232 



REP0KT OS THE 



uncovered. At the end of six or seven years after planting the 

 tree, there is still a large void ; were it not for this, M. Lepere's 

 system would be perfection. He has a thorough practical know- 

 ledge of all the operations connected with the culture of the 

 Peach-tree, and his treatise Pratique Raisonnee de la Taille du 

 Pecker, I consider the best that has ever been published on the 

 subject. He has other modes of training in progress ; and it 

 would be well if any were found to equal in principle the above, 

 which he greatly prefers at present, and at the same time afford 

 the means of filling up the centre. 



Fig. 5. 



On a west aspect wall, a tree is trained as represented by Fig. 

 5. The mode is termed Chandelier training — Taille en Cande- 

 labre. It extends 40 feet along the wall. The two branches, 

 A B, from which the uprights spring, were first laid off like a 

 V, and were annually lowered till, by degrees, they acquired 

 their nearly horizontal position. In the second year after the 

 tree was planted, the two branches, C D, were commenced. At 

 the end of the sixth year, the uprights were all started. Pre- 

 viously to this, however, fruit-bearing shoots were encouraged 

 along the four horizontal portions. The uprights are nearly 3 

 feet apart, and the bearing-shoots are trained between them at an 

 angle of 45° elevation. The tree was a good example of what 

 may be done with the Peach-tree in regard to maintaining the 

 equilibrium of both sides, when in such hands as M. Lepere's. 

 Those possessing less skill would find some difficulty in managing 

 such a form. I remarked that his admired tree, en Cande'labre, 

 would probably soon die, some slight symptoms of gumming on 

 the horizontals being discernible. That such would be the case 

 I suspect M. Lepere himself had some forebodings ; however, he 

 declared, if it should die, he would then nail it to the wall. 



On the same west aspect, a number of fine Pear-trees had 

 been much cut by a hail-storm in June, 1845. By keeping the 

 wounds covered, fresh bark had closed over many of them ; but 

 some branches were still in bad condition. 



In shortening a leading branch, he cuts to a bud situated next 

 the wall. The consequence is, that the branch goes on straight, 

 and the section, although exposed, soon heals over, so that it 



