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LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS 
 
 AGRICULTURAL 
 
 COLLEGE 
 
 THURBER - WOOLSON 
 COLLECTION 
 
 3*57 
 
 374 
 
 NO. 
 
 "HE CLASS OF 
 SPEQAL 
 a ARCHIVES 
 
 lTE 
 
 CDLLi CTIONS 
 
This book may be kept out 
 
 TWO WEEKS 
 
 only, and is subject to a fine of TWO 
 CENTS a day thereafter. It will be due on 
 the day indicated below. 
 
CORDON TRAINING 
 
 OF 
 
 FRUIT TREES, 
 
 DIAGONAL, VERTICAL, SPIRAL, HORIZONTAL, 
 
 ADAPTED TO THE ORCHARD-HOUSE AND OPEN-AIR CULTURE. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. T. COLLINGS BREHAUT. 
 
 WITH A 
 
 SUPPLEMENT, 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 REMARKS ON CORDON TRAINING; THE CULTIVATION AND 
 
 PRUNING OF PEACH TREES IN POTS; THE BEST 
 
 VARIETIES OF FRUITS FOR POT CULTURE; 
 
 AND 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS ON ORCHARD-HOUSES ADAPTED TO 
 THE CLIMATE OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 By C. M. HOVEY, 
 
 PRESIDENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETT ; 
 KBITOR OF THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE, AND AUTHOR OF THE FRUITS OF AMERICA. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 HOVEY & CO., 33 KILBY STREET. 
 1864. 
 

 CLERGY OF ENGLAND 
 
 PERSONS OF MODERATE INCOMES 
 
 THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 H. W. DnTTON & SON, PaiNTERS, 
 'M WASHINGTON STREET. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 3B 
 
 CM 
 
 CHAPTKR. PAGE. 
 
 I. Introductory, -- 1 
 
 II. General Principles of Fruit Culture, - - - - 6 
 
 III. Seasons for Planting and Pruning, - - - - 11 
 
 IV. Defects of some Methods of Fruit Culture, - - 16 
 V. Cordon Training; its advantages and uses,- - - 19 
 
 VI. Cordon Training in Peach Trees; the Diagonal Cor- 
 don, 23 
 
 VII. Spiral Cordons, 38 
 
 VIII. Vertical Cordons, 39 
 
 IX. Horizontal Cordons, - - v 41 
 
 X. Cordon Training in Apricot Trees, . - . . 43 
 
 XI. Cordon Training in Plum and Cherry Trees, - - 46 
 
 XII. Cordon Training in Pear Trees, 50 
 
 XIII. Horizontal, Vertical, and Spiral Cordons, in Pear 
 
 Trees, - 54 
 
 XIV. Remarks on Trees in Pots, - - - - - - 57 
 
 XV. How to Supply Blank Spaces in Cordons, . - - 63 
 
 XVI. Objections to Cordon Training answered, - - - 65 
 XVII. Remarks on the Dimensions, &c., suitable for Orchard- 
 Houses, 68 
 
 XVIII. Names of some Varieties recommended for In-door 
 
 AND Out-door Culture, 69 
 
 XIX. Concluding Observations, 74 
 
 SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 Introductory, - - - - 81 
 
 Cordon Training, 83 
 
 Peaches in Pots, 88 
 
 Best Fruits for Orchard-Houses, ----- 98 
 
 General Remarks, - 103 
 
 Monthly Operations in the Orchard-House for the 
 
 Year, 107 
 
 Repotting Orchard-House Trees, Ill 
 
 Insects, 112 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Frontispiece, 
 figure. page. 
 
 1. Fruit Spurs on the Peach, showing the successive growths 
 
 and alternate pruning, - - .34 
 
 Fruit Spurs on the Peach — alternate Pruning — second 
 
 APPEARANCE?k 36 
 
 Formation of Fruit Spurs on the Apricot — First Win- 
 ter's Pruning, •- - 44 
 
 Formation of Fruit Spurs on the Apricot — Second Win- 
 ter's Pruning, 45 
 
 Formation of Spurs on the Plum — First W^inter's Pruning, 47 
 Formation of Fruitful Spurs on the Plum — Second Win- 
 ter's Pruning, 48 
 
 Formation of Fruitful Spurs on the Pear — Commencement, 52 
 
 Formation of Fruitful Spurs on the Pear — Completion, - 53 
 
 SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 9. Espalier Training in Oblique Lines (Cordon Oblique) - 85 
 
 10. First Pinching of the Buds of the Peach, - - - - 93 
 
 11. Second Pinching of the Buds of the Peach, - - - 93 
 
 12. Third Pinching of the Buds of the Peach, - - - 94 
 
 13. Fruit Spurs of the Peach, resulting from the Mode of 
 
 Pruning, 94 
 
 14. Young Shoots of the Peach just at the proper time to 
 
 Pinch, 94 
 
 15. Spur of the Peach resulting from the Pinching of the 
 
 Buds too late, 95 
 
 16. Spur of the Peach dried up, resulting from Pinching 
 
 too late, 95 
 
 17. Spur of the Peach resulting from Pinching the Buds at 
 
 the proper time, 95 
 
 18. Little Spur of the Peach, resulting from Pinching the 
 
 Buds and the Incision, 96 
 
 19. Spur of the Peach, bearing Flower Buds only, - - 96 
 
 20. Spur of the Peach deprived of the Flower Buds and 
 
 submitted to the incision, 96 
 
CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 Most books, whatever their size or subject, are better un- 
 derstood for some sort of prefatory remarks, and in an age 
 and country in which liorticulture meets with such high 
 patronage, it may seem presumptuous for an amateur to treat 
 of such a subject ; it may appear uncalled for ; and may 
 even require explanation of his motives. 
 
 This feeling is not altogether without its uses, and the 
 author hastens to say, that this short work is the result of 
 much leisure time, which an enforced idleness, the result of 
 over-fatigue in the charge of a large parish, unexpectedly 
 created. 
 
 Summer after summer, and winter after winter, was passed 
 by him abroad. It was impossible to be unemployed, and thus 
 he was enabled to observe the various modes of fruit culture 
 practised in different countries. 
 
 This is an advantage, which is not always within the reach 
 of the most experienced gardener. But with the exception 
 of certain indigenous fruits, it is not necessary so to wander 
 to be convinced of the inferiority of continental gardening, 
 taken as a whole, compared with that of England. It is only 
 as we return northwards, that we can appreciate the skill by 
 which the very necessities of climate have led to the introduc- 
 tion of methods which have more than compensated for the 
 want of sun heat. A liberal use of glass enables us, even 
 1 
 
2 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 without artificial heat, to obtain dry and equable tempera- 
 tures, which rival the climate of the most fertile portions of 
 France ; and this without risk of damage from the spring 
 frosts, which, in those localities, are so injurious to vege- 
 tation. 
 
 It is not too much to anticipate the day when every small 
 garden will be considered deficient in one of its most indis- 
 pensable requisites, if it fail to have its orchard house, as well 
 as its modest vinery. Persons of moderate means will ever 
 find the orchard liouse a source of amusement and profit. 
 It is easy to construct ; equally easy to slock ; the manage- 
 ment is simple and readily understood, and the author is very 
 desirous of showing how a moderate amount of expense will 
 enable any one to be his " own gardener," and be thus lib- 
 erated from a degrading dependence on the caprice of un- 
 skilled men. 
 
 To his brethren, the clergy, scattered in villages, and thus 
 necessarily somewhat dependent on the limited resources 
 which these can supply, it seemed to him a grateful task to 
 state his own experience, and if he shall be able in any de- 
 gree to simplify the practice of fruit culture, and thus save a 
 portion of their invaluable time, his own labor will certainly 
 not have been thrown away. 
 
 There is no doubt that fruit culture is, as yet, very imper- 
 fectly understood, even by scientific men. Great advances 
 are, however, being made daily in this interesting branch, 
 and it is certain that few things tend more to further this 
 progress, than a simple and honest description of experience. 
 Every one can thus greatly judge for himself; and, by com- 
 paring his own observations with the notes made by others, 
 who are not more skilful, but wlio have more leisure, he may 
 reach a certain standard, which must be of immense value in 
 practice. It is difficult to account for the reticence observed 
 in these matters, and this is, doubtless, one great reason why 
 we do not advance as we should. 
 
 At the same time it is absolutely necessary to be cautious 
 in drawing conclusions from isolated facts. There are many 
 
ORCHARD-HOUSE CULTURE. 6 
 
 concurrent circumstances to be taken into consideration, 
 which arc not always allowed, at the time, to have their due 
 weight. It thus often happens that the observer who feels 
 almost certain of some new and important discovery, has too 
 often to recant his errors before the close of the season. All 
 these doubts greatly check and embarrass the amateur, but 
 they have their uses in preventing rash and vain experiments, 
 as well as in saving unnecessary expense. But in cases 
 where, after a certain time allowed for reflection, a succession 
 of ascertained results have arisen, any one, actuated by the 
 simple desire to communicate his own advantages to others, 
 can never be open to censure. A man who does this only 
 fulfils his duty.* 
 
 The author, as stated, had been in delicate health for a 
 long period : and this cause has rendered him desirous of 
 making known to invalids the benefits arising from the study 
 of fruit-culture, which in all its branches is so suitable a pur- 
 suit for such persons. In the form of orchard-house culture 
 little can be better adapted to restore health ; for from the 
 dry state of the atmosphere, and the free circulation of air 
 uncharged with the odors emanating from flowers, a walk in 
 almost all weathers is secured ; while the mind, diverted from 
 gloomy thoughts by the sight of the beautiful young trees, 
 either in full blossom or laden with fruit, or even in their 
 rest, gains a healthful tone, and finds all snggestive in the 
 highest degree. The writer never suffered, as he feared, 
 from draughts of cold air ; though, of course, common pre- 
 
 [* These are invaluable hints, and should be well considered. We know of 
 nothing that has so much retarded true progress as the publication of so many- 
 so-called important discoveries in cultivation, which are trumpeted as the basis 
 of all success. These engage the attention of young amateurs, and often older 
 practitioners, who, led away by the apparent success of the discoverer, change 
 their whole course of culture just in time to learn that the " important discover- 
 ies" are an entire failure. If this was only once it would do no great harm, 
 but hardly has the cultivator recovered from his failure before he follows some 
 other equally wild notion, to be in turn attended with no better results. The 
 advice of the author to follow only well-known authorities is of the utmost 
 importance. — c. m. h.] 
 
4 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 cautions must be observed, as in rough weather, or in periods 
 of frost. 
 
 His own orchard house has been to him a source of untir- 
 ing pleasure, and he has learnt in it more of the habits of the 
 various trees than could ever have been expected under the 
 old systems. The variety of the trees is so great, their habits 
 and products are so different, that the attention is soon arrest- 
 ed, and the cultivator cannot avoid remarking all this. But 
 if, in addition, he has the patience to follow up the seasons, 
 note-book in hand, it is truly astonishing how much a mere 
 amateur may quickly and readily learn. Open-air culture 
 has, of course, its own peculiar charms, though not so fasci- 
 nating, and no doubt is preferable in very hot weather.* 
 
 Another motive which presented itself, was the wish to 
 make known the decided success of a novel method of fruit 
 culture, called generally " Cordon Training." One form had 
 been found extremely adapted for the back wall of a lean-to 
 orchard house ; this was the Diagonal Cordon, with three lead- 
 ers, — a form which may be considered as the perfection of 
 the whole method. It has a certain resemblance to the 
 single oblique training practised so successfully at Montreuil, 
 near Paris ; very important modifications were required, how- 
 ever, before any practical result could be depended upon. 
 
 The climate of France is so different from that of England, 
 that what is proper in the one case becomes almost useless in 
 the other ; and the whole system now presented to the public 
 is so' altered, so combined, and, in the case of orchard-house 
 culture, so fundamentally different from the French system, 
 that it may be considered as a separate method, originating 
 from several others. Examples of this will abundantly occur 
 as the various forms are entered into and described. It will 
 be sufficient here to state, that the repeated summer pincb- 
 
 [* Our American climate fortunately is suflSciently warm and genial to remove 
 all the trees in orchard houses to the open air in June, or the sashes may be re- 
 moved with safety. If orchard houses are found less preferable for labor during 
 hot weather than the open air, in England, they would be far more oppressive 
 here. But this objection does not apply with us. — c. m. h.] 
 
PRODUCE OF ORCHARD HOUSE. 5 
 
 ings, by which the shoots on the spurs are rendered compact 
 and fruitful, are partly described in a work published in 
 1812. This suggested the system put in practice at Chartres 
 very lately. In the orchard house it must soon supersede 
 any other, and is recommended in the eighth edition of Mr. 
 Rivers's excellent work. Of course in the case of Diagonal 
 Training, important modifications have been introduced, ren- 
 dered necessary by the angle af which the trees lie, and also 
 by the exigences of the climate. 
 
