378 PYRAMIDAL TRAINING OF THE PEAE TEEE. 



be trained on a wire trellis, it is best to place two bent rods 

 in the exact position necessary, and before we require the 

 shoot to be bent. They must be placed at exactly equal 

 distances from the main stem, and be equal in curvature. 

 Then it is an easy matter to gently attach the growing 

 shoot to them ; it will soon harden to the desired bend. 

 Against a wall it will be easy to direct it with shreds and 

 nails; if the wall be wired the bits of bent twig may be 

 applied, as on the trellis, Like care should be bestowed 

 upon the other bends, as they require to be made ; but of 

 course the outer and lower one is of the greatest importance. 

 As this form is not at all presentable if the outer branches 

 be incomplete, grafting by approach is sometimes employed 

 to repair this defect, as shown in Fig. 176. 



The reader will observe that, in the formation of this 

 Palmette Verrier, the custom is not to attempt training the 

 young shoot in the position it is finally destined to occupy; 

 but, on the contrary, to permit it first to grow sometimes in 

 an erect, or at least in an oblique direction, so that the sap 

 may flow upwards without check. Nothing is easier than 

 taking down the shoots from time to time, as they become 

 strong and well developed. Now this is a principle almost 

 unknown, and certainly not practised in this country; being 

 applicable to many forms of training, I can strongly recom- 

 mend it, having frequently witnessed the good effects pro- 

 duced by carefully carrying it out. 



Pyramidal Training of the Pear Tree. — This culture 

 is, considered from the stand-point of beauty alone, as desir- 

 able as any with which amateurs interest themselves. I 

 have seen in the gardens of even very humble French ama- 

 teurs pyramidal pear trees, which, if they never afforded 

 a fruit, would be beautiful objects ; and I have met with 

 few avenues that afforded me more pleasure than a short one 

 of pyramidal pear trees leading up through a little town 

 garden within the walls of Paris. We will begin, then, 

 with the fully formed pyramid, and in addition to its 

 symmetry will be observed the straight clean growth 

 of each branch, springing at regular intervals from the 

 main stem, which is so erect and well furnished. From 



