On P timing and Training Standard Trees. 231 



selected the first season, and many of their largest branches 

 taken entirely out from the bottom, cutting the wounds very 

 clean. The remaining branches were also properly thinned, 

 so as to leave room for the air and light to play upon the 

 smallest branches. 



The following summer, the shoots pushed from those 

 pruned trees, as might have been expected, were uncom- 

 monly vigorous, such as the French call gourmands, often 

 from three to five feet long, or more. About the end of June, 

 or a little sooner and later, according to the growth of the 

 branches, I applied oval balls of grafting clay towards their 

 extremities, sufficiently heavy to incline them downwards in a 

 pendulous direction. The sap being thus diverted from its 

 natural mode of ascending and descending, every bud almost 

 became a blossom bud, and in several trees this disposition 

 to produce blossom buds was carried down to the very lowest 

 spurs on the stem and thicker branches. 



I need not add, that this practice has since been closely 

 followed up ; for many advantages, exclusive of a more cer- 

 tain crop of fruit attend it. 1st. Other small vegetables may 

 be successfully cultivated under the light shade of trees kept 

 so open, an object of importance in the villages near London, 

 where ground is so difficult to be got. 2dly, No expense of 

 espalier, or of stakes, or of training and tying down the 

 branches is incurred. 3dly, The crop of fruit is not only im- 

 proved in size and flavour by having so much sun and air, 

 but it is more easily gathered, and suffers much less from 

 the autumnal winds ; for branches in this direction are more 

 pliable, and bend more easily to the storm ; and as a proof 

 how much may be done by art, if necessary, the branches of 



