PYllUS. 



bud, when a year old, headed down in March to five or fix 

 eyes, to force out a proper fupply of four, fix, or more 

 lateral branches near the ground, to furnifh the wall or 

 efpalier with bearers quite from the bottom, thefe readily 

 producing others to cover the upper part. 



Standards, fuppofing them to be grafted on high ftocks, 

 may either be headed near the top of the ftock, or permitted 

 to run up, as the cafe may require, fo that it fhortened it 

 will force out laterals near the head of the ftem, and form a 

 more fpreading full head ; and if fuff'ered to run up with the 

 firll (hoots entire, they form higher and generally more up- 

 right heads in tiie end. Such ftandards, however, as are 

 grafted or budded as low in tlie Itock as for dwarfs, mull 

 have tlif firft ftoot trained upright at full length, fix or feven 

 feet high for a ftem : if for full ftandards, they may either 

 be topped at fix feet height, to force out laterals near that 

 part to form a fpreading head, or fuff'ered to run and branch 

 in Its own way to form a more ereft and higher head. 



The headed trees, both dwarfs and ftandards, on being 

 cut down in the fpring, foon branch out from all the eyes 

 immediately below ; when care fliould be taken during the 

 fummer to trim off' all ffioots from the ftem, fuffering all 

 the top ftioots to remain entire ; when they will form hand- 

 fonie beginning young heads by the end of fummer, and in 

 autumn, winter, or fpring following, may be finally planted 

 out into the garden, &c. 



Wiien from neceffity they are retained longer in the nur- 

 fery, the whole ffiould have proper pruning to reform irre- 

 gular growths, and the diiferent trees be trained accordingly, 

 fuff'ering the whole to branch away at full length, not 

 fliortening any after the above general heading down, when 

 a year old, except it fhould feem occafionally necefi'ary, 

 either to reduce any cafual irregularity, or to procure a 

 more full fupply of lower branches ; after which no further 

 general {hortening ffiould be praftifed to thefe fort of trees ; 

 for, after having obtained a proper fet of regular branches 

 near the head of the ftem, they readily furniffi more in their 

 turn to increafe the head on the upper part. 



In regard to planting out the trees, they are moftly of 

 proper growth for this purpofe when from one or two to four 

 or five years old, from the graft or bud ; but if larger trees 

 are required, thofe of fix or eight years old may be fafely 

 tranfplantedi younger trees, liowever, always fucceed well, 

 even when only two or three years old. 



In felefting pear-trees for planting, Mr. Forfyth advifes 

 the choofing of the oldeft trees that can be found inftead of 

 the young oges, and fuch as have ftrong ftems ; to have 

 them carefully taken up, with as much of the roots as 

 poflible, and carefully planted, after cutting in the roots a 

 little, fpreading them as horizontally as can be done. Then 

 to fill up all round the roots with light dry mould ; forcing 

 it in, about thofe which lie hollow, with a ffiarp-pointed 

 ftick ; fining the whole up to the top without treading the 

 mould, till the hole be firft filled with as much water as it 

 will contain, leaving it a day or two until the ground has 

 abforbed the water ; then to throw on fome frefti dry mould 

 and tread it as hard as poflible, filling the hole up again 

 with mould to within an inch of the top, and giving it a 

 fecond watering, leaving the mould about three inches 

 higher than the border, to fettle of itfelf, and to receive 

 the rain that falls, for at leaft a month. When the mould 

 has become quite dry, it may be trodden a fecond time ; 

 then make a large baibn all round the tree, and giving it 

 another watering, mulching the top over with fome rotten 

 leaves or dung, continuing to water the trees once a week 

 in dry weather, and fprinkhng the tops frequently with a 

 pot, or hand engine, to keep the wood from ffirivelling till 



they have taken frefti root ; and where the trees are planted 

 againft a wall, the ftems Ihould ftand Hoping towards it ; the 

 lower parts of them being fix inches from liie bottom of the 

 wall, to give them room to grow, as when planted clofe to 

 the wall at bottom, the ftems, in growing, will be confined 

 on the back, grow flat, and be very unfightly. If any 

 roots are in the way, to hinder it from being planted near 

 enough to the wall, they mull be cut off ; at the fame time 

 taking care that the tree does not lean to either fide, but 

 that, when viewed in front, it appear perfectly upright. 

 Sometimes ftandards and half-ftandards are feen planted a 

 foot or two from the wall, which gives them a very dif- 

 agreeablc appearance ; fix inches is, he thinks, quite fuffi- 

 cient. Much care fiiould be taken not to wound the ftem 

 or root of the tree in planting. 



When young trees have two ftems, he advifes always to 

 cut off one of them., leaving the ftouteft and ftraightelt, 

 planting that fide outwards which has moft buds on it. 



It is added, that when the buds begin to break well, the 

 trees (liould be headed down to three or four eyes, to fill the 

 wall with fine wood, but never afterward, except the lead- 

 ing fiioot to fill the wall, leaving the fore -right ftioots to 

 be pruned, as hereafter diredled. He has had fome trees 

 that had forty pears on them the fecond year ; while fome 

 of the fame kind bore only ele'ven pears the fourteenth year 

 after planting, with the common method of pruning. 

 When fuch old trees as recommended above cannot be pro- 

 cured, the ftouteft and cleaneft of the one-year's old grafting 

 ftiould be provided. Where any of thefe trees become 

 Hunted after a number of years, they (liould be headed down 

 as hereafter directed, which will bring them into fre(h vigour 

 and fruitfulnefs. The proper feafon for planting them out 

 is any time in open weather from the end of October till 

 March, but the autumn or early winter are the moft advan- 

 tageous periods. They fucceed well in any common garden 

 foil, or good fertile orchard-ground, or field, that is not 

 very wet, or of a ftiff^ or ftubborn quality, but moderately 

 light and friable to the depth of one fpade at leaft, and if 

 more the better. The ground (hould be prepared by proper 

 trenching one or two fpades deep, as the depth of good foil 

 will admit, wholly if for a full plantation, or only along 

 the place for each row of trees, in the place for each tree ; 

 or only a hole for each tree at proper diftances. The proper 

 diftance for planting the dwarf forts for walls or on efpaliers, 

 is for thofe on free ftocks at not lefs than twenty feet, but if 

 twenty-five, or more, the better, efpecially ff the walls be 

 rather low, &c. that there may be full fcope to extend 

 their branches confiderably in a horizontal direftion, as they 

 will effeftually fill that fpace, or even much more if it be 

 allowed them ; but they are often planted much nearer to- 

 gether. It is however of importance to give thefe trees 

 fufiicient room, and the higher the walls the better, as is 

 evident by thofe trees growing againft the ends of high 

 buildings, as they extend themfelves very confiderably 

 every way. Some plant cherry-trees or other moderate 

 ftiooting fruit-trees in the intervals for a few years, till the 

 pears advance in growth and approach one another, when 

 they (hould be removed. They are to be planted in the 

 ufual way, with their heads entire. See Planting. 



However, for trees that are dwarfed by grafting or budding 

 upon quince ftocks, from fifteen to eighteen feet may be a 

 proper diftance for planting, either for walls or efpahers. 

 In refpeft to the diftance at vvhich pear-trees fliould be 

 planted againft walls, it is obferved by Mr. Forfyth that 

 when they are grafted on free ftocks, fuch as colmars, pear 

 d'auclie, crafant:s, I'efchafferies, virgouleufes, and winter 

 and fummer bonchretiens, it Ihould at leaft be twelve yards 



diftant 



