58 THE FLORIST. 
pruning, helps to keep in check the tendency of trees to make more 
wood than is required for producing fruit under the artificial circum- 
stances in which they are placed; and as the wood selected is arranged 
under the most favourable conditions for being acted upon by atmo- 
spheric influences, the formation of fruit buds is thereby promoted. 
Training may be further defined as an artificial process for bringing the 
fruit-producing powers of the tree operated upon within certain limits of 
control, so as to induce the production of the largest quantity of fruit 
commensurate with the vital powers of the tree to bring it to perfection. 
Besides the property of inducing a more fruitful habit in trees by training, 
where they are planted and trained against walls with a southern 
aspect, an improved climate is produced, owing to the reflection of the 
sun’s rays from the face of the wall, and also by the absorption of heat 
by the latter, which, given off again slowly, helps to maintain a tem- 
perature somewhat higher than the surrounding air to the trees during 
the night ; hence fruits ofa warmer climate than Britain, as the Peach, 
Fig, &c., are ripened to perfection on walls with a sunny aspect, and 
those of a more hardy description, as the Plum, Cherry, Pear, Xc., by 
being trained against walls (excepting, of course, on the north side) are 
much improved in size, and ripen earlier. Training on espaliers, or 
rails, as well as the different forms of training standard and bush fruit 
trees, cannot be said to confer any advantage of improved climate, and 
we must look to training alone as the means of obtaining better crops of 
finer fruit, by inducing the formation of fruit buds, and directing the 
energies of the trees to the proper maturing of the fruit more completely 
than would otherwise take place. 
Different forms of training trees against walls have been practised by 
gardeners by way of adapting them to the objects either of checking a 
too free habit, or of more effectively promoting fruitfulness. Some of 
these are too artificial, as well as in opposition to the natural 
habit of the tree, and the best fruit growers are now content with the 
two methods in general use, namely, the horizontal and fan-shaped 
systems; to which may be added, as more recent, the vertical and 
angular mode; while for espaliers, &c., the horizontal, by directly 
adapting itself to the shape of the trellis, is the most in use. The modes 
adopted for pyramidal and dwarf Pears, Apples, and bush fruits, are 
various, and will be noticed hereafter in detail. 
We have stated above that training fruit trees is an artificial process, 
one object of which is to increase their fruitfulness; and as the space 
allotted for them against walls generally necessitates a curtailment of their 
growth, the cultivator has to guard against the tendency of the tree to 
exceed its assigned limits, and also to keep the middle’ of the tree filled 
with bearing wood. With the Pear the horizontal form has been adopted 
as a means of checking its too free growth, but now that oof management 
(which includes the preparation of the border and root pruning) is so much 
better understood than formerly, the checking of an over luxuriant, or 
improving an unfruitful habit, is more effectually provided for by the 
above means than by any special arrangement of their branches for the 
purpose, bearing in mind, however, that under any system it will at— 
times be found necessary to elevate or depress the angle at which either 
