THE PEAR. 



115 



thin pieces of board, about twenty inches square, to 

 the level of the ground, at each end of the hole, 

 plant the tree, a young vigorous one, in the space 

 between them, and cover over with good fresh soil. 

 The pieces of wood will prevent the roots of the trees 

 on each side encroaching on the ground of the new 

 plant. They will soon rot, but the new tree is then in 

 a state to take care of itself. By this means the vacant 

 space will be filled up in five or six years. The wood 

 of such trees as we have now described is more easily 

 established than any other, and the regular inclination 

 given to each stem renders the equal distribution of 

 the sap easy and certain. 



Objections have been made to this form. It has 

 been said that the limited extent given to the wood 

 would conduce to such great vigour as to injure the 

 fruit-bearing qualities of the tree. But this vigour 

 is counteracted by the trees being planted so closely 

 together upon such a small surface of ground. It has 

 been also said that trees so near to each other will be 

 unable to live. We answer that an extent of wood is 

 only allowed to each tree in proportion to the extent 

 of soil that the roots occupy. It has been also ob- 

 jected that such a mode of planting is more expensive 

 than the old method. This is true as regards the first 

 expense ; but in addition to the operations of pruning 

 being much more easily performed by the new method, 

 it must be considered that ordinary wall trees do not 

 attain their maximum of fruit-bearing until the six- 

 teenth or twentieth year; while the oblique cordon 

 becomes fruitful in four years, and repays its original 



