April 28, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
317 
cover about 25 yards run of a wall 7 feet G inche.s high, and will cost 
about 30s. To this has to be added the cost of the strips of wood and 
the fixing, but when the after saving of labour and the better training 
that can be done are considered I think it is well worth its cost, or 
indeed the lattice frames, to anyone who can afford to keep a gardener, 
and presuming the house and garden are held on a lone lease. 
The border on which my trees are planted is only 6 feet wide, as in 
orfer not to entail too much expense I took a comparatively narrow 
piece of land, which I have many times since regretted. The soil has 
been made about 20 inches deep, and I have a drain 2 feet deep running 
down the walk. The wall is divided by pillars into bays of about 
12 feet 6 inches. I have used the pillars in the past for experimental 
purposes, planting single cordons or pyramids with one side cut off, and 
in the bays I have planted part horizontal and part five-branched 
upright trained trees. 
Horizontal training is undoubtedly bcst for permanent trees, but 
four of the latter can be put where there could only be one of the 
former. ^ The wall is covered sooner, a greater variety may be had if 
this is wished for, and perhaps there is a little better chance of a crop, 
having four trees to depend upon instead of one only. In planting, I 
j satisfactorily, which in this high and exposed part it unfortunately very 
often does not, there will probably be a number of Pears on every 
bunch ; when they appear to be safe, and have got to the size of, say, a 
horse bean, I thin them down to about three, when they get larger to 
! two, and when quite safe to one. A little later, if I think there are too 
I many on the whole for the tree to bring to perfection, which will some¬ 
times happen, I thin them again, and endeavour to leave them regularly 
distributed all over the tree. It is possible, of course, to get bunches of 
Pears and a great q uantity on a tree sometimes, but not, I think, regular- 
bearing or fine dessert fruit in that way. 
When the fruit is set I have the trees well syringed about once a 
week, and during the early part of the season carefully examine them 
for insects, particularly the small caterpillar which glues the leaves 
together, or glues the leaves to the fruit and eats boles into it and the 
stems of the fruit. I am careful, also, as far I can without injury to 
future bloom buds that may be forming, to remove any leaves that cover 
the fruit so that it may be fully exposed to the sun. While this is going 
on I am looking also after the new wood ; this, at least all I require, I 
tie in to get it as I have said as close as I can to the wall, and then cut 
the ends off, leaving about four or five leaves, and any superfiuous new 
Fig. 54.—PITMASTON DUCHESS PEAR TREE. (Grown in a Town Garden.) 
put four or sometimes nine 9-inch stones at the bottom of the hole 
about 18 inches below the surface, making a square foundation, 
beginning close to the wall and reaching 18 inches or 27 inches from it. 
This prevents any strong roots from striking downwards, and very much 
facilitates moving if required, also root-pruning. I think there is 
hardly one of my trees that I could not move with care if I wished, 
although one or two have been planted more than twenty years. 
The border, at least the front portion, I plant with flowers, annuals 
for the summer, and in preparing the ground for these in June I put a 
little artificial manure near the surface in the neighbourhood of the 
roots of the trees. In the autumn I plant Daisies, Wallflowers, &c,, and 
in working the ground for these I have, about every other year, or 
oftener if necessary, a deep trench made round each tree, going close up 
to the wall, and varying in distance from the stem according to the size 
and age of the tree. If young and growing too strongly I carefully 
examine the ball, and cut back any strong roots that may be found ; if 
there are none I work up a little closer, or perhaps lift the tree 
altogether. The trench is then refilled with the soil and old manure 
mixed in. At the autumn pruning, if there is a superfluity of bloom buds, I 
cut some of them off ; and again at the flowering time, if I find there is 
too much blossom, I snip off the weakest when the buds have burst, and 
before the petals have opened. It is of no use having three or four 
bunches of bloom close together, each of which may give a number of 
Pears, when only one fruit can be allowed to remain. If the fruit sets 
wood I cut away altogether, keeping also in view the desirability, if 
possible, of preventing one part of the tree from growing stronger than 
another. At the autumn pruning I cut these shoots back to about three 
buds unless I have room to leave them longer ; and shorten and thin 
out any old wood that is making the tree too crowded. I also cut back 
or draw in if I can any short useful branches that stand out too far, and 
rub off part of the buds, or cut away altogether those spurs which some¬ 
times form with a number of small buds on them that never come to 
anything. 
The main shoots of the horizontal and upright trained trees I have 
usually shortened to about 8 to 12 inehes of new growth, but this year 
with the trees that are not fully grown I am leaving them the full 
length with the intention of shortening them later in the season. This 
is an experiment I am trying from having recently read in a small book 
by Mr. Wright, that leading branches when cut back, as I have been in 
the habit of doing, were apt to start only from the last two or three 
buds, the others remaining dormant. I have found this to be the case 
occasionally, and shall wait for the result of the experiment. 
I now proceed to the descriptions of the Pears, and 1 must here add 
that it took me a great many years to learn what sorts would and would 
not do here. First, I consider it useless attempting to grow varieties in 
this neighbourhood that ripen after the end of December. I have tried 
Josephine de Malines, Bergamotte Esperen, and Olivier de Serres, and 
after keeping them for years have done away with them. The latter is 
