FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDENS NEAR. PARIS. 209 



a Vase, or en Gobelet, dwarf, or with a stem 5 feet or rather 

 more in height. The head is formed hollow, in shape like a 

 goblet, the shoots being annually tied to hoops of wood, adapted 

 to the circumference required to give the desired form. Two 

 hoops are sufficient, the two-year old wood being tied to one ; 

 and the equidistant regulation of the one-year old shoots is 

 effected upon the other. As the vase or goblet widens, of 

 course hoops of greater circuit must be prepared, either of new 

 materials, or by introducing an additional piece. In some in- 

 stances the hoops were formed of round, apparently J inch, iron 

 rods ; but wood is preferable to iron, for vegetation in contact 

 with the latter is apt to be injuriously affected by the rapidity 

 with which it heats and cools. Shoots are apt to spring up in the 

 centre of the goblet ; but they must be pinched in summer ; and 

 so all other irregularities of growth appear likewise to have 

 been. The form is very ornamental ; it can be produced at 

 little expense ; and the trees were well furnished with fruit 

 buds. Suppose a tree to have 6 shoots, let them be tied at 

 equal distances to a hoop placed horizontally, and then shortened 

 a few inches above it, or so as to leave them a foot or more in 

 length. From each of these, two shoots may be trained to the 

 outside of a somewhat wider hoop in the following season ; and 

 thus by annually introducing hoops of a width proportionately 

 corresponding with the respective diameters of the vase intended 

 to be imitated, the desired form will ultimately be produced. 

 The head of the tree will be completely balanced ; and the 

 branches will be more nearly equidistant than they could be by 

 any other mode of training as a standard. I should prefer wooden 

 hoops to iron ones. If weak, or if two or more pieces must be 

 employed for the hoop, its circular form may be preserved by 

 two small rods, secured diametrically across it. 



Adjoining the Fruit-tree quarters there is a compartment 

 used as the Experimental Garden of the Royal Agricultural So- 

 ciety of Paris. The space, however, is too limited for any 

 extensive experiments being undertaken ; and the backwardness 

 of the season had prevented any thing interesting from being 

 commenced. 



The Botanic Garden of the Ecole de Medecine lies in a low 

 situation ; but this is doubtless an advantage in the hot dry 

 weather. The plants are disposed in straight beds. 



In one of the quarters there is a collection of 1800 Vine plants, 

 from all the departments. This was chiefly formed by Chaptal, 

 when Minister of the Interior, in order that their nomenclature 

 might be settled, and their respective merits ascertained. I 

 am not aware that the original intention has been fully carried 

 out ; but the vines are still kept in good order. 



VOL. II. p 