 As the French have no cultivation worth mentioning un- 
 der glass (and indeed it is only in England that this inval- 
 uable advantage is properly appreciated), the treatment of 
 these spurs require^ peculiar changes, more especially in the 
 case of potted trees, in which the scientific research of Mr. 
 Rivers has created a new field. 
 
 With respect to the actual results as yet obtained, the back 
 wall of my orchard house, which is a lean-to, produced this 
 year at the rate of three peaches per square foot. 
 
 On this wall alone the produce was at the rate of 600 fine 
 peaches and nectarines (some of the former were nine inches 
 in circumference,) so that a house 100 feet long and propor- 
 tionately broad, might reasonably be expected to produce 
 2000 nectarines and late peaches on the back wall, and at 
 least as many more apricots and mid-season fruits upon the 
 rows of trees in pots. 
 
 Tliis crop, iBy no means an extraordinary one in fair sea- 
 sons, could reasonably be hoped for by following the Cordon 
 Training which is here described. 
 
 One word more as to the expense of orchard houses. At 
 the usual rate, one 30 feet long by 12 broad, should not cost 
 more than X30. The returns for this outlay would be great 
 under fair management, the more so as X 3 or .£4 in addition 
 would be sufficient to stock the house with trees, half of them 
 in bearing state. A week's visit to the Continent would cost 
 quite as much as this handsome ornament to a garden would, 
 and afford, in the course of time, far more real amusement. 
 
6 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OP FRUIT CULTURE. 
 
 The details, brief as they are, of this work, would not 
 readily be appreciated if a few general principles, obvious and 
 reasonable, were not first stated. General maxims are often 
 neglected in practice, so that it becomes necessary to re- 
 peat them in a short work such as this, because they render 
 the details more intelligible. 
 
 Many unskilled persons assert that the scientific culture of 
 fruit trees has neither the effect of increasing their productive 
 powers, nor of prolonging their vitality .'' Both these state- 
 ments are untrue. Experience has fully proved that certain 
 principles are necessary to be followed ; under these the re- 
 sults have been good : it is the deviation from them that is 
 the cause of failure. 
 
 It seems pretty certain that the office of the ascending sap 
 is to nourish and increase the volume of the whole tree, 
 while, by its passage through, and change while in the leaves, 
 and by its return to the roots, it promotes the production of 
 fruit. The sap becomes stored up, and ripened by the action 
 of light and heat, and in proportion as this action is retarded 
 or augmented, the tree is either productive or barren. A 
 certain action communicated to the sap will develop the 
 whole system in redundant wood. All tliis is modified by 
 attendant circumstances, but it is the general rule. 
 
 To regulate, distribute, and harmonize all these functions 
 is the duty of cultivation, and surely the preservation of the 
 balance between root and branch, and between fertility and 
 extension, can but have the effect of increasing the amount of 
 production, and also by economizing the vitality of the tree, 
 lengthening its life. 
 
 The locality chosen for any particular tree is of great im- 
 portance, and demands mucli reflection. In this tlie amateur 
 must submit to be guided by the experience of others, while 
 
FUNCTION OP THE LEAVES. 7 
 
 he carefully observes for himself. Before any final decision, 
 he should make a tour of the gardens in his neighborhood. 
 He should attentively note the varieties which flourish best in 
 the soil and aspect which correspond with those in his own 
 garden. The fruits most common in the neighboring markets 
 should also be considered, unless tliey are of an inferior de- 
 scription. These observations will not appear trivial to an 
 amateur. Every one has experienced the value of such 
 things who has commenced a career of horticulture. In 
 these cases a reference to the catalogue of a respectable nurs- 
 ery is invaluable, and may also be a great subject of amuse- 
 ment. 
 
 One hint more. In selecting the trees, let no one be influ- 
 enced by the mere price, for it is of the greatest importance 
 to have well grown and healthy trees to begin your experi- 
 ments upon and to avoid discouragement in the outset. 
 
 The selection then being made, the amateur should remem- 
 ber, that the natural tendency of the sap is to flow upwards 
 and towards the extremities of the branches, so that without 
 due care, especially at the commencement, the centre of the 
 tree, and the lowest branches (in the case of those on walls) 
 become less vigorously stimulated, and are thus dwarfed in 
 comparison with those higher up. This will cause an un- 
 equal distribution of fertility, and quickly destroy all the har- 
 mony and symmetry of the tree. The leaves, according to 
 their number and healthy state, draw up and attract the sap. 
 Therefore a branch, once enfeebled, has, by its very want of 
 power ^ an increased chance of decay. We must, therefore, 
 endeavor to avoid this feebleness. 
 
 Again, by this irregular distribution of strength, the whole 
 tree is disturbed, and eventually ruined. For when in this 
 diseased condition it receives any shock, as by an attack of 
 blight (perhaps by two or three successive attacks) ; by injury 
 to its roots from any cause ; by any of its branches breaking 
 in a gale of wind ; the first irregularity of form becomes so 
 considerably augmented, that few trees are able to remedy 
 this defect by a spontaneous effort of nature, and the expecta- 
 tions of years become frustrated in a single season. 
 
8 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 When, then, we perceive a commencement of this want of 
 due vigor in any branch, we must hasten to remedy it. 
 There are various ways of obtaining this object, but I refrain 
 at present from mentioning many of them. One excellent 
 plan is to allow a larf^er )iumber of leaves on a weak branch 
 than on a strong one. The reason for this has been stated 
 above. The leaves are the lungs of the tree, and attract and 
 modify the sap, which is little altered till it reaches the leaves. 
 When it does reach them, it ceases to be sap, properly so 
 called; it becomes the "proper juice." Discharged into the 
 bark, it is thence carried, by cellular channels, throughout 
 the tree. 
 
 From this " proper juice," that is, converted sap, the fruit 
 attracts what it needs to produce flavor. The more the tree 
 secretes the better. Pruning and training here play a great 
 part. By removing a great portion of the leaves on a vigorous 
 branch (cutting them in two is the best), and by allowing as 
 many as possible on a weak branch, we equalize both. Re- 
 moval of some of the leaves produces flavor in the fruit. 
 But we speak hero, chiefly, of the growth of the tree, and its 
 regulation. Another method of strengthening a weak branch 
 is to untie it from the wall, and allow it to swing loosely in 
 the free play of sun and air on all its sides, — one, at least, 
 of which would otherwise receive nothing. Of course, then, 
 to tie down a branch to the tree has a contrary effect, and the 
 more we approach the horizontal position, not to speak of the 
 extreme method of bending it downwards altogether, the 
 more the branch is checked in its development outwards. So, 
 if it is desired to lengthen a branch, it must be directed up- 
 wards; and a branch tied, for a season, vertically, and exposed 
 at the same time, in wall trees, to the free action of hght and 
 air, will grow much more rapidly than another tied to the 
 wall, and carried into a horizontal line. This is a useful 
 maxim to remember, because it may be so readily applied in 
 nearly every case that can occur. 
 
 If we wish to give a temporary check to a too vigorous 
 branch, we must diminish the number of leaf-buds on it, and 
 
TERMINAL BUDS. 9 
 
 allow a rather too abundant crop of fruit on the fruit-bvds, 
 while, at tlie same time, the weaker side should be raised 
 vertically, and not allowed to bear at all. Of course the tree 
 will not look so pretty in this way for the season, until the 
 winter pruning shall harmonize the whole ; and this is often 
 a reason for neglecting" this very useful plan. By pinching 
 off the green ends of branches some time before the others, 
 those first reduced in length are checked in tlieir growth, be- 
 cause they have not so many leaves from being shorter. 
 
 In cases of great necessity, you may even cover over the 
 leaves of a strong branch with some light but impervious ma- 
 terial, for a week at a time. It should be no longer, taking 
 care to observe if the foliage becomes injured or not. Never- 
 theless, I do not recommend this method, which is more prac- 
 tised in France tlian in England. 
 
 If it be wished to prolong any branch (no matter its vigor) 
 we must concentrate the whole power of the sap into one or 
 two buds by cutting down to them, taking care that these buds 
 are healthy, and, above all, placed exactly as the new exten- 
 sion is desired to be. Terminal buds are always more vigor- 
 ous tlian lateral buds, because the sap is conducted more 
 directly to tliem. To lengthen a branch, always remember to 
 cut well down to the bud selected for the new shoot, not, 
 however, so near as to weaken it, but near enough that noth- 
 ing useless be left beyond, l)ecause, during the drying up of 
 that part, the bud is checked, and the object is to advance its 
 growth. To obtain fruit-buds, on the contrary, every aim 
 must be directed to keeping them, for one or two years, as the 
 case may require, in a dormant state. To effect this, you 
 must divert the full current of the sap away from them, so 
 that it shall pass them by, but without completely drying 
 them up, which would be a great fault. A leaf bud or two 
 must, therefore, be suffered to extend beyond any flower bud, 
 i. e., one properly so called. The sap having passed vigor- 
 ously up the main conduits of the tree, and in the leaves hav- 
 ing been converted from sap into "proper juice," must be so 
 diverted from the flower buds as only to nourish tlieir fertility 
 
10 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 without causing them to elongate in the form of branches. 
 Nevertheless, in the case of the peach, should any bud remain 
 absolutely dormant for two seasons, it will hardly ever be de- 
 veloped at all. 
 
 When trees have obtained a certain size, their ramifications 
 have the eifect of diminishing the rapidity of the circulation 
 of the sap ; and thus it is that trees of a certain age are more 
 productive than those which are young ; for the sap has so 
 many irregularly-disposed branches to supply, that it cannot 
 well stimulate any single part and pass by the rest. 
 
 By cutting your leading brandies very short for a number 
 of seasons, as in the case of that absurd form now happily 
 abandoned — the "pillar" or "quenouille" — the tree becomes 
 fruitful, it is true, but at the expense of size, form, and 
 beauty. In the case especially of standard trees, by pegging 
 down any too vigorous branch, it is completely checked, for 
 the reason stated previously ; but in this case the lateral 
 shoots, becoming vertical., have an extreme tendency to grow, 
 and require incessant pruning. This rule is applicable to 
 young growing trees, chiefly pears and apples ; but if applied 
 to an older tree, and all the branches should be thus bent 
 downwards, then as soon as the tree becomes more fruitful, 
 the branches should be loosened, and they will retain a suffi- 
 cient inclination to obtain the required result. The ends 
 would otherwise dry up, and the vertical shoots, absorbing all 
 the sap, would become converted into wood-shoots of great 
 vigor and difficult to restrain. In some cases the tree would 
 be exhausted by excess of production. 
 
 One maxim more, and this part is ended. By removing 
 the earth from the principal roots during the summer, so as 
 to expose them to the air, the tree is much checked in its vig- 
 or. This shows the danger of growing crops too near to the 
 roots, as, independently of the exhaustion of tlie soil thus in- 
 duced, the risk of injury from the spade and removal of the 
 surface is very great. For this very reason, transplanting an 
 unfruitful tree often makes it bear well, when other methods 
 have failed. 
 
OUT-DOOR PLANTING. 11 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 SEASONS FOR PLANTING AND PRUNING. 
 
 The season for planting is a busy, and it must be confessed, 
 a somewhat harrassing period. It is "dig sine otio." The 
 time which succeeds the first rest of the sap, that is, the early 
 part of winter, is the most suitable for the work in hand. If 
 neglected, then that period which immediately precedes the 
 first movements of vegetation is the best. 
 
 As to young trees in the orchard house, any time during 
 ■winter will do for them. If they are ready to bear, of course, 
 the less they are disturbed late in the season the better their 
 chance of setting tlieir crop will be. But then, these trees 
 can be bought now ready potted, and thus a new house may 
 be stocked at any time. If destined to continue in pots, 
 when carefully packed, no injury is done to them, and if for 
 plantation in the borders, they are equally ready, summer 
 and winter, with ordinary care ; and therefore a tree estab- 
 lislied one or two years in a pot is ready for any use. 
 
 For out-door planting, if not on too large a scale, trees 
 thus potted are far the safest ; their roots are more established, 
 and are infinitely more full of fibres, and the indispensable 
 spongioles are not cut off in transplanting. This is the rule 
 in the case of more valuable and delicate trees : pears, plums, 
 and apples are easily managed. By having a portion of your 
 trees in pots, you may be ready for your house if not already 
 built, and time will thus be gained. You may house them, or 
 leave them out of doors near some sunny spot, protecting the 
 surface of the pots from drenching rains, by a few slates. Some 
 branches placed to windward, and a mat around them, will 
 preserve any fruit tree from injury ; or it may so happen that 
 a friend has a spare corner in his own orchard house, or a 
 slight shed can be run up. All these are simple means and 
 obvious resources, if the season for planting should come on 
 
12 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 US before we are quite ready to undertake the whole at one 
 single time.* 
 
 As to out-door planting on a larger scale, a mild day with 
 a gentle sun-heat is the most favorable time. Never plant 
 the trees on a level ivith the surface soil, but let them be 
 raised up above it in their own little mound, some four inches 
 above the surface. By the end of the first season the natu- 
 ral subsidence of the ground will bring them to their proper 
 level. This is very important to bear in mind, but is very 
 seldom attended to, although it is ruinous to the tree to neg- 
 lect this precaution.! 
 
