VI.] 



TRAINING AND PRUNING. 



175 



expense. To have espaliers, therefore, and to have them in neat 

 order, the old fashion was to have stakes of spine oak, an inch 

 one \\ ay, and two inches the other ; such stakes would last ten or 

 fifteen years, according to the wetness or dryness of the land. 

 The best stakes would be the trunks of young locust-trees, planted 

 within two feet of each other, and suffered to grow to the height 

 of about twelve or fourteen feet. They would do this, in good 

 ground, in the course of four or five years. Cut down in winter, 

 and, the branches trimmed off close, they would make espalier 

 stakes to last for a good long life -time. While the limbs 

 of espaliers are small, they should be fastened to the stakes by 

 good fresh matting, or bass, as it is called, to be occasionally re- 

 newed : when the limbs get stout, I have seen brass wire used ; 

 though, perhaps, the matting might still be sufficient ; for, when 

 the limb has once got to be an inch or two through, it wants little 

 supporting, except merely towards its point, or when heavily laden 

 with fruit. Espaliers are to be planted in rows if there be a con- 

 siderable number of them m a garden ; and they should not stand 

 nearer, if intended to be permanent trees, than at twenty feet from 

 each other. That they should be planted in a straight line is 

 obvious enough. The best situation for them is along by the sides 

 of walks and not more than about three feet distant from the 

 edge of the walk. Their symmetry is very beautiful ; and, what 

 can be more beautiful than an avenue of fruit-trees in bloom, and 

 trained in form so regular and neat ? The crops they bear are pro- 

 digious, compared with those of standard trees upon the same spot. 

 I remember a gentleman who had an espalier apple-tree of about 

 twenty feet in length, and two very large standard trees of the 

 same sort of fruit, in the same garden, and very near to the same 

 spot. All the three trees were well laden with fruit : I stood 

 looking at them for some time, making an estimate of the crop ; 

 and I came to the conclusion that the espalier had more fruit than 

 both the great standards put together, while its fruit was of double 

 the size, or nearly so. I asked him why he did not chop down 

 those two great trees that shaded and spoiled so much of his 

 garden, and plant a couple of espaliers ? He had the new-fashioned 

 taste of despising the espaliers, and talked of grubbing this parti- 

 cular one up. In remonstrating with him, I said that the espalier 

 had a greater quantity of fruit upon it then than both the other 

 trees. This appeared to him to be so monstrous that he offered 



