PYRUS. 



^owtli in June or July, till its full maturity in Aup;u(l and 

 September, when it heconies alio a gooil eating ajjple : and 

 as the tree is a moderate grower, it admits of being |)lanted 

 in fniall ftaudards clofer or more abundant in a fmall extent 

 of ground than moil of the principal apple kinds. 



In choofmg- apple-trees from the nuriery, they (hould, 

 Mr. Forfyth fays, have ilrong, llraight, and clean Hems. 

 And he advifcs not to fuffer the dwarf trees to run higher 

 than twelve feet, as otherwife they become naked at bot- 

 tom, the fruit is liable to be blown down, and the tops 

 broken by hip-h winds. 



The proper feafon for planting all tiie forts of apples is, 

 in mild v/cather, fi-om the end of Ottober till March ; but 

 when planted in autumn, or early in winter, they ctlablifli 

 thenifelves more firmly before the drought of the follow- 

 ing fummer. Thev fucceed in any common foil and open 

 fituatiou, except in low very moilt land, in wHicli they are 

 apt to canker, and foon go off : in a, pliable mellow loam 

 they generally anfwer very well. The ground fhnvdd be 

 properly prepared, by good trenching, wiiere the ranges of 

 trees are to fland. 



In the planting of efpalier apple-trees they fliould be 

 ranged at no lefs than eighteen or twenty feet dillance ; the 

 latter cfpecially for trees grafted on crab or apple itocks, 

 which being free fhooters, the branches readily fill that 

 fpace. For the trees grafted on codlin and paradife itocks, 

 fifteen or eighteen feet may be fufficient ; though the latter, 

 in particular, is fometimes planted only twelve or fifteen 

 feet afunder, as being a very moderate fhooter : it is, how- 

 ever, advifable to allow every fort full room, according to 

 their growth, to have proper Ipace to extend their branches 

 always at full length. The trees fhould be planted with all 

 their heads entire, only retrenching any very irregular 

 growths, that do not range coniitteutly with the intended 

 form, and pruning any broken roots. Then having opened 

 a proper hole for each tree, plant them in the ufual man- 

 ner, being careful to place them with their branches rang- 

 ijig the way of the elpalier. 7\s foon as the earth of the 

 holes and of the roots is properly fettled, all the branches 

 fhould be trained in horizontally to the right and left, an 

 equal number on each fide at full length, as above. 



.The general culture in efpalier trees thus planted and 

 trained, as the faine branches or bearers continue fruitful 

 many years, is to continue them as long as they remain of 

 proper growths, conllantly giving them a fummer and winter 

 pruning annually, as explained above. In wall-trees alfo, 

 any of the principal choice varieties of eating apples may be 

 trained, to forward and improve the growth, beauty, and 

 flavour of the fruit ; fuch as jennetings, Margaret apple, 

 golden pippins, golden rennets, pearmains, &c. or any other 

 approved eating kinds, a tree or two of a fort, againfl a 

 fouth, fouth-weft, or eafl wall. 



Standai-d apples, when planted in the garden, fhould be 

 arranged thinly, to admit of under crops growing freely, 

 without being fliaded by their fpreading branches. Full 

 flandards fliould be chiefly planted for the general crops, 

 and half and dwarf flandards for variety. The ftandards, 

 when trained as above, iliould be planted out with all their 

 heads entire, when in the kitchen garden, at thirty feet dif- 

 tance in the rows ; and for an orchard, thirty feet, diflance 

 every way. In planting, for each tree a wide liole fhould 

 ■ be opened, trimming any long flraggling and broken roots, 

 leaving all the others entire, and planting them with the 

 ufual care. As foon as planted out, every tree fliould be 

 well flaked to fupport them firmly upright, and prevent 

 their being diflurbed in rooting by winds. See Orch.VKD 

 and Planting. 



Smaller growing flandards, fuch as codlinj, or other low 

 flandards grafted upon codlin (locks, and dwarfs upon thefe 

 or paradilc flocks, may, if required, be planted only at 

 fifteen or twenty feet diflance in the rows, and not lefs 

 than twenty-five feet between the lines of trees ; though, if 

 there be room to allow a greater dillance both ways, it 

 will be advantageous, cfpecially in planting in kitchen gar- 

 dens, in which it would be proper to allow double that 

 diflance between the rows of trees, of the larger growths 

 of thefe kinds. The flandards thus planted with their 

 heads entire, fhould be fufTered to advance with their branches 

 at full length, and in general take their natural growth, when 

 they foon form numerous natural fpurs in every part for 

 bearing. 



'In refpeft to pruning thefe ftandards, little is required, 

 only the occafional retrenching any irregular crof's-placed 

 bough, or the reducing to order any very long rambler ; 

 or when the head is become greatly crowded and confufed 

 to thin out fome of the molt irregular growths, likewife 

 all Ilrong fhoots growing upright in the middle of the 

 head, and all dead wood, and fuckers from the ftem and 

 root. 



As to half and dwarf flandards of thefe ti'ees, they may- 

 be difpcrfcd in different parts of the garden to caufe variety, 

 managing them as the full flandards. The former on dwarf 

 paradife flocks, being very moderate fliooters, may be 

 planted in a httle compafs ; and are fometimes planted in 

 pots for curiofity, to place on a table, amidfl a defert, 

 with the fruit growing on them. See DwARr-TVfcj'. 



It is obferved by Mr. Forfyth, that in heading down old 

 decayed apple-trees, for the fake of fymmetry, it will be 

 neceffary to cut at the forked branch as near as can be to 

 the upper fide of the fork, cutting them in a floping manner 

 to carry off the wet, at the fame time rounding the edges. 

 To begin at the lower branches, cutting juil above the 

 lower fork ; and proceeding upwards, cutting the refl of 

 the branches from one to fix joints, or forks, according to 

 tlieir ftrength, till you have finiflied cutting-in the whole 

 head. If any of thefe branches fhould have the canker, all 

 theinfeCled part muit be cut out. When the tree is all 

 prepai-ed; the compofition fliould be immediately applied, 

 Ijeginning at the top of the tree, and finiihing with the 

 powder of wood-afhes and burnt bones as you defcend, 

 which will fave it from being rubbed off during the opera- 

 tion ; and the compofition will prevent the fun and air from 

 injuring the naked inner bark. A tree thus prepared, will 

 in the courfe of three or four years, produce more and finer 

 fruit than a maiden tree that has been planted upwards of 

 twenty years. 



Thefe directions, if properly attended to, will be fufhcient, 

 it is fuppofed, to enable any one to bring old decayed trees 

 into a healthy bearing flate. 



It is believed, that in large orchards and gardens, it may 

 be necelfary, at iirfl, to head down only every other tree ; 

 cutting fome of the branches of the refl, which are in a 

 decayed and cankery flate, and which bear no fruit. This 

 will be preparing them to throw out new wood, and furnilli 

 the tree much fooner witli bearing branches. He recom- 

 mends the performing of the operation as early as pofTible ; 

 as by fo doing the wood will be the flronger, as in May, or 

 tire two following months. 



And it is added, that when the trees are become hollow, 

 the fame method fhould be followed as diredled for plums ; 

 but by no means to cut them down unlefs the tops are quite 

 decayed ; obferving to cut the loofe rotten wood clean out 

 of the hollow and other decayed parts, applying the com- 

 pofition ; at the fame time to open the ground, and cut out 



Q2 a" 