 The earth from the bottom of the pit, which should be am- 
 ple and large, should be placed in one side of the hole, and 
 that which came from the surface on the opposite side. 
 Then when your tree is planted, the upper soil should be 
 placed near the roots at tlie bottom, and the earth from the 
 lowest part, mixed with some leaf-mould and sand, will serve 
 well for the top. Place the tree on a gentle mound in the 
 centre of the hole, lightly powder the earth over and between 
 the central roots, but press down ratlier firmly the earth over 
 the extremities of the roots, having first well spread them 
 
 [* This advice is for the mild climate of Great Britain ; in this country such 
 protection is insuflScient, as the November and hiter frosts would freeze the earth 
 in the pots, and not only injure the roots, — which should never be allowed to 
 freeze, — but the pots would be broken. If there is no place to house them safe 
 from frost, the pots or tubs should be sunk six inches below the ^trface in a dry 
 soil, and covered with a foot of leaves or strawy manure, and here they should 
 not be left out later than the middle of December. The proper place is a cellar 
 where the frost does not^enetrate. — c. m. h.] 
 
 [tThis is another item of advice which is not altogether applicable in our dry 
 climate. A great deal has been written about planting trees too deep, and it is 
 well that cultivators should understand that such an error should be avoided. 
 But on the contrary it is not absolutely necessary to the success of the trees that 
 they should be planted " in their own little moun 1 above the surftxce," and that 
 it is " ruinous " to neglect it. All good cultivators advise planting the quince 
 below the surface, and of thousands of trees so managed we have not yet seen the 
 first instance of failure. In regard to other trees, the rule should be, to plant level 
 with the surface, so as to fairly cover the roots, unless in swampy or low wet 
 ground, and then " its own little mound " may be safest. Our hot sun, and long 
 summer droughts, would soon exhaust all the moisture from these little mounds, 
 and leave the tree to perish. — c. m. h.] 
 
VARIOUS SOILS. — MULCHING. 13 
 
 flatly in every direction. A stake to wliich the tree shall be 
 firmly tied completes the operation, not, however, forgetting 
 to have the name of the tree written on a label attaclied to 
 it. Zinc, or wood painted, is best for labels. Avoid all stim- 
 ulating manures in contact with the tender fibrous roots, ad- 
 ding only vegetable mould, and calcareous matter with it. 
 No tree should be planted in damp situations ; but if this be 
 unavoidable, a drainage of four to six inches of stones, or 
 oyster shells, will tend to remedy this. 
 
 There is some variety in the soils proper to the various 
 kinds of fruit-trees. The plum, tlie cherry, and the apricot, 
 require an argilo-calcareous soil. The situation should be 
 rather more moist than dry, and they will do well where 
 there is no great depth of soil. It is useful to remember 
 this ; because light soils, especially if at all sandy, are not 
 adapted for peaches. These require a firm and rather unc- 
 tuous loam, — deep, but permeable, — and they must have 
 abundance of calcareous matter.* In the case of wall trees, 
 the borders should not be less than six feet broad, and should 
 slope gently downwards, and be well drained. This is indis- 
 pensable in the case of peaches. These borders should never 
 be cropped. No early potatoes should ever be allowed to en- 
 croach on the ground devoted to wall trees. Fork lightly up 
 these borders, removing the weeds, but unless the soil be very 
 heavy do not dig them up. Mulch the borders in July, but 
 never before that month ; because the ground is not warmed 
 enough till that period to shade it from the sun by mulching: 
 but after that time this operation is invaluable^ as it checks 
 evaporation and saves watering. In the late autumn hghtly 
 
 [* This is the Terr opposite of the advice of American cultivators, which is to 
 plant the peach in light soils. Indeed, no soil has been thought too light for the 
 peach, except a perfect sand. We are inclined to believe that much of the decay 
 of our peach orchards, and the so-called disease of the yellows, is to be attributed 
 to a long course of starvation, applied to the peach tree. Certainly it can do no 
 harm to try a generous treatment, and allow it to have a decent soil, and a little 
 manure. We know that no such thing as the yellows exists in Great Britain, 
 and we know too that the finest looki^^g peaches — to say nothing about their 
 flavor — are raised on walls and under glass in that climate. — c. m. h.] 
 
14 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 fork in this mulching, which will then be quite friable. You 
 may renew it in the summer, as occasion requires; indeed, 
 the proper time to nourish the tree is during growing and 
 bearing season, and not when it should be at rest, — that is, 
 in the winter. In cold localities, however, mulching in win- 
 ter has the advantage of protecting the surface roots from 
 the frost. 
 
 The pear also requires a good deep soil, but not retentive 
 of moisture. Leaf mould (very old manure), but not near 
 tlie roots : loam and sand together form an excellent compost. 
 Moor earth near rivers must be well drained in heaps, and a 
 little unslaked lime added to correct it. If the soil be too 
 heavy in any case, powdered charcoal, or burnt earth, are the 
 usual palliatives. 
 
 The apple (which unfortunately is generally considered fit 
 for any situation) prefers, on the contrary, a rather drier 
 soil than the pear, and if in rather a gravelly spot, so much 
 the better. Canker proceeds from neglect of this, a fertile 
 source of discussion. The unwholesome sub-soil supplies 
 vitiated food to the spongioles, and the sap thus corrupted 
 breaks out at the weakest portion of the bark. Sometimes, 
 however, the conjuncture of a sudden excess of pruning is 
 the cause of this fatal disease, as it is of gum in other trees. 
 Therefore, in weak trees, especially in the tender apricot, do 
 not prune all the trees at one single time. On a due atten- 
 tion to the soil proper for each variety depends, in a very 
 great measure, the success of the whole matter. No expense 
 or care bestowed in this way, nor attention to these details, 
 can ever be thrown away. 
 
 There is no doubt that pruning dnrifig the slimmer months, 
 is too much neglected. There are so many demands upon 
 the precious hours at this period, that this indispensable act 
 has not often its due attention ; then, when the winter sur- 
 prises us, we are apt to find a huge, entangled, overgrown 
 mass to unravel, demanding very much more labor and skill. 
 This is a vicious custom with unskilful gardeners, because 
 a severe use of the knife in the winter is to them the great 
 
INJUDICIOUS PRUNING. 15 
 
 resource and panacea for all evils. All their errors, they 
 think, are thus obliterated until the next season's wood shall 
 recommence. A tree severely cut back, and tightly nailed 
 in, looks so very knowing, and argues so much forethought! 
 No matter the age or kind of tree, a smart semicircle is de- 
 scribed over its unhappy limbs, and branch after branch disap- 
 pears "at one draw." The employer, meanwhile, looks on 
 with amazement and wonder. The growth, progress, and 
 periods of repose required by nature are highly suggestive to 
 the thoughtful mind. Tlie period of rest is now come, that 
 of active labor, ceases. All that was necessary to be done 
 should have been accomplished before the stage of repose. 
 Some little supplementary work still remains, for plants, as 
 well as animated beings, are never absolutely idle ; but the 
 severer discipline applied to the tree should not be reserved for 
 the winter pruning. During their stage of growth, superabun- 
 dant vigor is restrained and checked, because at that early pe- 
 riod wounds are not so difficult to heal, and the mere growth 
 of the tree will soon cause them to disappear. A tree neglected 
 during the summer will soon show signs of this forgetfulness. 
 It will then be no proper remedy to use the pruning knife 
 with energy. It is as in life ; we can only hope with reason 
 to turn aside the violence of a wrong bias at the outset. An 
 even balance should be preserved ; no part of the whole sys- 
 tem should run riot while the remainder unfairly languishes. 
 Neither should winter pruning ever take place during a frosty 
 season, for the knife lacerates the hardened wood and induces 
 decay. To delay the pruning till the tree begins to feel the 
 first movements of spring vegetation is also pernicious, for 
 then the check is too great. 
 
 In the case of the peach, however, a mere beginner had 
 better delay his pruning until he can fairly distinguish be- 
 tween a flower bud and a leaf bud. 
 
 Should the number of trees' be great, the proper plan 
 would be to commence with the apricots, then the peaches; 
 after these the plums, the cherries and the pears, reserving the 
 apples for the last. A simple rule, but not generally known. 
 
16 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 It is best to have more than one pruning knife, for peach 
 pruning demands a sharp-pointed instrument. 
 
 To save time, a pair of strong pruning scissors is very con- 
 venient. With scissors the work is very rapidly done ; there 
 is nevertheless this disadvantage in their use, that they must 
 be kept very sharp, or the buds will be quite torn away. 
 Besides, it is impossible to cut very near to the buds, so that 
 at the winter priming another clean cut must be made with a 
 sharp knife nearer to the part selected. 
 
 These cuts must always be made " at one draw" (as gar- 
 deners say), for the sake of appearance, and that the wounds 
 may heal more rapidly. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 DEFECTS OF SOME METHODS OF FRUIT CULTURE. 
 
 No doubt the climate of our country has many faults to 
 answer for; its severe spring frosts are indefensible ; its vicis- 
 situdes are highly reprehensible ; and as to its autumnal 
 gales, which shake off the hopes of the season prior to their 
 complete maturity, — if that period ever does occur, according 
 to a noted French authority, — the least a patriot can say in 
 their defence, the better for his truthfulness.* 
 
 But has the art of Horticulture nothing to answer for? 
 It is true we can point to noble examples, such as Lindley, 
 Rivers, Thompson, Knight, or Duhamel,yan Mons, and many 
 others ; but it is when gardening is practised by men of mod- 
 erate incomes that we are astonished at its mediocre results. 
 The chief reason is, that the lower class of hired gardeners 
 is often ignorant, prejudiced, and traditional in a wonderful 
 degree. But so widely spread is the love of gardening, that 
 
 [* Willi this honest confession, seldom admitted, our American cultivators can 
 duly appreciate the enthusiasm in orchard culture in Great Britain — an actual 
 necessity — and not, as with us, auxiliary to the production of the best fruit. — c. M. 
 
 H.] 
 
MANAGEMENT OP THE CENTRE. 17 
 
 very large sums are yearly spent even by persons of limited 
 incomes, on their fruits and flowers. But the results are 
 really disproportionate. How seldom is a well-kept garden 
 to be seen. How seldom does the proprietor know the reason 
 of his numerous failures. 
 
 Tliis little work is offered therefore in the simple hope of 
 helping some such person, who, having less leisure, cannot do 
 as I have done, follow up my own trees, year after year, note- 
 book in hand. My experience on this account cannot be val- 
 ueless to him, and I have therefore freely given it. 
 
 One grand defect which is observable in the general treat- 
 ment of fruit trees is, that very little difference is made in 
 the care bestowed on the various kinds. 
 
 The dormant buds, which are the hopes of ensuing seasons, 
 are treated on similar principles, the consequence of which is, 
 that the centre of the tree is denuded of fruit, and an appear- 
 ance of age is, by this means, induced, long before the tree 
 has reached the period of decadence. As the sap ascends 
 far more powerfully in the main channels than in the more 
 distant and feebler portions, one would suppose that this 
 would be a guiding principle in the treatment of the whole 
 tree. But, instead of this, what do we generally see ? In a 
 few years, by unskilful pruning, the whole of the centre of 
 the wall-trees and the interior parts of standards, are without 
 fruit. It now abounds at the extremities of the branches ; 
 and, year after year, retires further and further from the 
 centre of all. Large bare spaces are visible on every tree. 
 Invaluable south walls are profitless ; and there is no remedy 
 but to cut back the unhappy tree. 
 
 But, independently of the disfigurement of the garden 
 wall, and the serious loss of time, this cutting back is an ab- 
 surd and unnecessary plan. In the case of the peach, it 
 hardly ever succeeds at all ; especially if done in the winter, 
 as is generally the case. Any method which should obviate 
 this precessity must be useful, and, undoubtedly, " Cordon 
 training" does this, as will be shown. 
 • 2 
 
18 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 Bj keeping close to the centre of our work, instead of 
 •wearing out the whole, we refresh and stimulate incessantly 
 the latent energies of the tree, because we seek for them in 
 their chief source, where nature has placed them — the main 
 stem. On the contrary, it is evident that an irregular excita- 
 tion of particular and distant portions, while the remaining 
 (and far more important parts) are left languishing and 
 inert, must end in confusion, inferiority of production, and 
 diminution of the flavor of fruit. As to the tree itself, it 
 cannot fail to decay in some place or other, and be finally 
 condemned as a disfigurement to the garden. 
 
