THE PEAR 



123 



Horizontal Branch 



Whose extension growth has not been pruned in summer, 

 but the side shoots have ; {i) continuation of branch not 

 shortened; (/^ side shoots that have been stopped in 

 the summer shortened to two basal buds ; (i) spurs 

 with blossom buds. Numbers give age of wood. 



extensively used for training the pear, said to be much in favour with H.R.H. 

 the late Prince Consort. It was in the form of a low wire arch. I have not the 

 actual measurements, but the arches were about 7 feet wide at the base, and 

 5 feet high in the centre ; they should be placed with their ends north and 

 south. A large surface is thus exposed to the sun, resulting in the perfect 

 maturation of the wood, and 

 heavy well- ripened crops of 

 fruit. It has been said against 

 this form of trellis that it equally 

 exposes a large surface to the 

 baneful effect of frost while the 

 trees are in flower in spring. 

 This is no doubt true, but speak- 

 ing from a ten years' experience 

 of trees grown in this way, I 

 can only say that heavier crops 

 were not had from trees trained 

 in any other form. The trees 

 may be planted in the middle of the trellis (inside) and trained down both ways, 

 or may be planted on either side (outside). Fan-trained trees are the most 

 suitable, and I prefer planting on each side rather than in the centre. The pear 

 also succeeds when trained on tall arches over garden walks, and then makes a 

 very handsome, ornamental, and useful feature in the garden ; so it does when 

 trained over house porticos, &c. 



Thinning the Fruit. — In the past this has unquestionably been much 

 neglected in gardens. It is hopeless to expect pears of the best size and quality 

 without proper thinning. It is difficult to lay down a hard and fast rule as to 

 how many fruits to a square foot of surface a pear tree should carry. In the 

 case of the larger varieties such as Beurre Diel, Beurr^ Bosc, Pitmaston 



Duchess, Easter Beurre, and 

 { others, one fruit to each square 



foot would be quite enough to 

 leave after the final thinning ; 

 with the medium-sized varie- 

 ties two to the square foot 

 would not be too many, and 

 in the case of the smaller 

 varieties three. This is giving 



Horizontal Branch 



{/) Extension branch very feeble ; {m) spurs formed throughout 

 length of previous year's wood ; (w) spurs that have borne 

 fruit, thus accounting for feeble terminal grovrth. The 

 numerals refer to year's age of wood. 



a much larger percentage than recommended for the peach, bearing in mind 

 that the pear tree is far stronger and more vigorous than the latter. The 

 grower must be guided by the strength and health of the tree, and whether the 

 fruit is evenly distributed or not. Some parts of the tree will probably be barren, 

 and others bearing heavily ; in this case it will not do to leave a large propor- 

 tion of fruit on some branches with the object of bringing up the average to 

 the number stated. Rather let the cultivator be satisfied with less ; too many 

 on any single branch will frustrate the object in view. 



