PYRUS. 



diftanl from each other, fuppofing the wallu to be from 

 welve to fixteen feet liigh ; but when they are only ten feet, 

 fifteen yards will be little enough for the purpofe. 



And where they are planted on foiith walls, vines, peach.es, 

 nedlarines, or apricots, inay be planted between them, till 

 the trees extend fo far as nearly to meet each otRer ; then 

 they may be removed to any other fituation in the garden 

 where they are wanted. And where the pears are planted 

 oh weft walls, the fame fort of trees may be planted between 

 them as on fouth waUs ; the fruit on a weil afpeft will come 

 into ufe to fucceed that on the fouth. On an call wall dif- 

 ferent forts of plums and cherries may be planted between 

 the pear-trees till they almoft meet, then tranfplanted as 

 llandards or wall trees. 



It is advifed that the borders for pear-trees in a large 

 garden (hould not be lefs than from ten to twenty feet wide, 

 with a foot-path about three feet from the wall, covered 

 over at top with coal-afhes or road-fand, to make a dry 

 walk for getting at the trees to cut and nail them, to gather 

 the fruit, &c. And that the depth of the mould for them 

 fhould never be lefs than three feet, laying the bed mould 

 at top, to encourage the roots to come as near the furface 

 as pofllble. If the bottom be clay, it will be very neceffary, 

 once in every five or fix years, to open the ground round 

 the roots of the trees, and cut off all the large ones that 

 are inclining to run into the clay ; as, by this praftice, the 

 trees will throw out frefli i-oots that will run near the fur- 

 face, provided the mould is good near the top of the borders. 

 And it is fuggefted that a crop of early peas, lettuces, 

 fpinach, or any other fmall crops, may be grown on the 

 borders, during the winter and fpring ; but no late ci'ops by 

 any means. If the ground can be Ipared, he would advife 

 to have no fummer crops, but keep the borders hoed, in 

 particular after rain ; otlierwife the ground, if a ftrong 

 loamy or clayey foil, will be apt to crack in dry weather ; 

 but by frequent ftirring between wet and dry this will in a 

 great meafure be prevented, and the fun's rays admitted 

 into the mould, which will greatly heighten the flavour of 

 the fruit. When you can conveniently fpare the borders in 

 winter, they thould be ridged up to Iweeten the mould, 

 which may be very well done it you fow early peas on the 

 fides of the ridgts ; which is by f.ir the belt way to preferve 

 the peas from the froft, and to prevent them trom rotting, 

 which will fometimes happen, if the land be ftrong, before 

 they begin to vegetate ; or, you may low an early crop of 

 carrots or fpinach on thefe borders. 



With refpeft to the general manageiiirnt in the training 

 and pruning of thefe trees, if the young wall and efpalier 

 trees thus planted are only one year old from the graft or 

 bud, having their firft fhoots of a year old entire, thefe 

 fhould in the fpring be headed down to five or fix inches, to 

 force out lower horizontal branches ; but it i iiey have been 

 previoudy headed, as advifed above, and have thrown out 

 laterals to form a regular fet of horizontal branches, confift- 

 ing of fix or more near the bottom, they fhould not now be 

 fhortened, but trained to the wall or efpalier at full length 

 horizontally, preferving an equal number on each fide five 

 or fix inches afunder ; they will readily emit a further fupply 

 of horizontal fhoot^ to cover the wall, &c. regularly up- 

 ward, and at the fame time not being ihorteiied, they gra- 

 dually form themfelves for bearing, as every fhortening of 

 the branches of thefe trees retards their bearing a year at 

 leall ; if, however^ there is a want of branches, fome of 

 the middlemofl may be pruned fhort, and trained to the w;dl 

 or efpalier. According as the trees fhoot in fummer, a_ 

 further fupply of all the regular Ihoots in every part where 

 they occur, fhould be trained in at full length, unlefs it 



5 



fliall fecm neceffary to prune fome ftrong fhoots to obtain a 

 greater fupply of horizontal branches the fame year, in 

 order to furnifh the head as foon as pofiible ; at this time, 

 however, difplace all the fore-right and other irregular 

 growths of the year, continuing the fupply of regular 

 (hoots clofe to the wall, as they advance in length during their 

 fummer's growth. And in the winter pruning, the fupply 

 of (hoots attained in fummer (hould be well examined, fe- 

 lefting all thofe that are well placed and properly fituated 

 for training in, to increafc the number of horizontal branches 

 on each fide, which (hould be left wholly entire, and at the 

 fame time retrenching any fuperfluities and ill-placed (lioots 

 omitted in fummer ; then the whole fupply of regular hori- 

 zontal branches in every part fhould be trained in flraight 

 and clofe to the wall or efpalier, equally on both fides of the 

 tree, cvei-y branch at the full length, at four, five, or fix 

 inches apart. See Wall, Y.'iPALlEn-Trees, and Pruning. 



But there is another method fometimes pradlifed in training 

 thefe trees for walls and efpaliers, which is, that after their 

 firft heading down, and having thrown out feveral laterals, to 

 feleft three of the ftrongefl and moll regularly placed, one 

 on each fide and one in the middle, nailing the two fide ones 

 horizontally at full length, and the middle one upright ; 

 the tree having produced a further fupply of fhoots in the fol- 

 lowing year, add two or four of them as lide branches, arrang- 

 ing them on each fide of the flem as the two former, train- 

 ing the middle fhoot ftill in an upright diredlion ; obferving 

 that where it does not furnifh horizontals low enough, it may 

 be fhortened fo as to make it throw out fhoots at any requifite 

 height, continuing the middle one always upward for a ftem, 

 and the fide ones for bearers. In either of thefe methods of 

 training the trees, continue yearly increafing the number of 

 horizontal fhoots, till the full fpace of walling or efpalier is 

 regularly covered with bearers at equal diftances, conftantly 

 contiiiuing them all at full length, as far as the fcope of 

 walling, &c. will permit ; as they naturally form fruit-fpurs 

 at every eye, almoli their whole length, and the fame branches 

 continue in a fruitful ftate a great length of time. When 

 the trees have once filled the wall or efpalier with branches, 

 they need but very Httle further fupply for many years, and 

 that only occafionally, according as any worn-out or decayed 

 branch occurs, and wants renewing with young wood. See 

 Pruning. 



And in the after-prunings in the fummer, which (hould 

 be begun in May, or early in June, rub off all the fuper- 

 fluous and unneceflary fhoots of the year, and all fore -right 

 and other ill-placed fhoots, retrenching them quite clofe, 

 being careful to leave the terminating flioot of every hori- 

 zontal or bearer entire ; and referving here and there a well- 

 placed fhoot, towards the lower parts in particular, and 

 where there are any apparent vacancies, to train up between 

 the mother branches, till winter pruning, when, if not wanted, 

 they muft be retrenched. 



But in the winter pruning, which may be performed any 

 time from the fall of the leaf until Maixh, the branches 

 fhould be generally examined, to fee if they are any where 

 too much crowded, or trained irregularly ; and where any 

 fuch occur, they fhould be regulated as they may require ; 

 and where there are any vacancies, fome contiguous fhoots, 

 referved in the fummer drefliug, fhould be laid in, and all the 

 other fiioots not wanted mull be cut clean out clofe to the 

 branches, being careful ftill to preferve the terminating ftioot 

 of every branch entire, in all parts, as far as the allotted 

 fpace admits, likewife all the fruit-fpurs in every part, faften- 

 ing in all the branches regularly at full length. In pruning 

 old trees at this feafon, where decayed and worn-out branches 

 occur, they ftiould be cut out, and young wood trained in 



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