 Another radical defect in fruit culture is the vicious cus- 
 tom of too rapidly inclining the bearing branches towards 
 the horizontal line. By this plan the lowest stage must inev- 
 itably become the sliortest and the most feeble, while, by all 
 the rules of harmony, it should be the longest. This defect 
 once commenced is fatal and irremediable, and some of the 
 best portions of the wall and tree are lost for ever. 
 
 Many trees are trained fan-wise, and this, with proper pre- 
 cautions, is suitable only for strong growing varieties, and 
 for those which, like the pear, are of long duration. 
 
 But, on the authority of M. Dubreuil, even the pear re- 
 quires about sixteen years to reach to the top of an ordinary 
 wall, admitting the necessity of a proper lateral extension. 
 On the same authority, it is certain that the life of the peach 
 is not valuable after twenty years, and if half of that period, 
 ai least, be spent in raising it to the summit, it is evident that 
 it only arrives there when on the point of diminishing in pro- 
 duction. During the time, therefore, that these trees, and 
 others also, are reaching to the utmost limits assigned to 
 them, the valuable wall space is unoccupied and useless. 
 
 This very serious defect has led to the introduction of the 
 "Cordon system," by which the space of time required to 
 cover a given superficies is abridged by two-thirds. As life 
 is too precious to be wasted, and we naturally look for speedy 
 returns for all the care and money which we bestow, if this 
 system can really shorten the period of fructification, without 
 
ITS ADVANTAGES AND USES. 19 
 
 corresponding disadvantages, it would be very proper to 
 adopt it in preference to older methods, especially as it is 
 adapted for all purposes required, and for all varieties 
 cultivated. 
 
 CHAP. Y. 
 
 CORDON TRAINING ITS ADVANTAGES AND USES. 
 
 Cordon training derives its name from its fanciful resem- 
 blance to a cord or chain. A certain number of leading 
 branches are carried out, and on them spurs are developed, 
 so that the branches look somewhat like twisted cables or 
 chains. It is not an entirely new plan, but has the advantage 
 of being based on well-known and valuable methods long in 
 use. In the present case its value chiefly consists in its com- 
 binations, and modifications required by the peculiar character 
 of the climate of England. In the case of in-door culture 
 much more novelty was admissible, because in this instance 
 the dry and equable temperature aided powerfully in its suc- 
 cess. Objections made to cordon training in the open air, 
 which, however, are not based on experience, being gener- 
 ally made by persons who have never even seen the trees 
 during one season, in orchard-houses, fall at once to the 
 ground. 
 
 But for an amateur to take up cordon training and to en- 
 deavor to practice it, irrespective of the exigencies of our 
 rainy skies, and to expect results attainable in other dry and 
 sunny localities, is simply absurd. 
 
 I have myself carefully studied the system, and followed it 
 out on a fair scale for some years, both in the open air and in 
 the orchard house. While, therefore, convinced of its value, 
 I trust it will not be considered presumptuous in me to say, 
 that I believe that an important portion of this peculiar sys- 
 tem would prove a total failure unless it were carried out ex- 
 
20 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 actly as described in these pages. But as it is so simple that 
 any one can understand its rules, there can be no reason why 
 mistakes should occur, nor is the manual labor so great as to 
 prevent even ladies from undertaking it. I offer my sugges- 
 tions to amateurs with a certain confidence, since I have tried 
 and rejected most of the systems which are, at this day^ con- 
 sidered excellent in France. One form was quite unsuitable 
 to the extreme dampness of our climate, which induces a too 
 luxuriant growth in the autumn ; while the want of propor- 
 tionate sun-heat renders it impossible to have well-ripened 
 wood, — and without this, what tree will ever bear ? 
 
 Another form, more adapted to meet these difficulties, was 
 far too complicated in its system of dis-budding, — which, by 
 the bye, is a plan requiring mucli caution in its adoption, and 
 is not very necessary at any time. It is true this last system 
 produced a fair crop of fruit, but it required too much atten- 
 tion to make it generally valuable. Proceeding, therefore, 
 on a new mode, which arose out of the cordon system itself, 
 I gradually adopted it, and after two years' trial of this new 
 combination, I do not hesitate to recommend it as the best 
 which exists at the present day. A large and important por- 
 tion of this system — the management of the spurs and the 
 growths on them — is very similar to that recommended by 
 Mr. Rivers, in the chapter on "Summer Pinching." Some 
 of the terms used in horticulture are so droll as to excite 
 wonder at their use, but it would cause confusion to endeavor 
 to introduce any new ones. But certainly " pinching spurs 
 in the summer" seems no particular recommendation in gar- 
 dening. 
 
 As was said before, cordon training has the immense 
 advantage of being simple. There is no elaborate tying-in 
 of summer shoots, as old as Shakspeare : " Tie up those 
 dangling apricocks ;" indeed few ties are required even in 
 the winter. The forerights are preserved, which are of much 
 value in increasing the amount of fruit. The spurs are com- 
 pactly and regularly distributed, and are thus more easily 
 sheltered from the weather, and more readily examined and 
 
VAEIOUS CORDONS. 21 
 
 pruned. No long straggling shoots are ever seen. The sup- 
 ply of new wood of the proper bearing age, and the regular 
 distribution of the leaves, ensures a succession of crops. 
 The fruit is all produced close to the main stems. All parts of 
 the tree have a fair chance. The produce is doubled, since half 
 of the intervals between the branches is only required. Twelve 
 inches are sufficient for the parts where 18 or 24 inches were 
 formerly required. The trees are as readily detached from the 
 walls to clean them, as vines are from the wires, and from 
 their simple forms no injury can happen to any portion. The 
 trees are only lightly secured to the rods (which are safer, 
 after all, than galvanized wires), and it is easy to clear off 
 cobwebs and insects from the back of the trees, an advantage 
 of incalcvilable value, as the gardener well knows. All 
 these, and others, are the results of cordon training. 
 
 But one of the chief recommendations of the system is the 
 rapidity with which a high wall is clothed with productive 
 spurs. In four years a wall, twelve to fifteen feet high, can 
 be covered with fruit-bearing wood, all disposed in regular, 
 beautiful, and harmonious succession. 
 
 This will be obvious by a reference to the Frontispiece, 
 where the different years are indicated by their progress ; and 
 as a tree, planted at the angles shown, 7}mst grow fast, and 
 yet be fruitful, what can be desired, more ? What is shown 
 in the Frontispiece is a representation of one kind'of cordon, 
 and that the very best, — the " diagonal," — with three leaders 
 on each tree. The trees are planted in. the ground at thirty- 
 six inclies from their neighbors to right and left, there being 
 thus twelve inches of interval between each leader. In 
 France the single cordon,* with laterals of fourteen inches, 
 succeeds well, but it would fail in England. The double cor- 
 don is better adapted ; these two forms clothe a wall witli 
 
 [* The objections to the single cordon do not apply in our climate, which is 
 quite as dry and favorable for that system of training as in France, where Mr. 
 BrShaut admits it succeeds well. Hence, those cultivators who would like to try 
 the single cordon can do so, as we shall give in an appendix an engraving and 
 details of that method, though undoubtedly generally understood from the above 
 account. The single and double differ only in the number of shoots and plant- 
 ing the trees nearer together. — c. m. h.] 
 
22 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 amazing rapidity, and if suited for our climate would super- 
 sede all others. The triple cordon I have never seen but in 
 my own gardens ; with laterals in the old system it would not 
 advance fast enough, which is one important condition in its 
 use. A quadruple cordon would take so much time to com- 
 plete as to make it less desirable ; it might, however, suit very 
 moist localities better. With spurs, as now recommended, 
 the triple cordon unites most of the conditions required for 
 success. It covers the wall rapidly, and bears well and regu- 
 larly : nothing better can be said in its favor. Its form is 
 also so regularly beautiful, that even casual observers must 
 be struck with the harmony and grace of the whole tree. No 
 gentleman likes to have his valuable walls covered with trees 
 as unproductive as they are ungainly ; but any one who has 
 seen a well-managed cordon on the diagonal plan, will not 
 fail to give it the palm as to beauty. 
 
 By means of light guiding rods tlie young wood creeps as 
 straight as a walking stick, upwards, and on this depends 
 much of the handsome appearance of the trees. So that 
 were a wall of these trees drawn, each of them ascending 
 with mathematical regularity, it would not be exaggerated : 
 a moderate amount of skill and patience would easily effect 
 it. The various forms of cordon training remain to be no- 
 ticed. They are the diagonal, the best suited for a wall ; for 
 in-door or out-door culture it sliould always have three leaders. 
 The vertical, useful for trees trained against the pillars of the 
 orchard-house, where they bear admirably ; they also answer 
 well if planted in the borders. If for walls in the open air, 
 then the number of leaders should not be less than five, or 
 there would be danger of the trees producing too much wood. 
 The spiral : round wires for trees in pots, or round the pillars 
 of the orchard house, where they have a pretty effect. It 
 will also suit large pear standards in the open ground, or in 
 the borders of the house. Lastly, the horizontal — i. e. all 
 fan-shaped, (palmetto of the French,) or laterally developed 
 trees ; all standard trees in the open ground or within the 
 house, and planted in the borders. 
 
THE DIAGONAL CORDON. 23 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 CORDON TRAINING IN PEACH TREES. — THE DIAGONAL CORDON. 
 
 " If any cue tree lias occupied the attention of cultivators 
 more than another, it is surely the peach." So says the 
 editor of the Gardener's Chronicle ; and so many have done 
 so, that it may almost be asked if the matter be not exhaust- 
 ed. The article from which this is quoted proceeds to lay 
 down three conditions as necessary to success in peach cul- 
 ture, which is what we are now considering. The first indis- 
 pensable condition for success is, that the soil must be loell 
 drained; and secondly, that the wood must ripen thoroughly ; 
 and thirdly, that as the wood of the Jirst and third year pro- 
 duces no fruit, it must be looked for only on the wood of the 
 second year. I hope to be able to show satisfactorily that 
 these requisites can best be obtained by cordon training, com- 
 bhied with attention to other important particulars. 
 
 The peach, like the pear, is a standard of perfection among 
 fruit trees ; but each requires a widely different treatment. 
 The peach coming from a climate tropical in its summer 
 heats, drier at most seasons than ours, and yet subject to ex- 
 tremely severe frosts, when transplanted to England is placed 
 under very different conditions. These arise chiefly from the 
 want of sun-heat at the necessary period ; but above all, from 
 the excessive moisture of spring and autumn. As to our 
 frosts, these are not often injurious to the tree itself, but they 
 affect the blossoms when setting. Nevertheless, precautions 
 can be used in out-door culture which somewhat obviate this 
 disadvantage ; yet it is difficult to know how to ward off the 
 drenching autumnal rains, which ruin all hopes of ripe wood. 
 It is here that cultivation under glass is most valuable. 
 
 It is no woiKier, then, if the tree should have been written 
 about till the very name of peach becomes odious to readers 
 of horticultural subjects ; and it is not a matter of surprise, 
 if even the ancients blundered amusingly when they wrote 
 
24 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 about this exotic. Thus we find Columella making the fun- 
 niest mistakes ; and Pliny (the Rivers of his day) setting him 
 right, and re-establishing the fruit into popular favor. Never- 
 theless, even Pliny only knew of five varieties. By the 16th 
 century some forty kinds were known and described ; and, of 
 these, the oldest and that most carefully depicted is the 
 "Lucca peach," which is supposed, on good grounds, to be 
 the "Late Admirable" of the present day, and the " Peche 
 Royale " of the French. {Duhamel.} The " Late Admira- 
 ble " is not the same as " Bourdine " (which ripens later), as 
 others assert. But this only shows how little is really known 
 about the fruit common in the middle ages. 
 
 In the tropics the peach succeeds pretty well, that is, it 
 grows finely ; but there is little fruit on it. Vegetation is too 
 continual for the fruit-buds to form. This is curious enough, 
 as it is just the case, from excess of humidity, in our climate. 
 Between the 30th and 43rd degrees of latitude, the care be- 
 stowed on or required by the peach is almost nothing, and 
 beyond the 50th degree it declines to bear at all. Thus wrote 
 M. Noisette ; an excellent authority, — but, then, he knew 
 notliing of orchard-houses. How few Frenchmen of the pres- 
 ent day really believe in our successful culture of fruit at all, 
 I leave to continental travellers to declare. " They grow, it 
 is true," said one of the learned men at Angers to me, " they 
 grow, as my friend (quoting a well-known name) declared to 
 us as we walked the streets of London together, but they 
 never ripen." The eminent cultivator referred to had fre- 
 quently visited England, and knows all our best nursery gar- 
 dens too. Another, and certainly a clever authority, residing 
 at Brussels, considers our system of pear culture as " disas- 
 trous," and ascribes it to ignorance of common principles ; 
 the trees round London, though numerous, being quite "un- 
 productive." 
 
