120 
TRAINING. 
fcHAP. V. 
plants; but it consists principally in checking 
their over-luxuriance of growth* and tying 
them to stakes or wooden frames. In all 
kinds of training* neatness is essentially re¬ 
quisite* and any departure from it is exceed¬ 
ingly offensive. Where the hand of art is so 
evident as it is in training* we require exces¬ 
sive neatness to make us amends for the loss 
of the graceful luxuriance of nature. 
The operation of training against a wall is 
performed by the aid of nails and shreds; 
the shreds being narrow oblong pieces of list 
or cloth* put round the branches* and attached 
to the w T all by nails driven in with a hammer. 
Care should be taken that the pieces of list 
are long enough to allow of the free passage 
of the sap* and yet not so long as to permit 
the branch to be so agitated by the wind as 
to bruise itself against the wall. The nails 
should also never be driven in so as to wound 
or corrode the bark; and when driving in 
the nails* the gardener should be very care¬ 
ful not to bruise the branch with his hammer. 
The shreds should be broad enough not to 
cut the bark* and yet not so broad as to 
cover the buds; and they should* as much 
