510 
DWAKF STANDARD TEAR-TREKS. 
IongB8t at the base of the tree, and gradually 
shortening upwards ; these shoots are brought 
down in B pendent manner, by bending the point 
downwards and tieing it with a string to the 
stem, till its growth is finished. As more of 
these side branches than would be required 
would be formed annually, they must be 
thinned by disbudding to about nine or twelve 
inches apart, varjdng the distance according 
to the slender or vigorous growth of the tree, 
or whether it produces large or small foliage : 
the object, of course, is, to thin them enough to 
keep the branches i'rom becoming crowded. 
The tieing down is done when the shoots are 
fully grown, about the end of July; and in the 
course of the winter the strings are removed, 
and the branches are found to be set in a 
curved manner. If any of them grow too 
vigorously in the summer, they are to be tied 
down again ; the object of tieing being to 
check their vigour, and to cause the shoot 
to expand itself in producing flower-buds. 
Lindley thus explains the rationale of the 
practice : — " The effect of turning the branches 
of a tree from their natural position to a pendu- 
lous or horizontal one, is to impede both the 
ascent and descent of the fluids in a gradual 
but certain manner. The tissue of which 
branches are composed are certainly permeable 
to fluids in every direction, and there can be 
no doubt that the vital action of the vessels of 
n plant is performed both in the natural and 
inverted position. So long as that erect 
direction of tbe branches which is natural to 
them is exactly maintained, the flow of their 
fluids being subject to no interruption, will 
take place in the fleetest manner possible ; 
but the moment this natural direction is 
deviated from, the vessels become more or less 
compressed, their action is impeded, and 
finally, if the inversion is perfect, it becomes 
so slow, that an accumulation of the proper 
juices necessarily takes place through every 
part of the system," resulting in the formation 
and development of fruit buds. 
Neither of these methods can be regarded 
as being perfect ; the former is most suitable 
for weak and slender growing varieties, for 
the stronger ones will not submit to so much 
restraint. The latter has the disadvantage of 
the uppermost branches continually growing 
and hanging over, and shading those which 
are beneath them, though, as the points of the 
branches would be the most productive parts, 
the fruit would only be shaded to a certain 
extent. Neither is there space afforded on 
the trees for an amount of produce equal to 
what will, in most cases, be obtained from the 
method now to be considered, and which is 
represented by the cut at the head of this 
paper. 
Umbrella Training. — The pendulous, or 
umbrella training seems to present the greatest 
advantages of any method which has been 
devised for disposing of the branches of dwarf 
standard Pear-trees. The most perfect form 
of pendulous training is something like the 
following : — From the top of a straight stem, 
six, seven, or eight feet high, (trees of one 
particular height should be planted together, 
for the sake of appearance,) a series of seven 
or eight strong healthy shoots, as nearly equal 
as possible, should be provided ; these may be 
obtained by pruning back the three or four 
shoots produced the first year from the top ot 
the stock, and retaining two or three shoots 
from each the following year ; of course, the 
most evenly placed shoots as to distance 
should be selected. When the requisite num- 
ber of shoots are secured, the next thing is to 
train them into the figure of the future tree ; 
first outwards, in each direction, and then 
downwards, so as to form a figure resembling 
an umbrella, or, by a little modification of 
form and stretch of imagination, a balloon. 
The manner in which the tree may be first 
moulded into form, may be something like 
the following : — The stem of the tree should 
be firmly fixed upright ; about level with the 
point where the branches issue from the top 
of the stem, a circular hoop of wood, or stout 
iron wire, about five or six feet in diameter, 
should be fixed, by means of tall stakes; to this 
hoop the branches are to be trained, radiating 
outwards from the centre ; about three feet 
lower down, another hoop should be fixed 
seven or eight feet in diameter, towards 
which, as they extend, the branches are to be 
