ESPALIER, a term borrowed from the French, and signifying a railing on which fruit trees are trained as on a wall. Such railings are very variously constructed—sometimes of wood, sometimes of iron, sometimes of upright rails held together by a horizontal rail at top, sometimes chiefly of horizontal rails with upright posts for their support. Espaliers may be very conveniently and cheaply made of strong iron wire, sustained by upright iron or wooden posts, as in ordinary wire fences. They vary in height from 4 to about 8 ft,, according to situation and the 'size of the garden. They have the advantage of securing the fruit in a great measure from the effect of winds, which often shake off great part of the crop of standard trees whilst still unripe: and from the full exposure to sun and air, excellent fruit is produced, although there is no reflected heat as from a wall, which is therefore still superior. Espaliers are very common in gardens in Britain, and add at once to the beauty and the productiveness of a garden, the ground not being overshadowed as by standard trees, although, of course, the roots of the trees render it unsuitable for many crops to some distance on both sides of the espalier. Espaliers are often used to separate flower-borders from plots occupied by culinary vegetables. Apples and pears are considered more suitable for espaliers than any other kinds of fruit trees commonly cultivated in Britain. The treatment is generally similar to that of wall trees, but the training is usually by horizontal branches. It is not unusual, when trees have become old and their branches thick and firm, to dispense with great part of the rails necessary in their earlier training.
ESPARTE`110„ToAquix BALDOMERO, ex-regent of Spain, count of Luchana, duke of Vittoria, etc., was b. in the year 1792, at Granatula, in La Mancha (Ciudad Real), where his father, Antonio Espartero, followed the occupation of a cartwright. E. was intended for the ecclesiastical profession, and in 1806 went to the university of Almagro, but two years later, on the invasion of Spain by the French, he entered the sacred battalion (batallon sagrado), so called from being composed almost entirely of students. After the close of the war of independence in 1814, he went to South America, where lie fought against the insurgents; but after the victory gained by Bolivar at Ayacucho, Dec. 9, 1824, had put an end to the Spanish rule on the continent of America, E.
returned to Spain. In 1832, he declared himself openly in favor of the succession of the daughter of Ferdinand VII. ; and on the breaking out of the civil war after the king's death, he soon rose to the rank of lieut.gen. In Aug., 1886, he succeeded in saving the city of Madrid, and became successively gen.-in-chief of the army in the n., viceroy of Navarre, and capt.gen. of the Basque provinces. When the army of Don Carlos appeared before Madrid on the 12th Sept., 1837, E. had again the glory of saving the capital. His successful campaign of 1839, which resulted in the expulsion of Don Carlos from Spain, procured him the title. of grandee of Spain, and duque de la Vittoria y de Morella. In 1840, the queen-mother, Christina, was com pelled to resign her office of regent, and on the 8th of May, 1841, E. was appointed by the Cortes to supply her place until the queen (Isabella) should have reached her majority. E. guided the helm of the state with energy, firmness, and ability; but in 1843 an unscrupulous and unprincipled combination of parties naturally inimical to each other, the republicans and the moderados, brought about his fall. E. sailed for England, where he resided for four years. In 1847, he returned to Spain, and lived quietly at Logrofio till 1854, when the wretched despotism and profligacy with which the name of Christina is associated, caused an insurrection of the people, and compelled the queen-mother to leave the kingdom. E. was again called to the head of the government, and conducted the affairs of the nation for two years; but in July, 1856, he was supplanted by gen. O'Donnell. In 1857, he resigned his dignity as senator, and after that time rarely took part in politics. After the revolutiop of 1868, which resulted in, the expulsion of queen Isabella, E. gave his full and hearty adhesion to the 'provisional government, though he took no part in their proceedings. In 1870, E. was induced to become a candidate for the throne of Spain; but withdrew in June of the same year, alleging his age and the division of parties as excuse. In 1875, he adhered to king Alfonso. He died in Jan., 1879.