118 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



bear larger and better-formed fruit than can be 

 obtained from standards. In the latter form, 

 it is true, many of the large kinds of Pears 

 succeed; yet from their weight they are apt to 

 be blown down and spoiled when almost fit for 

 gathering, whilst on espaliers all fruits are nearly 

 secure from this danger. The quality of fruit 

 grown in this way is often superior to that pro- 

 duced on east-and-west walls. 



The advantages of this mode of training are 

 many, whilst the only drawback is the expense 

 of the espalier rail. This, however, will be 

 amply compensated by the produce which can 

 be obtained from well -managed trees. In all 

 gardens, wherever they can be afforded, rails of 

 a substantial character should be employed. 



The distance between the Pear-trees intended 

 to be trained should be about 20 feet; and the 

 espaliers, if there be two or more parallel rows, 

 should be 15 feet apart. When placed along 

 the sides of walks, the line of rail ought to be 

 2 J feet from the edge of the walk, and the trees 

 should be planted 3 inches from the rail, other- 

 wise the latter would be pressed out by the stem 

 when it becomes thick. The trees should be 

 planted on the side of the espalier rail next to 

 the walk. There may be some objection to this 

 as regards the trees on the south side of a walk 

 running east and west; it would, it is true, be 

 advisable to plant them on the south side of the 

 rail, but a much better effect is produced when 

 they face the walk on both sides. 



The branches of a horizontally-trained espalier 

 Pear-tree should be about 1 foot apart. The 

 mode of cutting down the upright stem to 

 obtain these is the same as in the case of the 

 Apple. The lower one should be started a 

 little below the line along which they are in- 

 tended to be trained; the upper courses ought 

 to proceed very nearly at right angles from 

 the stem, and the highest one quite so. 



In order that the young tree may speedily 

 acquire strength, the shoots should not be 

 much pinched or otherwise shortened in the 

 early part of the summer at least. Those near 

 the extremities of the horizontals ought, how- 

 ever, to be checked, so as not to compete with 

 the terminal shoots or leaders of these branches. 

 In order to throw more strength into the 

 branches, the upright leader should be pinched 

 when it presents the appearance of becoming 

 too strong. By these means the sap will be 

 diverted into the bases of the branches, natural 

 fruit-spurs will soon begin to form upon them, 

 and in four years from the time of planting, 

 the tree will most probably commence bearing. 



In order to have well-formed fruit, the fruit- 

 spurs should not be nearer each other than 6 

 inches; therefore, at the winter pruning, shoots 

 that have started growing along the branches 

 nearer to each other than that distance should 

 be cut off quite close. All others should be 

 shortened back to within 1 inch of their base. 

 Fig. 917 represents a portion of the horizontal 

 branch of a Pear-tree. In the course of the 

 season it will either produce shoots, as at b, 



Fig. 917.— Pruned horizontally-trained Pear-trees. 



or natural fruit-spurs, as d. At the autumn 

 or winter pruning the shoot b, and others similar 

 to it, should be cut back to about 1 inch from 

 their base, as at c c. In the following spring 

 a shoot e will start below c, from the part left 

 of the shoot b, or two may appear, as / g. If 

 more than two grow, all but that number should 

 be rubbed off, or cut very close, so as not to 

 be apt to start again. When the single shoot 

 e has made six leaves, it should be pinched or 

 cut closely under the sixth leaf, as represented 

 at e. With regard to the shoots / and g, one 

 of them should be cut like the shoot e, under 

 the sixth leaf, as at g, when so many have been 

 formed, the other under the fifth leaf, as at 

 /. This is done with the view of giving more 

 strength to one of the two, in order that it 

 may take the lead, and one shoot of a fruit- 

 spur is much more easily managed than when 

 numerous small twiggy shoots, too weak for 

 forming fruit -buds, are formed. In all pro- 

 bability the shoots which were shortened, as 

 at efg, will produce shoots from the buds in 

 the axil of the leaf below the respective sections, 

 as at e. When this second shoot has grown 

 several inches, it may be pinched or cut off 

 below the fourth leaf, as at h, and likewise 

 those that proceed from below fh, and others 

 similar. At the autumn pruning, the shoot 

 h should be cut back to within 1 inch of its 