 The transition from this amusing prejudice en the part of 
 our continental friends, to the opinions of tlie Chinese respect- 
 ing peaches, is not so abrupt as may appear at first sight. 
 The ruddy and pointed peaches are considered, in China, to 
 
FLOWER AND LEAF-BUDS. 25 
 
 be symbols of long life. They arc in consequence profusely 
 used as ornaments on their walls, and even on furniture. 
 Porcelain peaches are appropriate presents on the New Year. 
 The peach has also the valuable quality of being an antidote 
 against evil or low spirits ; but the brown peach, though beau- 
 tiful, is the cause of sin and death. 
 
 Probably some allusion is here meant to the wide-spread 
 tradition of Eve's offence; more especially, as one variety 
 called "Yu" renders the eater thereof immortal. So much 
 for oriental opinions. With respect to details in peach train- 
 ing, these have had the share of attention from many quar- 
 ters. But before entering into them, I must quote Lindley's 
 words respecting the formation of flower and of leaf-buds; 
 which are so explanative, and, I hope, agree so completely 
 with what follows, that it will be useful to record them here. 
 "Physiologists know that whatever tends to cause a rapid 
 diffusion of the sap and secretions of any plant, causes also 
 the formation of leaf-buds instead of flower-buds ; while an 
 accumulation of these fluids produces flower-buds. In a leaf- 
 bud the leaves are highly developed, and their axis has a ten- 
 dencij to elongate as soon as stimulated by heat and light. In 
 a flower-bud the leaves are in an imperfect state, (which is 
 called calyx, corolla, stamens and pistil) and the axis has no 
 tendency to elongate. Hence a flower-bud is a contracted 
 branch. It is, therefore, easy to be seen that so long as the 
 fluids of a tree circulate rapidly, and without interruption^ 
 only leaf-buds (i. e. undeveloped branches) can be formed. 
 But if the motion of the fluids be languid, and the parts are 
 formed slowly, flower-buds, which are contracted by nature, 
 and have no disposition to elongate, only will appear." 
 
 For these reasons, most sound as they are, the Diagonal 
 Cordon, which is now to be described, appears the best adapt- 
 ed to unite the conditions of fertility with due attention to 
 the necessity of extension. In other words, this cordon 
 grows and bears well. As will be seen, the term "Diagonal" 
 means leaders — one or more, but generally tliree — trained 
 against walls at an angle of 65 degrees during the first year, 
 
26 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 and at an angle of 45 degrees during the succeeding years. 
 The reason why the trees are first planted at the angle of 65 
 degrees, is that otlierwise tlie shoots on the upper side would 
 grow faster than those on the lower, and that they would in- 
 juriously compete (by their vertical position), with the growth 
 of the leading extremities, the growth of which it is sought 
 by all means to encourage. 
 
 The position of 45 degrees, to which it is inclined as soon 
 as the leading shoot has obtained the proper pre-eminence 
 and strength, and is thus able to defend its rights — the posi- 
 tion of 45 degrees is the most favorable to obtain fruit and 
 wood above all inclinations at which any fruit tree can be 
 placed. Therefore, as soon as the leader is strong and vigor- 
 ous enough, the tree should be lowered to this angle, and, by 
 means of light guiding rods, be made to ascend, at this angle, 
 to the top of the wall. From being tied lightly, at qyqyj two 
 or three inches, to the rod, it must grow perfectly straight. 
 
 The trees are planted at intervals of 36 inches from stem 
 to stem along the wall, as seen in the Frontispiece, where 
 they are all at the angle of 45 degrees, even the tree only iu 
 the first year ; but this was unavoidable ; that is, the trees are 
 laid in at 3 feet from each other only. My own trees are 
 planted and trained at 30 inches of interval, but this is too 
 little — 36 inches are preferable. Each tree, in the engrav- 
 ing, is represented as having either three leaders fully 
 grown, or in the case of tlie tree of the first year, it has dot- 
 ted lines indicating the future position of the other two 
 leaders. In the tree of the second year, the second leader 
 has ascended half-way up, while the first leader is completed. 
 In the case of the tree of the third year, the first and second 
 leaders being completed, the third leader is now half-way up. 
 The two trees of the fourth year have all three leaders com- 
 plete, and the complementary tree which fills up the corner 
 is shown as having its leaders fully developed. The extreme 
 corner is completed as seen by extra short leaders, and in the 
 first year's tree the corresponding corner is indicated to be 
 filled in by an upright leader with short side branches, so as 
 
THE TRIPLE SYSTEM. 2T 
 
 to coVer the whole space. This filling up of corners cannot 
 be done so well with trees on the common method. 
 
 Of course, in the first year, all the trees, if planted simul- 
 taneously, would all be alike, having one leader and blank 
 spaces for the two future ones, and in the second year the 
 whole wall would look like the tree of that year ; and so on. 
 But at one glance the different years can be seen and under- 
 stood. I must add, that if the trees shall be planted at 36 
 inches from each other, tlie intervals between the leaders will 
 of course be 12 inches, i. e. the shoots on each leader extend 
 6 inches either way. Forerights are also preserved (not rep- 
 resented, to avoid confusion) ; but this is a very important 
 part of the system, and adds much to the beauty of the whole, 
 making each leader like a green cable having blooming fruit 
 embedded in appropriate bowers of leaves; not buried, but 
 visible and well exposed to the sun's rays. 
 
 I do not remember seeing any trees trained exactly in this 
 fashion, and as to the combination of culture, under glass, 
 with the great advantages to be gained by this particular 
 Cordon, it is tliis which has chiefly induced me to publish the 
 results at all. By this excellent, but too little known method, 
 the most splendid crops can be grown, and it is not too much 
 to anticipate the time when every back wall of an orchard- 
 house, or of a forcing nectarine-house, will have its Diagonal 
 Cordon on three leaders; One will not do; two are only 
 rather better, but with three success is certain. More than 
 three would take too long a period to cover the wall, by ex- 
 tending the four years necessary with three leaders, to five 
 or six years, in which case little time is saved. Neither can 
 a Cordon on other principles than closely spurring-in be very 
 successful. At any rate it is far inferior in every way, and 
 unworthy of competing with the one now described, especially 
 in the quantity of fruit obtained. 
 
 I can cordially recommend this kind of Cordon to ama- 
 teurs, having had the greatest success with it of any. It will 
 not suit span-roofed houses, which have, of course, no back 
 walls. 
 
28 COKDON TRAINING. 
 
 But lean-to houses are far warmer. Perhaps a unibn of 
 the two would be useful. Span-roofed houses are handsomer, 
 and, when very large, extremely beautiful. In this case other 
 kinds of Cordons are more suitable, such as vertical, with 
 pyramidal bases, which will be described presently. 
 
 Tlie formation of a Diagonal Cordon witli tliree leaders is 
 thus commenced. Straight, well-grown trees, one year old 
 from the graft, are selected. These trees are planted in the 
 open ground in October, November, or December, but the 
 earlier the better, and in the orchard-house, at any time dur- 
 ing the winter, except in frosty weather. They are laid at an 
 angle of 65 degrees against the wall, in either case at an in- 
 terval of 36 inches from one another. One third of the top 
 of each tree may be removed ; but tliere is no objection to 
 the whole row being cut to an equal height, unless in the 
 case of particular trees. A healthy front bud is chosen, in 
 every case, to cut down to; therefore when I said equalize 
 them, of course it is far better to regulate their height by the 
 bud you cut down to; because you must have a healthy 
 leaf-bud, and below it must be no blank spaces where there 
 can be no shoots. 
 
 If blank spaces occur, then reject that tree or it will cause 
 you trouble ; but if you choose to retain it, either because of 
 the sort, or because you fancy it, then cut down well to a 
 good bud, no matter how high or how low you meet it. It 
 must be in front, because the wound is thus far less difficult 
 to liide. This is of great importance in Cordon training. If 
 you must cut to a side bud, then you have no very straight 
 stem after all the care bestowed on the rest. Tliere must be 
 no unhealtliy wood near the leading bud. How often, by 
 neglecting this simple rule, has the trouble of years been 
 wasted I Cut, sloping upwards at a gentle angle, till you get 
 to about an eighth of an inch above the bud. The trees are 
 then well tied to the wall; the young laterals are brought 
 forward on either side neatly, and the back shoots are gener- 
 ally cut in to one or two buds ; for if you cut them off there 
 will be no reserve to supply accident. Sharply cut back these 
 
COLOR OP WALLS. 29 
 
 slender laterals to two eyes or buds. At this stage these are 
 small, therefore be in no hurry to cut them off. Then the 
 forerights are to be similarly treated, i. e. cut back to two 
 buds, and the trees are ready. If the wall has wires or rails, 
 these must be at 12 inches of interval. Then a light guiding 
 rod is tied above the end of the leading branch in order to 
 direct the future young wood. Prepare and place this at the 
 winter arrangements. Water freely for some weeks. No 
 wall under 11 or 12 feet high is eligible for Cordon training. 
 If in the open ground it should have a good coping of one or 
 two feet to ward off the drenching rains.- If, as was said be- 
 fore, you do not immediately require the trees, or have not 
 yovir wall or house quite ready, tlien pot the trees till that 
 period, and no time is lost; at any rate, a reserve of some 
 half-dozen should always be kept thus potted in case of any 
 accident or otherwise. 
 
 Thus, if one of your trees become unsightly or deformed, 
 or refuse to progress, then remove it without delay, and place 
 one of your potted trees (the most vigorous) in its place. 
 This the amateur must particularly attend to in Cordon 
 training. Trees one year old are cheap, and so are pots, and 
 there is no excuse for not having a reserve ready trained on 
 the same system to supply vacant spaces. 
 
 With respect to the color of walls for orchard-houses 
 (lean-to's), white is preferable to black, though the latter has 
 certain advantages, but which are most attainable out of 
 doors : I mean with respect to radiation, but white is certainly 
 preferable for Cordon training, as so much of the wall is cov- 
 ered with leaves that no burning can take place. A coat of 
 lime-wash is invaluable on account of that " rubra cura" — 
 the red spider, which is the pest of peach-houses, and requires 
 to be kept down by regular syringing and ventilation. The 
 white color adds also very much to the appearance of a house, 
 and if a dash of rose or pink be added, the effect is consider- 
 ably heightened. Then with pillars of a clear blue, and rud- 
 dy gravel walks between the well-kept borders, the whole 
 may be as ornamental as any conservatory ; and there is no 
 
30 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 reason why a little gilding slionld not be shown on the cor- 
 nices, tfec, especially as the house should be devoted to chry- 
 santhemums in the autumn. 
 
 To return to the plantation of the row of young trees on 
 the Diagonal plan. A little watering as needed is the com- 
 pletion of the first year's work. 
 
 In the spring of the ensuing season, the two eyes or buds 
 to which the laterals have been cut will generally each pro- 
 duce a shoot. If we call these two shoots, on which the fu- 
 ture work will be done, the " right and the left shoot," and 
 the original first growth a "spur," it may tend to simplify the 
 matter. These two shoots are, then, the " second growth " 
 on these " spurs." As soon, therefore, as these second growths 
 have made six leaves — any small leaves at the bases which 
 have no buds in their axils, do not count — pinch down to two 
 leaves on the upper side of the tree, and to three leaves on 
 the lower side. The reason for this difference is found in the 
 more vertical position of the upper shoots, and therefore in 
 their greater tendency to elongate. As to the lower-side 
 shoots, they, from their position, will be only too inclined to 
 become covered with fruit-buds, and in their case we must 
 look for obtaining some leaf-buds also. 
 
 To repeat: these second growths (i. e. the right and left 
 shoots) having reached 6 leaves or 4 inches, must be pinched 
 back — if on the upper side of the Diagonal leaders, to two 
 leaves, and if on the lower side thereof, to three leaves. In 
 a short time each of these leaves left will put forth another 
 stage of young shoots, springing from the axils of the leaves. 
 This is the "third growth." As soon as this " third growth" 
 on either side has reached three leaves, pinch back all to two 
 leaves. A " fourth growth " must be closely pinclied in to 
 one leaf, and if anything more grows, pinch it closely in also. 
 These third and fourth growths would be bearers of buds, 
 able, in ordinary seasons, to bear the next year, as well as the 
 buds on the second growth; but in practice, the object being 
 to keep the spurs and the growths on them luithin six inches^ 
 these late growths must be held in tlie light of "feeders " to 
 
FORMATION OF LEADERS. 81 
 
 the others, just as two eyes are left beyond a bunch of grapes 
 to draw the sap to the fruit. These successive growths in the 
 summer pinchings may exceed the six inches by an inch or 
 two in some cases, especially in forerights, while they may 
 only reach to five inches in other cases ; nevertheless, the 
 rule is to keep them as near as possible at this extension. 
 In the winter pruning they will be shortened in alternately^ 
 as will be described. 
 
