M0NTREI3IL. 431 



they may not, at first view, seem to correspond with the 

 trees on his walls, do in reality correspond very nearly, 

 when divested, in imagination, of the small twigs, summer 

 growth, and foliage. 



In trees managed in the way now described, the sap 

 seems to be very equally distributed ; at least, the trees ex- 

 hibit, upon the whole, a great equality of branches, both 

 as to size or strength, and as to furniture of twigs, leaves, 

 and fruit. Continued care is exercised to keep both 

 sides of the tree equally balanced as to vigour. If one 

 principal arm become stronger than the other, a few rob- 

 bers are allowed to push for a time on the weak arm, with 

 the view of drawing an increase of sap to that side of the 

 tree, till the equilibrium be restored : or, the weak arm 

 is altogether raised a little more towards the vertical, while 

 the stronger is depressed more to the horizontal ; and thus 

 an equality is gradually accomplished. The lambourdes 

 or robbers, it may be added, with due management, fre- 

 quently afford the healthiest and best wood. They are cut 

 down to a foot and a half, leaving one or two buds as near 

 as possible to the trunk of the tree : the resulting shoots are 

 laid in, and form good fruit-bearing wood the next season. 

 The annual shoots are left of different lengths, according 

 to the vigour of the tree, from one foot to three feet. There 

 are two kinds of shoots ; such as are the produce both of 

 the early spring and of the summer flow of sap, and such as 

 result from the latter only. The former are preferred, and 

 are called rameaux ; the latter are distinguished as ramiMes. 



When the tree reaches the top of the wall, the cutting- 

 in is discontinued, and the pruning extends only to short- 

 ening the leading slioots, or, in some cases, bending them, 

 till they be confined, by two or three inches, below the 

 coping of the wall. In this way the equable distribution of 

 the sap in the central parts of the tree is promoted. In 



