THE PEACH. 



237 



winter or spring frosts, and they ripen their fruits per- 

 fectly, where open ground or standard trees would not. 



The Peach as an Espalier trained on a wall or trellis. — 

 There are a multitude of forms for espalier trees where 

 training on walls or trellises is necessarily and extensively 

 practised, as in England and France. The great requi- 

 sites in a wall tree are, firsf.^ to have all the wall covered ; 

 and, second., to have the different parts of the tree alike 

 favorably placed, with reference to its growth. IText to 

 these are simplicity and naturalness. 



The most popular form in England is that called the 



Fig. 114. 

 Fan-shaped Espalier. 



fan (fig. 114). In it the branches are spread out so as to 

 resemble a fan ; the lower ones are nearly or quite hori- 

 zontal ; the next more oblique ; and so they proceed 

 until the centre ones are quite upright, and this appears 

 to be the defect of this form ; for the horizontal branches 

 cannot maintain such a vigor as those more erect above 

 them. The square espalier, invented by M. Felix Malo, 

 of France, and now extensively practised by some of the 

 best peach growers of the celebrated town of Montreuil, 

 seems to possess more advantages, all in all, than any 

 other. The " Bon Jardinier^^ from which the followino* 

 description of the method of conducting these trees is 