 At the risk of tedious repetition, I must refer again to the 
 Frontispiece. 
 
 The tree in the right-hand corner (marked 1st year) will 
 represent the appearance of the whole of tlie row of trees at 
 the end of the first year's training. This is the second year 
 of plantation. 
 
 The tree with its single leader A will have readied more or 
 less to half-way, or two-thirds of the wall, supposing this to 
 be 12 feet high. A certain portion of the tree (that of last 
 year to which it was cut back,) will now appear clothed with 
 wood. The spurs on either side of the leader A will each 
 have their two shoots pinched back successively to, say, 6 
 inches in all. The foreright spurs and shoots on them are 
 also to be treated by pinching them as if they were on the 
 upper side of the leader ; but they are not shown in this dia- 
 gram, to avoid confusion. At the base of the single leader 
 A, and at 12 inches from the surface, a strong shoot from one 
 of the spurs has been allowed to extend for 12 inches later- 
 ally, so as to be in readiness to form the second leader B 
 when required ; but if allowed to extend, and to be turned 
 up when it reaches the 12 inches (which it is destined to do), 
 so as to form the second leader B, then it would injuriously 
 affect the growth of the first leader A. From this rule no 
 deviation must be permitted, I have spoilt too many trees 
 from impatience, not to warn others against this error. Cut 
 this lateral back in winter to a healthy bud, and guide it by a 
 light rod perfectly at riglit angles to the leader A. The tree 
 which is now being described does not show this lateral, be- 
 cause it is in the corner, but the second year's tree will show 
 
32 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 what here is meant. The dotted Ihies indicate the position 
 of all future leaders, and thus E E explains how (in the case 
 of the corner tree only) a future vertical leader in the direc- 
 tion E E will ascend, and future diagonal leaders be developed 
 from this, the only vertical one, as marked F F. 
 
 Winter Pruning. — Let us suppose that when the leaves 
 drop off from the trees there will appear two shoots on each 
 spur, each shoot composed of the various growths of this 
 season. Now the fruit will only appear on the wood of the 
 second ijcar. In this case the fruit buds nearest to the spurs 
 themselves are on this wood, and the fruit will appear at the 
 base of the spurs, and only in some cases at their top. Of 
 course the trees are very young to bear, but they will do so 
 in many cases, and if this occur, then only one or two peaches 
 must be allowed to remain on each tree. 
 
 By the close spurring-in practised during the summer, and 
 the not having had recourse to the old and ridiculous method 
 of choosing long weak shoots for the bearing wood, the buds 
 at the base of the spurs will generally become fruitful. All 
 the fruit, if any, will appear on the bearing wood at the base. 
 The young tender laterals on the young extremity of the 
 leader, which has ascended some way upwards, must be 
 pinched down to two buds previously to this period. 
 
 The two shoots on each spur must now be shortened in. 
 One must be left long for fruit (if possible), and the other 
 must be cut short to furnish new wood to bear alternately. 
 The long shoot must be cut to any triple bud you can find 
 within the six inches prescribed. If you find no triple bud on 
 either shoot for bearing, then cut them both back alike to the 
 two leaf-buds nearest to the spur. But if, as is generally the 
 case, you find the triple bud desired, leave this shoot long, 
 and cut the other to two leaf-buds, to furnish two new bearing 
 wood shoots for the year after next. If you find a triple bud 
 to cut down to in the case of the shorter shoot, this is an ad- 
 ditional advantage, as it is fruitful, and you have a double 
 chance of peaches. But the whole system revolves on these 
 two shoots, which in time become three or four, — one of them 
 
SECOND year's TRAINING. 33 
 
 being left long to bear, and the other being cut short to suc- 
 ceed it. In this way a succession of fruitful wood is sure to 
 be obtained, while on the old method, when once a shoot had 
 borne, it was slightly shortened in, and permitted to bear on 
 the new growth ; so that in time the fruit was produced so 
 far from the centre, that a severe pruning, most injurious to 
 the peach, was needed. The shoots on the spurs multiply in 
 time, and are cut back, or left long, as required. Every suc- 
 cessive pruning must have for its object to keep the bearing 
 wood close and compact, and allow on the long shoots left for 
 fruit just enough of leaves to nourish the fruit. 
 
 Two shoots for each spur are required. If any spur have 
 not the necessary two shoots on it, then it is a vast defect, 
 and must be remedied by pinching back judiciously at first, 
 and by endeavoring to encourage the single shoot to become 
 double ; of course the nearer to the spur the better. In this 
 case all our endeavors must be directed to obtain the two 
 shoots, quite irrespective of fruit, and at this winter's pruning, 
 if there be but that melancholy single shoot, then vigorously 
 cut in to two leaf-buds, — not the fruit-buds, — for if you do 
 the spur is ruined for ever. However, even then the whole 
 tree is not spoilt, for there are so many spurs, and so many 
 shoots, that a remedy can always be found. A practiced eye 
 will see the difference between a fruit and a leaf-bud almost 
 at once — certainly by midsummer ; while a mere beginner 
 would be puzzled to decide till the ensuing spring. 
 
 Second Yearns Training. — We come now to the tree in the 
 Frontispiece marked " second year." The first leader A will 
 rapidly ascend and reach the top of the wall, and the lateral 
 left to form the second leader B, having also shot out, is 
 turned up sharply, when it has reached twelve inches from its 
 starting place. It will, in the course of this year, reach to 
 about half-way towards the summit of the wall, as seen. As 
 soon as the first leader A has reached the top, pinch off the 
 end; this will strengthen the second leader. The second 
 leader will be shortened a little at the winter pruning, as the 
 case may be, always remembering to cut to a front bud. 
 3 
 
34 
 
 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 The pinching of the various growths on the tvro shoots goes 
 on thus this year. That on the longer shoot must be pinched 
 in more closely than that on the shorter one, because it would 
 extend too far otherwise. It may reacli to seven inches with- 
 out any confusion, and if a foreright, and in the orchard- 
 house, it will even be better so. Thus the new wood on the 
 long shoot may well be pinclied off to one leaf as soon as 
 three leaves are formed, and tlie next time also to one leaf, as 
 soon as two loaves are formed ; and so on. 
 
 But the shoot or slioots shortened to two buds will require 
 to be allowed to grow by a leaf more at a time. Thus, as 
 
 1. FRUIT-SPUR ON THE PEACH, SHOWING THE SUCCESSIVE GROWTHS, 
 AND ALTERNATE PRUNING. 
 
 soon as four leaves are formed, pinch back to two leaves, and 
 afterwards to one leaf. All this will be readily understood 
 after a season's practice. Of course those natural shoots 
 which make their terminal buds — and are called by the French 
 "rameaux a fruit bouquets," because they appear like a small 
 nosegay, — should not be touclied wherever they appear. 
 They will soon be known, and generally spring from the 
 bases of the spurs. See fig. 1, of fruit-spurs on the peach, 
 where it is seen springing from the base of the spur, and is 
 marked E. The present winter's pruning of these two shoots 
 
FIGURE 1 EXPLAINED. 35 
 
 now requires notice. Taking figs. 1 and 2 of peach spurs, — 
 A indicates the original spur ; B the right shoot ; C the left 
 shoot ; D the right shoot which has developed another one, 
 and E the natural fruit-spur. 
 
 Fig. 1. — Here, on the spur A, the right shoot has grown 
 by successive starts (as seen by the divisions) upwards. The 
 little elbow above B is that part of the shoot which was left 
 beyond the last hud pinched down to, and often dries up rap- 
 idly. Two triple buds appear on the second growth, which 
 are to be carefully left. They will be found in fig. 2, as devel- 
 oped into two new shoots marked there B and D. But at 
 present the shoot is to be cut back to them, and failing them, 
 to two leaf-buds for wood shoots. Never cut, by any means, 
 to single flower-buds, because there should always be a leaf- 
 bud at the extremity of every part, no matter where or of 
 what strength. In a triple bud the central one is a leaf-bud, 
 and the other two flower-buds, and thus it unites every neces- 
 sary qualification. 
 
 The left shoot in fig. 1 is also seen. The second growth 
 has, or may not have, its two triple buds ; most likely it will, 
 because that is the place to look for them, and pinching-in 
 helps much to this important end. Then, higher up, appear 
 the third and fourth growths, the former having a neat little 
 lateral, which is far more likely to be fruitful than a powerful 
 shoot. These latter shoots, called "gourmands" by the 
 French, were the bane of the old systems, and do what you 
 would, if on the upper side they always would come. In 
 vain they were cut back; in vain they were twisted and 
 pinched off; the least neglect produced a vigorous shoot, like 
 a leading branch, just where it should not be. Of course the 
 sap rushed with tenfold violence into these enticing corners, 
 and of course the gardener did not see it, and then, by the 
 winter, the rest of the branch was languid and feeble, and 
 the tree spoilt. But in this system all this is rendered nuga- 
 tory ; there is little or no danger of this occurring. • Instead 
 of this giant, we see a neat little fruitful shoot, which, 
 crowned with an appropriate bud, is very like a natural fruit 
 spur. 
 
36 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 Leave these alone, and cut down close to them, as seen in 
 FIG. 1. The branch is then, with its short right shoot, ready 
 for wood-bearing or not, as the case requires, and its long left 
 shoot cvit for fruit, havnig a chance thereof at the two triple 
 buds on the second growth^ and on the neat little lateral be- 
 fore so commended. As the nearer wood is the ripest, if the 
 fruit appear on the triple buds below, so much the better ; at 
 any rate there are plenty of chances, because this little lat- 
 eral, though born, say in August, will probably be quite ripe 
 — at any rate it will be in the orchard-house. 
 
 2. FRUIT-SPURS^ ON THE PEACH — ALTERNATE PRUHING. 
 SECOND APPEARANCE. 
 
 In FIG. 2 we have the same spur A, and on it the same 
 second growth B and C, only B has developed into two long 
 shoots, and these have been successively treated as recom- 
 mended. In the winter the new development D is cut back 
 to two new buds, generally triple, and its fellow left long for 
 fruit, of which there must be a great chance somewhere or 
 other. You can hardly fail now. The left shoot C has borne 
 a peach or nectarine, where the triangle near C indicates its 
 place. After bearing it is cut back, so as to secure new wood. 
 
 In succeeding years, by the time the wall is covered, say in 
 four years, all the leaders should have their spurs crowded 
 
PRODUCE OP SOME CORDONS. 37 
 
 with these long and short shoots, two, three, and four to each ; 
 and as I said before, remembering to have a lesif-bud at every 
 extremity, and to keep half short for wood, and half long for 
 fruit, how can any one fail to have fruitful trees ? This is all 
 the care required for the spurs and growths on them, remem- 
 bering that if the long shoots in summer, from their very- 
 length, grow to seven or eight inches long, they have always 
 the corresponding short shoots on the opposite leaders ; and 
 as these may not extend beyond some five inches, one will fit 
 into the other. At any rate it is of no matter, for after this 
 experience a man must be dull indeed who could not manage 
 to get his wood compact and short somewhere. There is no 
 danger of not having superabundant shoots of all kinds, and 
 you can cut them clean out of the spur whenever you like ; 
 besides, they may have grown into two shoots, as many do, 
 immediately from the leader itself, and then you have abun- 
 dance of room. Let my readers be assured of all this, and 
 practice it fearlessly : " cut boldly and fear not." As Mr. 
 Rivers says of potted trees, " Any one can manage them ;" 
 and I daresay any lady could manage a Diagonal Cordon 
 easily and successfully after reading these instructions. 
 
 As to the getting the tliird leader to grow, it is now easily 
 seen ; and when the three leaders are fully grown, all that is 
 required is to allow a foot or two of the extremities, as in 
 vines, to grow upwards, and then to bend them downwards 
 gradually, and cut them off in the autumn. This exhausts 
 the superfluous sap, and keeps the upper shoots fruitful. 
 Nevertheless, I must beg to say that it is the lower shoots that 
 are likely to languish first, and therefore they must not be 
 too rigorously pinched in, but rather favored, and rested from 
 time to time. The finest fruit will be near the top, which 
 proves the abundance of the sap and juices at that part. 
 
