478 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Fig. 211. 



RIVERS 

 P YR A M IDA L 1RA1NING. 



should not be included in that number. This 

 will leave the tree like the annexed fig. 211, 

 and no pruning in winter 

 will be required. The 

 second season the trees 

 will make vigorous growth. 

 The side shoots which were 

 topped last August will 

 each put forth three, four, 

 or more shoots. As soon 

 as these are 4 inches long, 

 they must be pinched off 

 to within 3 inches, all but 

 the leading shoot on each 

 side branch; this must be 

 left on, to exhaust the tree 

 . of its superabundant sap 

 Ifp^ till the end of August. 



,// The perpendicular leader 

 must be topped once or 

 twice : in short, as soon 

 as it has grown 1 0 inches, 

 pinch off its top ; and if it 

 breaks into two or three 

 shoots, pinch them all but 

 the leader, as directed for the first season. In a 

 few years most symmetrical trees may be formed. 

 When they have attained the height of 6 or 8 

 feet, and are still in a vigorous state, it will be 

 necessary to commence root-pruning to bring 

 them into a fruitful state." It should be re- 

 membered that Mr Rivers places great import- 

 ance on root-pruning and the use of quince 

 stocks for the pear. 



Amongst both apples and pears certain sorts 

 assume naturally very different forms of growth ; 

 some grow close and compact, some horizontal 

 and crooked, while others are slender and thin 

 in their growth, and are indisposed to put forth 

 lateral shoots. " The lower part of every 

 branch," it is observed by Mr Rivers, " will then 

 generally be furnished with dormant buds, so 

 that to form a good pyramid of these slender- 

 growing varieties it is necessary to begin the first 

 year with a graft, and to pinch the leader as soon 

 as it is 6 inches long. If by any neglect the 

 lower part of the pyramid be not furnished with 

 shoots, but have dormant buds, or buds with 

 only two or three leaves attached, a notch must 

 be cut about half an inch in width just above 

 the bud from which a shoot is required. This 

 notch must be cut through the outer and inner 

 bark, and the cambium or first layer of wood ; 

 and if the shoot or stem is young, say from 2 to 

 4 inches in girth, it may be cut round half its 

 circumference. If this is done in spring or 

 summer, the following season a shoot will gene- 

 rally make its appearance— sometimes even the 

 first season, if the stem or branch is notched 

 early in spring. Varieties of apples inclined to 

 be compact and close in their growth, form very 

 handsome pyramids ; but they are apt to be un- 

 fruitful, as the air is not admitted enough to the 

 interior of the tree. This may be easily avoided 

 by bringing the lateral shoots down to a hori- 

 zontal position for a year or two, and fastening 

 the end of each shoot to a stake ; an open pyra- 

 mid shape will thus be attained, which the tree 

 will keep. Other varieties put forth their laterals 



horizontally, and some are even pendulous. 

 The leading perpendicular shoot of varieties 

 of this description must be supported by a stake 

 till the tree is of mature age." 



The winter-pruning of pyramid pear-trees is 

 almost reduced to a mechanical operation, when 

 the summer management has been properly 

 attended to. Keeping the tapering form in 

 view, it consists in cutting each shoot a little 

 shorter than the one immediately below it, tak- 

 ing care to cut to a bud situated on the side of 

 the shoot towards that direction in which it 

 would be most desirable the prolongation should 

 proceed. Shoots that are too vigorous for the 

 rest are not cut to a bud on the upper side, but 

 to one situated below. 



M. Cappe has introduced another feature of 

 regularity in training besides that of a merely 

 tapering contour. This is effected by what is 

 called a tutor — that is, a straight perpendicular 

 stake, to which the stem is trained ; and from 

 the top of this stake five wires are stretched to 

 as many equidistant points on a hoop near the 

 ground, or to five short stakes set at equal dis- 

 tances from each other, as well as from the 

 base of the stem. These wires represent the 

 angles of a five-sided pyramid — a pyramid 

 apparently 15 feet high on a pentagonal base. 

 Branches are trained directly from the stem to 

 each of the wires. In order to convey some 

 idea of this mode of training, one may imagine 

 five upright trellises or screens projecting from 

 a central upright, forming the partitions of as 

 many equal recesses widening outwards. The 

 branches form such partitions with good effect, 

 as regards regularity ; and when they become 

 ornamented with leaves and fruit, the whole 

 will prove an interesting sight. 



It has been suggested that, instead of branches 

 radiating from the stem in five directions, it 

 might be found more convenient to train them 

 out to four points— say east, west, north, and 

 south. It may, however, be observed that, in 

 the pear tree, five buds form a spiral once round 

 the shoot or stem ; or, in other words, suppos- 

 ing the leading shoot to be perpendicular, every 

 fifth, tenth, fifteenth, &c. bud will be in the 

 same vertical plane. Therefore, if the number 

 of buds between one branch and that next 

 above it be always a multiple of five, the branches 

 radiating in each of the five directions will ori- 

 ginate exactly above each other. 



Espaliers. — Apples and pears are very suc- 

 cessfully grown when trained as espaliers. The 

 advantages are, the little space which they oc- 

 cupy compared with standards, the protection 

 of the fruit from the effects of high winds, and 

 their capability of being protected in spring from 

 late frosts, and when the fruit is ripe from the 

 attacks of birds. The best mode of constructing 

 espalier rails will be found described and illus- 

 trated in Sect. " Espalier Rails," vol. i. p. 556. 

 In regard to the management of the trees them- 

 selves, supposing them to have been planted in 

 autumn, as soon as the leaves have fallen, they 

 are then in a fit state for commencing training. 

 But, first, we should observe that espalier train- 

 ing admits of all the modifications practised 

 when similar trees are grown against walls. 



