THE PEAR. 



479 



The two leading modes, however, are the open 

 fan and horizontal. In the former of these the 

 centre is left open, in consequence of the curva- 

 ture given to the inner branches, which gives 

 the tree an awkward and vacant appearance, and 

 on this account it is, therefore, seldom adopted. 

 In proceeding to form a young tree upon the 

 horizontal principle, the following is the method 

 adopted : Let a plant one year old from the 

 graft be taken with three equal even shoots, if 

 this can be secured : fix five short stakes in the 

 line of the proposed espalier — one in the centre, 

 and two on each side — about 12 or 15 inches 

 distant ; train the centre shoot perpendicularly 

 to the centre stake, and the two side ones hori- 

 zontally to the four others, keeping these at 

 their full length till the plant has been a year 

 established. This is by no means a general 

 practice, but one worthy of due consideration 

 (vide article, Pruning newly planted fruit trees, 

 p. 379). If the tree appears healthy and vigor- 

 ous, cut back the branches, the two side ones to 

 6" inches, and the centre to 9 or 10. When the 

 young shoots are produced from these, train the 

 extreme or strongest one from each of the side 

 branches horizontally. The centre shoot will 

 have produced three shoots at least, the upper- 

 most of which must be continued perpendicu- 

 larly, and the two next beneath trained hori- 

 zontally, one on each side. This process must 

 be continued from year to year, till the tree has 

 arrived at its intended height, which is generally 

 about 5 feet. If the centre shoot produces three 

 others annually, when cut down to 9 inches, it 

 will require seven years to complete the seven 

 series of horizontal branches ; but sometimes it 

 happens that the centre shoot produces two 

 series, or five branches, by shortening it to 18 

 inches instead of 9 ; if so, this advantage may 

 be seized. Should the tree, after having been 

 planted a year, not possess sufficient vigour to 

 throw out three shoots from the centre branch, 

 all the three centre branches must be cut back 

 to two or three eyes, and a single shoot trained 

 from each ; the year following, proceed as directed 

 at first. In this mode of training, the horizon- 

 tal branches must be laid in at their whole 

 length, without shortening any of them until 

 the extreme branches of the two adjoining trees 

 meet each other. 



The following directions on the formation of 

 horizontal espaliers are given by Mr Robert 

 Thompson in " Morton's Cyclopaedia," and as no 

 higher authority in such matters can be quoted, 

 as well as because his method differs in some 

 essential points from that just given, we are in- 

 duced to give it at length : — First season. Mr 

 Thompson plants in autumn, and commences 

 pruning and training the spring following, in- 

 stead of giving the tree a year to establish itself, 

 as recommended by Mr Lindley. " The tree 

 being headed down to a foot above the ground 

 train the shoot which pushes from the upper- 

 most bud upright in summer; and the shoots 

 which push immediately below this, incline one 

 to the right and another to the left, for the 

 commencement of the two lower horizontals : 

 but these must not be trained horizontally in the 

 first instance ; they must be elevated to form an 



angle of about 45°, or like the legs of a wide V, 

 taking care to bend them down gradually if 

 they are likely to become too strong. If one of 

 them grow stronger than the other, depress the 

 strong and elevate the weak." This, to a cer- 

 tain extent, acts as a substitute for allowing 

 the tree to have a season for establishing itself pre- 

 vious to the horizontal training of the branches. 

 " Second season. — Cut back the upright leading 

 shoot to a foot above where it was shortened in 

 the preceding season. If the side shoots are 

 strong, bind them to nearly a horizontal posi- 

 tion, and train them at full length ; if weak, 

 shorten them a little, and allow them to retain 

 nearly their former elevated position, in order 

 to encourage their growth. Lateral shoots may 

 be permitted to grow till July, and then stopped 

 by cutting or pinching off their points. Third 

 season. — Cut back the leading upright shoot to 

 a foot, as before, and encourage side shoots from 

 it to furnish the third course of horizontal 

 branches. The tree being well established, these 

 will be stronger than the first two produced, 

 and therefore need not be so much elevated. 

 The others may now be brought to a horizontal 

 position, but with a gentle curve upwards from 

 the stem. They should not come directly out 

 from the latter, as the rounds of a ladder are in- 

 serted in its sides. If they spring from the stem 

 10 or 11 inches from the ground, they should 

 ascend in the first instance, and then be trained 

 along in a horizontal direction, at the height of 

 1 3 inches. The next course of branches, origi- 

 nating a foot above the former— that is, at the 

 height of 22 or 23 inches from the ground — must 

 be trained at the height of 25 inches, thus leav- 

 ing a foot between the courses. In this man- 

 ner the tree is formed ; and the directions here 

 given, being applicable to subsequent seasons, 

 need not be repeated. When the stem, how- 

 ever, has attained the height to which the up- 

 right shoot must be shortened in autumn, two 

 shoots only for horizontals will be required ; 

 and those afterwards springing from it, being 

 apt to grow too strong, must be kept in check. 

 Winter pruning. — The portions of snoots left at 

 greatest length in the summer — that is, the 

 breastwood — must now be cut in more closely 

 than the others. Many of those which were 

 shortened to 3 inches need not be touched ; 

 but where there are several of such too near 

 each other (causing crowding in the spurs), 

 someof them may be cut to one eye, or even quite 

 close to the old wood. Fruit spurs that have ex- 

 tended too far should be shortened, and before 

 they get too old they should be cutback to their 

 lowest buds, which will then push others afresh." 



Rivers' upright mode of training the apple and 

 the pear. — With a view to economise space, and at 

 the same time to be enabled to plant a number 

 of sorts of new and esteemed pears on quince 

 stocks, so that they would quickly come into 

 bearing, Mr Rivers, finding the horizontal me- 

 thod would take up too much space, adopted 

 the expedient of transforming his horizontally- 

 trained espaliers into the form represented by 

 the annexed fig. 212. As will be readily seen, 

 all the horizontal branches were removed ex- 

 cepting the lowermost pair, and from them ver- 