 A Belle Beauce peach in my own orchard-house bore thirty- 
 two fine peaches on the leaders A and B, but of course the 
 top of A was not very ripe, and half of B was quite youthful. 
 Eeine des Vergers, which bore early in August, had twenty 
 splendid peaches, all on the lower part of A, it being in the 
 
38 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 second year. Galande had twenty-eight on a similar part, in 
 spite of tlie backward season, and the nectarines Early New- 
 ington and Hardwicke Seedling (a delicious nectarine), were 
 also very fruitful on this leader A. Malta, Chancellor, Sour- 
 dine, and Pucellc de Malines were magnificent, though very 
 young trees. I like Malta by far the best : Noisette calls it 
 his favorite. Leroy, Eivers, and many others speak highly of 
 it ; and, being not too vigorous, let me seriously recommend 
 it. It is a September peach, and the one that hangs so well ' 
 on a tree : no mean quality. 
 
 Nectarines, however, and clingstones (Pavie peaches), 
 which come late, and will find their day of triumph in Eng- 
 land before long^ are best suited for the back wall, because 
 they are the most valuable. So prolific is this plan, that I 
 "would not recommend the mid-season peaches for it ; you can 
 havedhem in the pots. A very early peach, but not the little 
 nutmeg peaches, should be placed in a warm corner, and 
 trained in this way. Acton Scott is scarcely good enough. 
 Early York or Crawford is better, or some of the new Ameri- 
 can varieties, which before long will be our very best early 
 peaches. 
 
 Stanwick nectarines crack, but they have done tolerably 
 well with me this unlucky year. They are really splendid, 
 though they generally require forcing. 
 
 I only repeat, to end this chapter : keep to the wood of the 
 second year ; and as every shoot which has borne fruit will 
 not again bear, it is well to cut off the shoot which has given 
 fruit as soon as it has done so. This is better for the prac- 
 ticed hand to do than for a mere beginner, and should not be 
 done in the early stages of cultivation. 
 
 CHAP. YII. 
 
 SPIRAL CORDONS. 
 
 The training these is essentially the same as that of Diag- 
 onal Cordons, because they also have an upper or vigorous 
 
VERTICAL CORDONS. 39 
 
 side, and a lower or weak side. If planted in the borders of 
 the orchard-hoiise, and trained round wires, they have an ad- 
 mirable appearance. Twelve inches of interval is also required 
 between the ascending stems, and not less than two trees 
 should be planted to train on the same wires. These Spiral 
 Cordons bear remarkably well, and for pot culture are unri- 
 valled. The sun and air have free access to the open centre ; 
 the leaders are kept down, and the spurs on them, with due 
 respect to the outrageous verticals, are easily managed. They 
 should, in the case of pots, be pinched in more closely, as it 
 is difficult then to allow a clear twelve inches of interval. The 
 outgrowing shoots are, of course, not included in this difficulty. 
 Wires are best to train round. When the leaders are fully 
 covered, and your space well filled in, then lower the leaders, 
 and twist them freely round the wires. If in pots, place them 
 close to the glass, but not so as to shade others behind them. 
 If for pear trees, in the open ground, very handsome speci- 
 mens may be obtained, and really fruitful, only the centre 
 must be kept well open. They are very easy to syringe in 
 the orchard-house, as access is easy to the interior parts. I 
 do not think that trees difficult to fruit would do, as some 
 parts are rather in the shade. The free-growing varieties 
 should be selected in preference. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 VERTICAL CORDONS. 
 
 Select a straight tree, as before, well furnished with later- 
 als ; remove one third of the top, and cut in the laterals to 
 two buds. Should any weakness appear in the lower laterals, 
 cut down to one half of the whole length, because the lowest 
 stage must be the longest, and it must be encouraged. Plant 
 in a pot, or in the open ground, or border, as before. In the 
 ensuing summer the two buds on each lateral will develop ; 
 
40 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 these must all be pinched as soon as six leaves long, to three 
 leaves, then to two leaves, and then to one leaf ; but in the 
 lowest stages it is necessary to allow one leaf more at each 
 pinching, until that part has a predominance over the rest ; 
 in other words, until it has a pyramidal form. Therefore, 
 the lowest spurs all round should be well encouraged, and if 
 disposed to become fruitful, then left as long as possible — i. e. 
 hardly pinched at all, and the whole tree kept to the pyrami- 
 dal form altogether. If the lowest shoots grow freely so 
 much the better ; merely pinch them back, according to their 
 vigor, and if laterals grow on these, pinch these to two buds 
 each. The object in view is to obtain a fruitful pyramid in a 
 vertical position, and the pinching is only to obtain this ; but 
 as the top grows very freely, it must also be kept under, and 
 occasionally pinched back, according to the vigor of the tree. 
 In this case the amateur will soon know how to proceed. If 
 the Vertical Cordon, however, be destined as a reserve for 
 banks in the Diagonal Cordons (and this must be kept in 
 view), then pinch all the shoots pretty equally; but if the 
 lower ones are inclined to become single shoots, then this 
 must not be allowed to be. Endeavor to have these reserve 
 trees regularly supplied with spurs, and two shoots on each ; 
 and if a tree obstinately refuse to come to this shapCj it had 
 better be rejected as time and patience wasted. 
 
 The vertical pyramids must not exceed the diameter of the 
 pot they are to fill (generally a thirteen-inch pot), at their 
 base. 
 
 If you plant the Vertical Cordon against pillars in the 
 orchard-house, it need not be pyramidal of course, and this 
 is another use for the potted vertical cordons to supply. 
 Against pillars, with their ends trained up to the rafters or 
 sideways, my own trees are splendid, and they are an amusing 
 variety because you may develop a second stem before and 
 another behind each pillar, and the fruit on the part near the 
 glass will be very fine. These trees will require removal, 
 probably annually, as they grow, to check undue luxuriance. 
 A few ties are all that is required, and they are easy to syringe 
 
HORIZONTAL CORDONS. 41 
 
 and take care of in every way. No strong-growing variety 
 should be planted either in pots or against pillars in the bor- 
 ders. Out of doors Vertical Cordons require very high walls ; 
 they are then useful, but unless they have a large number of 
 upright leaders they are apt to grow too freely ; and for 
 peaches, there is really no necessity for adopting this form in 
 out-door culture.* 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 HORIZONTAL CORDONS. 
 
 Under this head, for practical purposes in Cordon training, 
 may be ranged all fan-shaped or " palmetto" trees on walls ; 
 all standard out of doors ; and bush trees in pots. Every 
 one knows how to commence the training of these, — how 
 twelve inches are to be left above the soil, and how fan-shaped 
 trees are to be thence carried out. In the case of wall trees, 
 light rods should always guide the young branches, and these 
 should never be brought toward the horizontal line, till well 
 established, otherwise, adieu to the symmetry of the tree, — 
 the lowest stage being too short. But if these trees are 
 trained horizontally, then let the branches be depressed year 
 by year from an angle of 75 to 65 degrees, then 45, and 
 lastly to about 30 degrees. Any approach to the perfect hor- 
 izontal line is useless, except in the case of two small branches 
 developed from the lowest stage to fill up the lower corners. 
 The Cordon system is equally applicable here, — i. e. that part 
 of it which relates to the management of the spurs and shoots. 
 
 [* The Vertical and Spiral modes of training trees are admirably adapted to 
 pot culture, and amateurs who are growing fruit trees in this way will be well 
 repaid for their labor, in the superior beauty of vertical or spiral trees, compared 
 with the ordinary bush or no system plan. A little extra care is necessary in 
 the commencement, but their after treatment requires little more attention than 
 when grown without system. — c. m. h.] 
 
42 COBDON TRAINING. 
 
 As we are now treating of peach trees, of course the upper 
 shoots must be trained like those on the upper sides of the 
 Diagonal leaders, and the lower shoots like those on the lower 
 side of these leaders. The branches to be shortened by one- 
 third yearly, and when older, by one-fourth, and finally by 
 one-sixth of their length ; the main stem encouraged fairly 
 to grow. An interval of twelve inches is sufficient between 
 each stage of branches, while, in old methods, eighteen or 
 twenty were needed for the enormous slioots to bear their 
 solitary peach. Of course tlie crop in fruit ought to be 
 doubled, and would be but for fear of sacrificing the tree. 
 
 But how long time it takes to reach the top of a ten or 
 twelve-foot wall we all know well enough, and when there, 
 the tree is beginning to decay. A system valueless for such 
 splendid fruit. For pear trees, which last longer, it will do 
 well enough, but the Diagonal Cordon is far superior, even 
 for peaches under the glass of a forcing peach-house. If then 
 it be desired to reduce peach trees, trained on some queer 
 old method, to the newer plans, the shoots must be pinched 
 in, and cut off by degrees till the spur with two shoots thereon 
 is reached. Then .some strong shoots should be selected to 
 fill up the blanks between the branches, and laid in to the 
 wall, being very slightly shortened in the winter. Their lat- 
 erals should be pinclied in to two buds, and with care, the 
 tree will become reorganized in two seasons, withuul injuring 
 the crop; because that shoot which is to bear the fruit can be 
 left to bear it, being only pinched off at two leaves beyond 
 the fruit, and cut back behind the fruit immediately after it is 
 gathered. The other non-bearing shoots may be closely 
 pinched in and cut back, as required. There is not very 
 much difficulty in doing this. After a severe blight this July, 
 I cut off the miserable ends, and refreshed the trees, and 
 brought them well into shape, 
 
 As to the treatment of peaches and nectarines in pots, it is 
 easy enough. Treat the spurs and shoots like the Diagonal, 
 only rather more closely pinched in, as there is less room. On 
 the bush tree (like a currant bush), all the branches, say eight 
 
IN APRICOT TREES. 43 
 
 or nine, are full of these spurs, and the treatment of them is 
 easy. At the lowest parts, the short, natural fruit-shoots gen- 
 erally obviate any trouble in this way, which is convenient, 
 because there the branches are, necessarily, near to each other. 
 Of course the upper spurs of bush trees require closer pinch- 
 ing-in than the spurs on the lower sides, and two shoots on 
 each spur are required. 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 CORDON TRAINING IN APRICOT TREES. 
 
 The apricot is a magnificent fruit. It probably came from 
 America. Thence it passed into Greece and Italy, and so on 
 to our ungenial climate, and is pretty generally cultivated, 
 capricious as it is in bearing. The apricot does not force very 
 well ; it dislikes a confined atmosphere, and succeeds best in 
 breezy situations, with abundance of sun. Indoors it requires 
 great attention in the blooming season, and careful watering 
 at all times, or it is liable, either from this cause or from defi- 
 cient ventilation, to drop its fruit after setting. De Jonghe 
 considers this to arise from not being grown on its own stock, 
 and this may be the case. Tlie more sun and air apricots 
 have the darker will the fruit be, and the better the flavor. 
 Of all in cultivation, I find the Kaisha the best. Some new 
 varieties, as yet unknown, from Lombardy, promise extremely 
 well. 
 
 Diagonal Cordon training is well adapted to produce fine 
 fruit on the apricot. The triple system, with the same inter- 
 vals between the leaders, is the best suited for this tree. If 
 grown out of doors on espaliers, thick straw palliasses behind 
 the espaliers are necessary until the fruit be half grown, and 
 then removed to give free circulation. But at best, in Eng- 
 land, the tree bears only at long intervals. The spring frosts 
 ruin the tender blossoms. It is far best cultivated under 
 
44 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 glass, except a few hardy varieties — the names of which are 
 given in the list of trees at the end, — which are useful for 
 preserves, but not very enticing in flavor. 
 
 The shoots on the leaders should be pinched to four inches 
 as soon as they are six inches in length, and the successive 
 growths on them pinched to one inch more, as soon as they 
 become two inches long. In winter pruning cut back in order 
 to develop the buds at the base of each shoot, and as these 
 are numerous, and more easily developed than in the case of 
 the peach, there is no difficulty whatever in replacing a shoot 
 as soon as worn out, or unsightly from pruning. The appear- 
 
 3. FORMATION OF FRUIT-SPURS ON THE APRICOT. FIRST WINTER S PRUNING. 
 
 ance of an apricot shoot at the first winter pruning is like 
 that at FIG. 3. In this figure the shoot is shortened in by one- 
 third ; the fruit-buds are seen about half-way up the sides, 
 and the latent buds appear at the bases. 
 
 The second growths in fig. 4, which will eventually grow 
 out from these buds, having the appearance as seen in this 
 last figure, must be left to bear if on the middle of the spur, 
 but the one or two near the base will be full of leaf buds, 
 and must be shortened to two buds to form a succession of 
 shoots. About one-third of the whole shoot is removed at 
 this winter pruning ; and the whole length is easily kept with- 
 
PRUNING OF APRICOTS. 
 
 45 
 
 in the six inches allowed, because these short laterals will 
 form much of the bearing wood. Remember, however, to 
 shorten some of these, in order to have fruit as near the base 
 as possible. 
 
