556 



THH CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



PEAR, REURRE CLMRGF.AU 



be properly utilised. All 

 leaves and side shoots which 

 are produced upon the maiden 

 shoot, i.e., the first shoot made 

 after grafting, must, during the 

 first two years of its existence, 

 he allowed to grow freely, so 

 long as the leader is not made 

 to suffer thereby. About mid- 

 summer the laterals may be 

 pinched and pruned back to 

 one eye in winter. Alter two 

 seasons' growth the leader 

 ought to have reached a length 

 of bit., and should then be 

 strong enough to form its 

 primary branches. To accom- 

 plish this the leader is pruned 

 to three buds above the point 

 where it is intended that the 

 stem shall terminate. 



This, however, must be 

 some little distance below the 

 extreme end of the leader, 

 us that portion is usually any- 

 thing but hard and strung. 

 II il be seen that the two 

 year old slim it, when cut 

 down to the well-ripened part, 



will not be long enough to form the stem, the only course 

 open is to allow it to grow for another season. from the 

 three remaining buds shoots will push in the spring, and it 

 is important that these be encouraged to grow strongly, 

 and also evenly, as they really form the foundation of the 

 tree. The future shape and beauty of the latter depend 

 largely upon the care bestowed upon the training and 

 regulating of the first shoots. They should be as nearly 

 as possible the same distance apart, and if one grows 

 Stronger than the other it should be pinched. 



As leaves are now produced in greater numbers at the 

 head of the tree, the shoots that push from the stem may 

 lie pinched hard, and at the following winter pruning remove 

 those upon the lower half altogether, and the remainder 

 at the next pruning. The three branches formed are- 

 shortened to within I2in. of their bases in January, and 

 when growth again commences, two shoots only from each 

 of these are allowed to push. Six branches are thus pro- 

 duced, and more will not be necessary for some years until 

 greater space is available, for all the efforts of the cultivator 

 to obtain a good crop of fruit will be defeated by the 

 crowding together of the branches. 



Instead, therefore, of again shortening the main branches, 

 allow them to extend, and shorten any side shunts in live or 

 six eyes during summer, and prune them back to three eyes 

 in winter for the formation of fruit buds. The aim of 

 the cultivator should be to keep the iree as open as possible, 

 to admit the sun and air ; the principal branches must not 

 cross each other, nor be allowed to grow inwards. 



For those whose space is limited, the best form of Pear 

 tree to plant is the 



Pyramid. -Grafted on the Quince stock, they may be 

 planted at from 6ft. to 8ft. apart, and they do not obstruct 

 the light in the same way as standard trees. The true form 

 of the pyramid is an upright stem with horizontal side 

 branches, each tier of these being gradually shorter than the 

 one immediately below. This is important, lor if the upper 

 branches are allowed to become stronger, and to reach over 

 so as to destiny the pyramidal form, the lower nnes will 

 inevitably deteriorate, and probably eventually die away. 

 The method of training in obtain this particular shape is as 

 follows : The plant, having made one year's growth from 

 the graft, is cut back tn within 15111. of its base. In 

 spring several shoots will develop, the uppermost of which 

 is trained perpendicularly ; il not perfectly straight, it must 

 be tied to a stake to make it so. In order to encourage the 

 remaining shoots to grow as vigorously as possible, leave 

 them untouched until the end of August, and then bring 

 them down to a horizontal position, attaching them to 



slakes placed in the ground, if 

 necessary, for a few weeks. 



At the next winter pruning 

 shorten the leader to within 

 15m. of where it was cut to 

 previously, and prune back all 

 laterals produced on the side 

 branches to \m. From the 

 buds upon the recently formed 

 leader shoots to form more 

 side branches will push the 

 following spring, and the one 

 bom the uppermost bud will 

 again be trained perfectly up- 

 right to continue the stem of 

 the tree. Continue this system 

 until this latter has attained 

 the desired height. As the 

 tree increases in size and 

 vigour, the upper branches 

 will naturally grow so strongly 

 as to destroy its pyramidal 

 shape ; this, however, must 

 be prevented by slopping them 

 in summer at the required 

 point. Gross strong shoots are 

 usually unfruitful, so that by 

 allowing these upper ones to 

 extend beyond their proper 

 limit, another evil is added to that of weakening the lower 

 branches. 



The bush form, or open dwarf, is more generally made 

 use of in the training of Apple trees ; still, it answers well 

 for the Pear also, especially in small gardens, as they can 

 be planted closely together. The maiden plant in this case 

 must be allowed to grow lor two years before it is pruned 

 back. At the end of the second year cut the shoot down to 

 within 6in. of its base. In spring, when the buds below 

 begin to push, select lour shoots lo form the foundation 

 ol the tree. At the end of the second year, " Lindley's 

 Guide to the Orchard" recommends that two or three of 

 the best placed shoots from each branch should be selected 

 and shortened back to gin., I2in., or 15111. each, according 

 to I heir strength, taking care to keep the head perfectly 

 balanced, so that one side shall not be higher nor more 

 numerous in its branches, and all must be kept as close as 

 possible at an equal distance horn each other. II this 

 regularity in forming the head be attended to and effected 

 at first, there will be no difficulty in keeping it so after- 

 wards, by pruning either to that bud immediately on the 

 inside next to the centre (if the tree, or that immediately 

 on the outside. This has reference only to the leading 

 shoots, which are always produced from the terminal 

 buds when pruned, and which alone form the figure 

 and beauty of the tree. The intermediate space must of 

 course be provided for at the same time, having regard to 

 the number of branches thus employed, that they do not 

 crowd each other. On the contrary, they must be kept thin 

 and perfectly open, so as to admit plenty of sun and air ; the 

 middle of the tree must be kept quite open from first to last. 



In pruning the supernumerary shoots, they should be cut 

 down to within lin. of the bottom, which will generally 

 cause the surrounding eyes 10 form natural blossom spurs ; 

 but where the tree is in a vigorous state of health, branches 

 will probably be produced instead of spurs ; if so, they must 

 all be cut close except one, which must be shortened as 

 before. 



Another excellent method of growing the Pear is as an 

 espalier. The necessary fence is made by means of stout wires, 

 about lit. apart, stretched between poles bit. in height. 

 This system has much to recommend it, as little space 

 is occupied by trees thus trained. The latter are fully 

 exposed to the influence of the sun and air, the flowers are 

 easily protected from the spring frosts, and the fruit is not 

 damaged so much during the rough weather generally 

 experienced in November as is that upon unsupported trees 

 in the open. Horizontal and fan-trained trees are both 

 made use of for espaliers. The first-named form, however^ 



