It is almost superfluous for us to enter upon the various modes and modifications adopted for the Pear in the open garden or orchard. Every cultivator has a mode of his own, which he is sure to consider one of the best, if not the very best, extant. All the different methods may, however, be reduced to three general principles - viz., the pyramid, the dwarf-stemmed standard, and the tail-stemmed standard.

The Quince stock is the only one which forms, as a rule, a real pyramid. Other stocks may be used, but, to keep them in proper form, the knife will be much required in winter, and the thumb and finger in summer. Much wood which should go to form fruit-bearing branches will, for appearance' sake, have to be sacrificed. If the Quince stock is used, little or no winter pruning will be required - a little attention in summer with the thumb and finger will do all that is necessary. If we suppose our tree a maiden, with a good strong shoot 2 1/2 or 3 feet long when planted, we cut this back to about 1 foot 9 inches or 2 feet, according to taste. If we want branches down within one foot of the ground, 1 foot 9 inches will be long enough, but as a rule 2 feet will be better, as few people care for the branches being nearer the ground than 1 1/2 feet. In spring, if the buds start below where wanted, rub them off; and if any of those left appear too vigorous for the rest, bend them down to a stake and pinch out the point after it is about 12 inches long. By thus using the finger and thumb in summer - encouraging the weakly and depressing the strong - very little work will be left for the knife in winter, save reducing the branches to their proper lengths.

The main stem ought to be trained to a stake in an upright direction, but should not be pinched unless it is growing too strong, and robbing the under branches, in which case it may be pinched after it is about 20 inches in height. We do not, however, recommend this unless absolutely necessary, as it has a tendency to start the young buds intended for next season, and which, especially in Scotland, would not ripen, and consequently would be lost. In winter, cut the leader down to about 1 1/2 feet from where it started this year, and shorten the side-shoots to about 1 foot at the base, reducing their length to about 3 inches at the top. Year after year the same course is to be followed until the tree arrives at the desired height, when pinching in summer, with a little application of the knife in winter, will keep it in proper form and bounds. As a rule, from 6 to 9 feet is quite high enough for trees worked upon the Quince stock, while those upon the Pear stock may be allowed to grow from 12 to 16 feet. Trees upon the Quince do not require root-pruning, but should be rather encouraged, as they never incline to penetrate too deep, and they also have a tendency to form a superabundance of flower-buds, which root-pruning would only help to encourage.

Those upon the Pear will require it regularly, as already indicated in treating of wall-trees; and this rule holds good, no matter what form of training is adopted.

Dwarf-stemmed stardards are generally upon the Pear stock, as are also the tall-stemmed standards. Dwarfs include all trees with a stem from 1 to 3 feet - tall all from that up to 5 feet, beyond which no standard ought to have a stem. If the tree has been grafted near the ground, and made a good maiden shoot, it ought to be cut back to about 1 1/2 feet in winter, which will make it a fine height for a dwarf. In summer, according to its strength, it will form from three to six branches, which, if nicely disposed, may be shortened a little in winter, leaving the buds at the point looking in the direction in which branches are wanted. Should they have a tendency to grow too erect, it would be as well to tie them down a little, placing them equidistant, so as to form the groundwork of a nicely-formed tree. No further instructions upon this point of management can be given. The cultivator must use his own judgment, striving in all his after-management to spread the tree as much as possible to get every branch in its proper place, and when once there to keep it there, inducing it to grow as erect as possible - never allowing two branches to cross each other in growth, and endeavouring, as far as possible, to have each branch about 1 foot from the other.

If due attention is paid to the training, in the course of ten or twelve years a handsome tree, covering about 5 feet all round the stem, with from eighty to ninety branches about 6 or 7 feet high, will be formed, which we consider quite high enough where look and usefulness are both considered. A tree trained in this method will bear more and better fruit than many trees which appear double their size, and are full of cross and ugly branches. Suppose every branch of 6 feet in length is allowed to bear 3 lb. of fruit, which many may be inclined to say is a very little crop, but which nevertheless is quite sufficient, it will be found that, if there are ninety branches, the total crop will thus be about 270 lb.; besides, the fruit will be both larger and of better quality on account of the distance between the branches, which allows a free circulation of air, as well as exposing the whole to the free action of the sun. Tall standards are just managed much in the same manner after the stem has arrived at the desired height. They are more adapted for orchard than garden culture, however, and are generally allowed to grow to a considerable height. Nice trees can be formed upon stems 3 feet high, which appear in the distance like large globes.

No regular rule can be laid down for their production - the cultivator must use his own skill and knife in order to produce the desired effect. In fact, this may be said of all orchard trees. As neither cuts nor letterpress can properly illustrate them, a man must have seen the operation performed, and helped to perform it himself, before he can with confidence attempt it. There are many other forms of training which might be spoken of; for example, the vase, the vase-pyramid, the balloon, etc. etc.; but the greater portion of them are more intended for look than utility, and as our object in writing these papers has more reference to the latter than the former object, we will content ourselves by simply naming them.