example, by upright 

 branches at equal distances, 

 for laying the basis of 

 which see Fig. 

 27, or by wind- 

 ing cordons 

 round and round 

 lines of stakes, 

 and so forming 

 a vase with cir- 

 cular branches 

 as in the spiral 

 cordon. Fig. 22. 

 Even this mode 

 of forming an 

 Apple-tree into 

 a vase may be 

 improved upon 

 by planting two 

 cordons, or 

 training a dual cordon, and starting the two leaders 

 in opposite directions, this resulting in a vase with 

 diamonds at sides as in the diamond cordon, Fig. 23. 



