TRAINING PEACH TREES. 
203 
ARTICLE VI. 
ON MR. SEYMOUR’S SYSTEM OF TRAINING PEACH TREES. 
BY MR. THOS. CAMERON. 
Being a great admirer of good Wall Trees, and having had a toler¬ 
able share of experience in the different methods of training; I hail 
with pleasure any communication tending to improve, or elucidate, 
their system of management, with these feelings I have read the 
communications, from the respective pens of Messrs. Harrison, Dy¬ 
son, and others. 
Mr. Harrison speaks unfavourably of Mr. Seymour’s system, and 
some of his arguments are just; the rugged protuberances which he 
mentions, under proper management will not occur, but that the 
origin of the new shoot will be farther removed from the main branch, 
is most certainly true, but never so much so as to have an unsightly 
appearance. 
Mr. Dyson’s charge against the Fan system, is a very grave one, 
and requires mature consideration since it amounts to its total ex¬ 
tinction. That Mr. Seymour’s system is very scientific and uniform 
I allow, also, that I would adopt it in preference to many others; 
nevertheless, it is my candid opinion, that a greater quantity of bear¬ 
ing wood, may be obtained in the same space, and consequently 
larger crops, by the method of Fan training than by Mr. Seymour’s. 
The tree figured in your last, as one of six years standing, has 
twenty-eight permanent or main branches, with but one line of bear¬ 
ing wood along their upper side; whereas, in a well trained fan tree, 
there would be fewer main branches, and considerably more fruiting 
wood at the disposal of the gardener. 
Why the fruit should be larger upon Mr. Seymour’s training, I 
cannot imagine; I have seen them both in perfection, and have ne¬ 
ver observed any difference in this respect; and I will venture to 
say, that if two trees in a healthy state were trained in the above 
methods, and the same quantity of fruit allowed to remain on each, 
there would not be the difference spoken of. Mr. Dyson stigmatises 
the fan system, as a heterogeneous mass of unnecessary branches, 
which opinion my experience enables me to controvert, nothing can 
be more beautiful than a well-disposed fan tree; for gardeners who 
manage their trees properly, are not in the habit of leaving unneces¬ 
sary branches. Although there is not that mathematical precision, 
as on Mr. Seymour’s system, yet there is an uniformity, which ren- 
