Jan.] 



THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



339 



and we have not been able to discover any great advantage 

 j^^aincd, cither in the quantity or quahty of the fruit, nor in the 

 heaUh of the trees. For low walls we give the preference to 

 the first of these methods, and always for espaliers ; and on a 



high wall, no mode, we think, looks so elegant as that of a 

 tree fan-trained. Apples and pears may be eitner trained fan- 

 like, or horizontally, according to circumstances and taste. By 

 training in the fan-manner a branch may, at any time, be sup- 

 plied more readily than in the other, for which reason, it is 

 preferable for Morella cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, and 

 apricots. The distance at which the principal branches should 

 be laid in, is from nine to twelve inches, according to the 

 nature and strength of the tree; some sorts growing more 

 grossly than others, both in wood and leaves. Trees that 

 have arrived at a full bearing state, and have filled the spaces 

 allotted to them, require nothing else, in respect to pruning, 

 than to regulate their spurs, if much clustered, and to prune 

 away the superfluous breast-wood made in summer. The 

 usual practice, however, till of late years, has been to 

 leave these spurs standing out from the walls for a great dis- 

 tance, and so thick that the tree in the end becomes like a 

 hedge more than a cultivated fruit-tree. The spurs thus stand- 

 ing out so far from the wall, benefit very little from the rays 

 of heat reflected from the wall, and are as much exposed to 

 die effect of frosts, and cutting winds, as if they were actually 

 growing on standards, independently of which, the fruit pro- 

 duced is of a very inferior quality. At this season, examine 

 all the apple and pear-trees, both on espaliers and walls, and 



