18 July 2017
espalier
[ih-spal-yer, -yey]
noun
1. a trellis or framework on which the trunk and branches of fruit trees or shrubs are trained to grow in one plane.
2. a plant so trained.
verb (used with object)
3. to train on an espalier.
4. to furnish with an espalier.
Origin of espalier
Italian
1655-1665; French, Middle French: trellis; Italian spalliera back rest, espalier, equivalent to spall(a) shoulder, support + -iera -ier2
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for espalier
Historical Examples
Trained as an espalier, with protection of straw or mats, it will do tolerably well throughout the Middle states.
Soil Culture
J. H. Walden
Attend to the trees lately planted, and water them often; and whatever good shoots they make, fasten them to the wall or espalier.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
A beautiful portion of Holland’s glorious history affords the espalier, around which the tendrils of my narrative entwine.
The Burgomaster’s Wife, Complete
Georg Ebers
This practice is also followed in winter cabbages, which are sown in this season along an espalier border.
Buffon’s Natural History. Volume X (of 10)
Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
The U-form classifies somewhere between the cordon and the espalier.
Dwarf Fruit Trees
F. A. Waugh
Rosalie had tied the twigs to a palisade, so that, as an espalier, it could thoroughly drink in the sun’s rays.
O. T.
Hans Christian Andersen
Anagram
pale rise
real pies
pair eels
Today’s quote
I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.
– Shannon Hale
On this day
18 July – Mandela Day – An internationally recognised day to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. ‘Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day’. http://www.mandeladay.com/
18 July 64 AD – Great Fire of Rome.
18 July 1918 – birth of Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician. Died 5 December 2013.
18 July 1925 – Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf. He wrote the book in prison while serving a sentence for treason. Mein kampf is German for ‘My Struggle’. The book is a rambling read in which Hitler covers many concepts including what he was like as a child and the reasons for collapse of the Second Reich. At its core it expresses Hitler’s view of his plans for Germany and often blames the Jews for many of the ills that had beset Germany, including the rise of Marxism, controlling the economy, weakening the army and bastardising the white race. Throughout the book, Hitler often mentioned that his plans to combat the Jewish influence in Germany was a fulfilment of the Lord’s will.
18 July 1937 – birth of Hunter S. Thompson, American writer and gonzo journalist. Died 20 February 2005.
18 July 1950 – birth of Richard Branson, British entrepreneur.