5t^g\q 9 /TV. 
294 THE TYING DOWN SYSTEM WITH FRUIT TREES. 
second, third, foiortli, &o., year's pruning, with endless references to spur eyes, &c., assiduously 
classified as to character, and which were, (or ought to have been,) fruitful in a given period. 
All this really looked a very smart affair assm-edly, on paper, but many an unhappy wight soon 
found to his cost, that these spurs were somewhat intractable, and that then- character was liable to 
be changed of a sudden, by wet and growing periods, by spade culture and manuring ; or even by 
injudicious pruning- or disbudding. For my own part, I never strictly followed these arbitrary prac- 
tices ; but, about that period, I began seriously to consider whether some less artistic practice could not 
be established — some practice going ivith the tendencies of the tree, instead of against them; and 
which " he who runs may read." 
Such then is the " tying down" system ; a name, to be sure, not fully descriptive of the whole 
merits of the practice, but which having become in some degree established, may perhaps as well 
remain undisturbed. As the name implies, it consists mainly in tying down a considerable amount of 
the young spray annually, during the spring and summer cultm-e instead of cutting it away, in the 
vain endeavour to force the trees to bear on spurs. 
In detailing my mode of prooedui'e, it may be premised, that it becomes necessary under this 
system to place the leading shoots fm-ther apart than usual ; for, as an increased amount of foliage is 
produced along the leading branches, it becomes necessary to obtain as much light as possible on 
all sides. I consider that nine inches is necessary for Pears, Plums, and Cherries ; in some cases a 
trifle more, or a trifle less, according to the size of the foliage. One point must here be adverted to, 
as we proceed, and that is, that the leaders being placed at systematic distances, are considered more 
as mere ducts than as the producers of fruit in themselves. They, therefore, become at once the source 
of a perpetual supply of young shoots, and also a living trellis, whereon to train their offspruig. 
The strict fan mode of training, is therefore not quite the thing for carrying out this system 
completely, inasmuch as the acute angle, formed by the point of divcrgance of any two given branches, 
has a tendency to huddle the young spray too closely ; or, in fact, to intercept, by their being in 
contact, the action of the sun on the wall, in the case of wall or fence trees ; which action I am ac- 
customed to consider a collateral advantage of no mean weight ; for the wall, dm'ing sunny weather, 
becomes a reservoii- of heat, to be given out during the night in a progressive manner, thus qualifying 
atmospheric extremes. 
The mode of training the main branches I have for years practised, with the tying down system, 
is what may be termed the cxu-ved fan ; for, although the branches at their junction with the main 
stem or collar, commence their radiating com'se in direct lines, they are made to fall in with the hori- 
zontal courses of the wall, at about a foot from the junction vnt\i the collar; and thenceforward, they 
continue in parallel lines. I name this, in order to show that the system, as pm'sued by me, is in a 
trijiiny degree incomplete ; those who want to carry it completely out, will be necessitated, perhaps; 
to adopt the old plan of Pear training, viz., of carrying up a central leader, and causing the side 
branches to diverge at right angles to the main stem from the bottom of the tree to the top. 
In commencing to train young trees then, in order to carry out this system, my practice is in ac- 
cordance with an old apothegm, as applied to the formation of a hedge; and which, as a maxim, is 
none the worse for wear — " always make the bottom first." The framing of the main leaders com- 
mence at the lower part of the wall ; the first pair of shoots right and left, being strictly parallel with 
a course of bricks about nine inches above the ground level. The next pair take a slight divergence 
just above the collar, and each pair more so, as the tree ascends. 
Although I spoke of this mode of training as being perhaps slightly incomplete, (inasmuch as the 
want of a strict parallelism through the whole course of the main leaders does not give every portion 
a perfect equality as to the admission of light) ; yet it has one advantage, as I presume, in compensa- 
tion. I mean the tendency to an equalisation of the sap, produced by the progressively increasing 
amount of divergence in the main leaders, as they are situated higher up the tree. Another advan- 
tage too attaches to this mode, beyond that of forming the whole tree from one perpendicular shoot — 
I generally reserve two or three shoots, whilst the tree is young, as a nursery in, or about, the centre 
of the tree. These are pruned back in the winter for a season or two, in order to produce at the 
necessary point of divergence the side leaders, which are to complete the form of the tree. By the 
old perpendicidar mode, it is well Ivuown, that it required some years to establish a tree ; but, by de- 
parting thus far from a mere mathematical nicety, a tree may be made to cover a given space in one 
half the time ; a matter of great importance with thousands, especially amatem's. 
Thus far then, as preliminary to the principal issue of oiir subject, I would now show, in a p 
brief, yet explicit way, how the " tying down " system is carried out: premising, in the first place, ^ 
that I am not undertaking to teach experienced professionals, but rather those, who, ha%'ing little to 
