208 



KEPORT ON THE 



for fruit ; fruit-bearing twigs, and spurs. The term brindille 

 requires however a little more explanation : — Pear-trees recently 

 raised from seeds are usually armed with thorns, a provision for 

 the defence of the young plants ; but naturally, as the trees get 

 older, and more especially when influenced by cultivation, the 

 thorns are produced less abundantly, and by degrees they dis- 

 appear. The thorns latterly produced lose their original cha- 

 racter. Instead of being naked, one, two, or more very small 

 buds may be observed upon them ; but still they are pointed, 

 and this being the case, they yet retain the characteristic of a 

 thorn, and cannot elongate in the following season. Some after 

 productions may however be seen to terminate in a small bud, 

 and the substance throughout is much softer, but still harder 

 than the regular shoots on other parts of the tree. These 

 growths may be then looked upon as thorns modified ; they be- 

 come capable of elongation, and are what the French term 

 brindilles. They proceed at right angles from the branches 

 producing them ; and are not inclined to grow upright. They 

 sometimes bear fruit before the other branches ; but when the 

 trees get into full bearing, these brindilles are not required. 



M. Hardy concluded by showing how to handle and properly 

 apply the knife. 



The second lecture, he took a maiden plant, and explained how 

 it ought to be dealt with according to the modes of training for 

 which it might be intended ; then a plant two years old ; another 

 three, and so on. 



For the third lecture, at which I was present, he had a pear- 

 tree, intended for a pyramid, planted in the centre of a circle, 

 formed by a rope, about 50 feet in diameter, outside of which 

 the people stood to hear the explanations, and see the mode of 

 operation. In the tree selected for illustration, M. Hardy 

 pointed out faults from not pinching the shoots in the previous 

 summer; and some others in consequence of former winter 

 pruning. The reasons for cutting each branch as he did, were 

 successively given, as well as an explanation of the bad effects 

 of cutting otherwise ; and ultimately the pruning of the tree 

 was completed in good style. We had an opportunity of closely 

 examining it after the lecture was over. 



We then inspected the different quarters planted with pyramid 

 Pear and Apple-trees, and those containing Cherry and Plum- 

 trees. As there is no wall for Peach-trees, these are trained 

 against a trellis, backed with straw mats ; and with this assist- 

 ance the fruit ripens perfectly well. 



All the quarters containing fruit-trees are surrounded with 

 borders, planted with Cherry, Plum, and Apricot-trees, as 

 standards ; and some with excellent effect are trained in form of 



