72 THE MODERN PEACH PRUNER. 



The fifth season is devoted to equalising the whole 

 form. In the fifth, sixth, and seventh years the 

 three upper secondaries are developed, and the up- 

 right tertiary (8), of either wing, being also laid in, 

 the form is complete. The branches are shortened 

 less at every ensuing winter pruning, and the fruit- 

 shoots carefully stopped from the second year. 



The weak points of this fine old form are the 

 rather large interval between the extremities of 

 the secondary branches, amounting to 3 feet. In 

 close pruning, with the shoots more shortened-in, 

 much wall-space would be wasted, therefore the 

 espalier carre (unless with a greater number of 

 secondary branches), would not be so suitable. 

 But, on the other hand, the angles made by the 

 insertion of the secondaries on the leading branches 

 are open, and afford much scope for furnishing 

 these difficult portions of the tree. The largest 

 tree at present in the Lepere gardens extends over 

 40 feet of wall, and one eight years old and just 

 complete, measures 30 feet in width. These are 

 trees of free-growing varieties, such as Grosse 

 Mignonne, &c, and superbly cropped. 



Good specimens of waved forms may be seen in 

 England and France. In this case it is proper to 

 divide the tree into two wings, though with a 

 waved central main stem there is little danger of 

 the tree being out of balance. In either of these 



