96 



CASBELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



fixing bases, and at intervals of two feet inter- 

 mediate standards with, pronged or anchor feet are 

 placed to keep the wires in shape, and keep the 

 whole steady. Occasionally much stronger strain- 

 ing posts are needed, and also an angle or round bar 

 at top or bottom to give additional strength. Strong 

 Bessemer steel wire of No. 7, or even thicker gauge, 

 is also often used. But really when well erected, 

 and the wire strained tightlj', it is astonishing how 

 strong and immovable these wire espaliers are. 

 A caution should, however, be given against the in- 

 discriminate use of galvanised wire or iron. It 

 seems almost certain that this proves at times in- 

 jurious to the wood, either originating or aggravat- 

 ing canker. Hence the safest material for espalier 

 frames is common iron or wire, carefully coated 

 over with coal-tar pr some other equally good or 

 better varnish. 



Three and four-branched cordons are far more 

 common in France than in this country. Very fine 

 examples of the latter were seen by the writer in the 

 old fruit garden at Versailles. They run, however, 

 very close to horizontal or vertical-trained Pear- 

 trees, and the five-limbed form used to be a favourite 

 one for the training of Gooseberry and Currant 

 bushes on walls many years ago. All the forms are 

 equally useful for the furnishing of walls or espaliers. 

 And the treatment of Pear cordons does not differ 

 much from that of Apples, already described. The 

 limited area of these smaU trees, and close proximity 

 of their tops to their roots, places them more com- 

 pletely under the control of the cultivator, and hence 

 their whole surface should be one cord or rope of 

 fruit from base to summit. One branch out of 

 many on horizontal or fan-shaped trees more or less 

 scarce of fruit may be tolerated, but to concentrate 

 a tree into one, two, or at most a very few stems, 

 and leave a part of one or more of these bare of fruit, 

 is not to be endured. 



For the pruning and training of standard and 

 bush Pear-trees, see Apples, Vol. III., p. 21. 

 Pears, however, require rather more attention, 

 and many of the varieties require rather different 

 treatment to Apples. The tendency to run into 

 pyramidal forms has several times been referred to, 

 and this tendencj' should have full freedom in the 

 growth of Pears. Very few varieties, without an im- 

 moderate amount of training, could be forced into 

 round-headed trees. And there' is no benefit, but the 

 reverse, in attempting to force Pears into such shapes. 

 For standard and dwarf Pears it is better to let the 

 centre have and keep a head, so far as to make the 

 whole of the side shoots diverge from it in graduated 

 heights, somewhat in the way, though with less 

 formality than already described for the formation of 

 pyramids. 



General Culture of the Pear. — This does 

 not greatly differ from that of the Apple, already 

 so fully described. But being rather earlier and 

 more tender, the Pear needs more protection against 

 spring frosts. On walls and espaliers this is easily 

 given, by nets, canvas, mats, boughs, paper, &o., oiled 

 or otherwise. On the whole, nothing is so efficient 

 as a few Spruce, Fir, or other boughs or branchesr 

 A few of these placed over the trees thinly as they are 

 coming into blossom wiU mostly suffice to carry them 

 safely through the frosts of spring. Pyramidal and 

 cordon trees are often protected "by means of im- 

 promptu umbrellas, made of bunting or old news- 

 papers, or common brown paper. It is astonishing 

 how efficient _suoh ilimsy protections are, especially 

 in dry stUl weather. And it is during such weather 

 that the cold proves most destructive. 



Pear cordons, run along near the ground, may be 

 very safely carried through spring frosts by placing 

 a foot deal or plank, or a few dry bricks, on either side 

 of them, and covering the distance with squares of 

 glass. But these are mere suggestions of the many 

 methods by which enthusiasts in Pear-culture carry 

 their trees safely through our trying springs, and 

 obtain a good crop, while others faU. Coping 

 projections over the walls, from four inches to 

 eighteen wide, composed of glass, reeds, boards, 

 boughs, slate, stone, &c. &c., are some of the more 

 ponderous and permanent methods of protecting 

 Pear-blossoms on walls, and, by skilful arrangement, 

 espaliers likewise. 



Soon after the setting should come the thinning of 

 the fruit. It is a mistake to wait to see what nature 

 will do first. Nature, by grasping at all, not unfre- 

 quently loses all. Hence the cultivator should assist 

 nature early to retain the finest-formed, best-posted 

 Pears for final selection. On fertile trees, and in 

 good seasons, nature will probably elect at least ten 

 times more fruit than the tree should be allowed to 

 carry. Hence the importance of following swiftly 

 with thinning on the heels of setting. All the 

 worst and the smallest should be removed, and then 

 thin the good fruit to a moderate crop, allowing as 

 many again, or three to one, small Pears, such as 

 "Winter Nelis, as against Marie Louise or Williams' 

 Bonchretien. 



When thinning the fruit it is good practice also 

 to thin out or disbud all small useless branchlets, 

 and any small leaves where they crowd up and 

 smother finer or better ones. In parts of the tree 

 in which fruit-buds or spurs may be scarce, these 

 may be produced to a great extent to order by 

 stopping back the shoots to a single eye at their 

 base. But the great object in the removal of super- 

 fiuous shoots and leaves is to more fully expose to 

 light and air the fruit, spurs, and foliage left. 