 In FIG. 4, the next winter pruning would be just over the 
 two lowest laterals at A, as the upper shoot would then have 
 become much elongated, and be fruitful. This has in its turn 
 to be shortened, while the lower would have pushed out in 
 one or two places, and so on. One long shoot and one short 
 one, as in the peach, is also an excellent plan, but is not shown 
 
 4. "^FORMATION OF FRUIT-SPURS ON THE APRICOT, SECOND WINTER'S PRUNING. 
 
 here to avoid confusion. Do not prune the apricot all at once, 
 as it is a tree liable to gum, and take care the ties are not 
 growing into the bark for the same reason, nor induce pleth- 
 oric growth by over-feeding the tree. 
 
 Horizontal trees are easily grown in this way. Develop two 
 very long branches, stretching at an angle of forty-five degrees 
 on either side. When fully grown, lower them to the hori- 
 zontal position, and the shoots already allowed to extend from 
 the upper sides only, being now vertical, will, in one season 
 more, ascend to a great height ; they will make, at the same 
 
46 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 time, laterals, which must be pinclied in rather closely at 
 first. Pyramidal apricots in pots look very pretty. They are 
 easily grown by continual close summer pinching-in to five 
 or six leaves. The leader, if kept under by several shorten- 
 ings in, will produce fresh shoots along it. Tliese pyramidal 
 apricots are much recommended by the great authority of 
 Mr. Rivers, and they certainly can be placed very near to 
 each other, say about two feet. If planted in borders they 
 require annual lifting and re-planting, and, of course, not so 
 much water. Apricot trees, trained spirally as half standards, 
 are very pretty and prolific. In some cases tliis is necessary, 
 in order to set the fruit near the glass. 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 CORDON TRAINING IN PLUMS AND CHERRY TREES. 
 
 There were plums in the gardens of Charlemagne. The 
 Heine Claude recalls the memory of the first wife of 
 Francis I. ; while the Damascus plum came back to Europe 
 among the Crusaders' baggage. Since tliese periods this 
 pleasant fruit has daily increased in favor. Nevertheless it is 
 not cultivated so much as it deserves to be. Plums are in 
 season for nearly five months, and are invaluable for kitchen 
 use. 
 
 Everyone knows this ; but that which everyone does not 
 know is the amazing variety which exists in the present day, 
 and among them are some extremely valuable plums. 
 Amongst them are the Early Prolific (Rivers), the Jefferson, 
 now, however, becoming appreciated, and rivalling the Green 
 Gage (Reine Claude of the French), besides a number of 
 others to be found in the lists of the day. These plums can 
 be kept for some time in muslin bags, and they thus become 
 shrivelled, but luscious in flavor. It is easy, therefore, to 
 
TRUNING OF PLUMS. 47 
 
 have plums for about five months on the table in some form 
 or other. 
 
 As to cultivation in orchard-houses they do admirably, but 
 had better be placed out of doors about June or July, so as 
 to improve their flavor, except in cold climates far north. I 
 recommend the Early Prolific as far superior to the Early 
 Yellow, a French sort, which is early, but a shy bearer ; then 
 the Gages ; then Jefferson ; Reine Claude de Bavay, a stand- 
 ard of perfection ; the Quetche ; Coe's Late Red ; and Hu- 
 ling's Superb, for orchard-houses. But every one can choose, 
 and hardly go wrong, where the variety is so very great and 
 really good. 
 
 5. FORMATION OF SPURS ON THE PLUM. FIRST WINTER S PRUNING. 
 
 The plum, however, is a coarse feeder, and apt to be very 
 vigorous — too vigorous for fruitful purposes. It must, there- 
 fore, be kept in hand. The choice, and not too luxuriant 
 sorts, will suit the Diagonal Cordon ; while, for the Horizon- 
 tal, where there is plenty of room for lateral expansion, 
 select the more vigorous kinds. The plum, contrary to the 
 apricot, improves in flavor from a wall. The treatment of 
 the leaders is as directed for the others, with intervals of 
 twelve inches between them in every case. 
 
 In FIG. 5 is seen the young shoot of the plum at the win- 
 ter's pruning. The top must be shortened in, as in the apri- 
 cot, by about one-third, keeping it to four inches long. The 
 
48 COEDON TRAINING. 
 
 pinching-in during the summer is as in the apricot. As soon 
 as six inches long pinch back to four ; the next growth (as 
 seen in fig. 5) pinch to one inch. Pinch the others closely 
 in, as also seen. In the first winter cut back to four inches. 
 During the ensuing summer endeavor to suppress, on the 
 shoot, the too vigorous triple buds, selecting the feeble buds 
 for the work in hand. Never neglect these plum spurs, or 
 they will develop into rank luxuriance, and become unfruitful 
 for several seasons. 
 
 If, therefore, a tree be perceived with luxuriant growth on 
 it everywhere, and the extremities waving defiantly in the 
 breeze to the height of some three feet over the wall, which 
 is not unusual, then look for no fruit on any of those parts 
 
 6. FORMATION OF FRUITFUL SPURS ON THE PLUM. SECOND WINTER'S PRUNING. 
 
 for two years. In fact, they must be cut out, for the spur 
 would become fearfully thick at the base, and compete with 
 the branches for the sap. Then, if cut out, how very trying 
 to the tree is this excision, and what ugly places appear on 
 the branches. Keep, then, those vigorous triple buds sup- 
 pressed, and work with the weak ones. 
 
 Rightly managed, the spur will in a season or two look 
 like that at fig. 6. This shoot will be shortened to within 
 six inches, i. e. the spur will be four in length, and the later- 
 als about two more. In fig. 6 this is seen. The little lateral 
 
PRUNING OF CHERRIES. 49 
 
 at the top is, say, two inches beyond its parent, and has some 
 neat flower-buds on it. Merely shorten it so as to keep it 
 compact. The next lateral is treated on the same principles, 
 Avhile that below on the left hand is shortened in order to be- 
 come a future spur, because the buds at that part are natur- 
 ally leaf-buds, and inclined to extend if cut back to, according 
 to the principles laid down in the beginning, of concentrating 
 the sap into one or two buds. On the other side, the right 
 hand, is seen a group of buds which will be fruitful the next 
 season, and must not be touched, just as in the case of the 
 peach. After the laterals at the top have borne, and the 
 shoot, cut back near the base, has made some other ramifica- 
 tions, then will be time to remove the top and its laterals at 
 A, to let these new shoots take their place, leaving the lowest 
 group of buds alone. Others will also spring up, possibly 
 nearer the base, and so on. There is no difficulty whatever, 
 and it is very easy to keep these spurs within five inches, or 
 even four. Of course, if for a Diagonal Cordon plant, as 
 also apricots, it should be at 36 inches from stem to stem, as 
 in peaches. Above all, avoid all ill-drained soils. 
 
 THE CHERRY. 
 
 This delicious little fruit, probably the gift of Lucullus 
 to the Italians, requires very free ventilation if kept under 
 glass, and only a few varieties are worthy of this care, except 
 in places where birds abound. The very earliest is the Belle 
 d'Orleans, and, as such, is suitable for orchard-houses. The 
 Duke tribe are splendid, and the New Royal is highly spoken 
 of. I have not seen it. Some late kinds are useful to keep, 
 if there is space for them in the house, and they can be kept 
 in muslin bags. The treatment of the spurs is like plums, 
 and very easy, because the groups of round flower-buds soon 
 form at the base, and by pinching freely in can be kept fruit- 
 ful. It is a capital plan to break the shoots instead of cutting- 
 them; and as cherry shoots grow very freely, they must not 
 be overlooked : if so, then it is best to break them partially 
 Uirough, and let the broken ends shrivel up before cutting 
 4 
 
50 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 them off. If grown as bushes in the house, spur them in 
 more closely^ and shorten the branches freely. A damp situ- 
 ation is quite unsuitable for a good cherry tree, and they re- 
 quire calcareous matter in the soil. As to Morcllo cherries, 
 it is a waste of time and labor to grow them on north walls — 
 better leave them to the birds; while if placed in a fair posi- 
 tion, this sort will rival many of the others. 
 
 I find cherries do remarkably well as Diagonal Cordons, 
 and they do not, as I feared, grow too strongly to be treated 
 in this way. 
 
 I have a high south wall of these cherries intermingled 
 with good plums, and they look very promising, all on the 
 Diagonal plan. Some of my best are the Duchess of Palluau, 
 a new and splendid variety, as a fan-shaped Cordon, and an 
 Early Black, extremely well grown, because the branches, 
 with the addition of a guiding rod, will grow as straight as 
 pipe sticks, and look magnificent. Pyramidal bushes in pots 
 are very handsome. As soon as four leaves appear on the 
 shoots, pinch in to three, and favor the development of the 
 Jjase, but not so as to exceed the diameter of the pot. 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 CORDON TRAINING IN PEAR TREES. 
 
 This most valuable fruit is a general favorite, and requires 
 a somewhat peculiar treatment, because it differs from the 
 preceding, especially from the peach, in this important par- 
 ticular, that as soon as a fruitful spur is formed, there is no 
 necessity to renew it, — it will last as long as the tree, with 
 due care. No alternation of bearing wood is here needed, as 
 in the peach, and therefore it is the basis of a quite different 
 treatment, which is also applicable to the apple". 
 
 The pear, however, resembles the peach and nectarine in 
 this respect : that it is equally suited for the various forms of 
 
DIAGONAL CORDON. PEARS. 51 
 
 Cordon training, and thrives best on the Diagonal plan. In 
 fact, there is really no other way of managing it, and the 
 forms in use are based on the same principles, only misunder- 
 stood; and this is tlie reason that pear trees bear well in 
 many localities, although our continental neighbors will not 
 believe it. The pear so naturally follows the system described 
 here, tliat it leads the pruner into it, do what he will. 
 
 Many objections, too, having little real force in the case of 
 the peach, have none whatever in the case of the pear. 
 
 It is a curious fact, that though the pear is confessedly a 
 most valuable fruit, and one so generally cultivated, its real 
 history is the least clearly ascertained. There is a quaint 
 tradition that the Sabines planted the Rousselet pear, on what 
 occasion is not said. The loss of their wives and daughters 
 would hardly be a suitable time for pear planting, unless it 
 was intended to console lost fair ones by reminiscences of 
 home, and "perry ; " for this ancient beverage is clearly al- 
 luded to by Pliny, who calls it " excellent." From the 
 Sabines we ascend through the dark ages, unillumined by 
 horticulture, to that period when St. Martin, the good bishop 
 of Tours, had the honor of having a pear named the " Bon 
 Chr(5tien," as a reward for his virtues. This is about all that 
 is really known about the history of this fruit. 
 
 The pear accommodates itself to almost any shape, and 
 thus to describe and to practise Cordon training is equal- 
 ly simple. Choose for a Diagonal Cordon, young and straight 
 trees, of equal vigor, one year old from the graft, and, in Novem- 
 ber or later, lay them in against the wall, just as in peaches, at 
 the same intervals, — and also, the first year, at 60 or 70 de- 
 grees of inclination. But do not, as in the case of peaches, 
 cut off the laterals to two buds at planting, as the pear re- 
 quires all its foliage for the first year. Merely take off one 
 quarter of the extremities of the laterals. During the ensu- 
 ing summer encourage the growth of the leader, and pinch 
 in a little of the new wood on the laterals to equalize their 
 vigor. In October cut these laterals in to two buds, and re- 
 duce the length of the leader by one-third, above a healthy 
 front bud. 
 
52 
 
 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 The next summer, these two buds, on each lateral, or spur 
 now, will develop themselves. As soon as these new shoots 
 have reached six inches in length, pinch them back to four 
 inches, or about eight or nine leaves. The next growths 
 pinch back to one inch more, and so on. Any short shoots 
 near the base which spring out, or any that make their termi- 
 nal buds under four inches in length, must not be touched, 
 as they are becoming fruitful of themselves from being near 
 the leaders, which shows how natural this system is. Pinch 
 so as to leave as much of wood above the last bud left as you 
 
 7. FORMATION OF FRUITFUL SPURS ON THE PEAR. COMMENCEMENT. 
 
 can, because this exhausts the sap, in drying it up, and the 
 buds below have a greater chance of being left dormant, that 
 is, not "stimulated to elongate," as Lindley says. The 
 young shoots must not be allowed to grow till they are, say, 
 ten inches long, instead of six inches. If they have been 
 thus unwisely neglected, then it is too late to pinch in. If 
 you did, some of the buds at the end would break out into 
 short laterals, just what is undesirable. If, however, they 
 have reached to ten or twelve inches unperceivcd, then bend 
 
SPURS ON THE PEAR. ♦ 53 
 
 tliem backwards, and twist them into a knot. This checks 
 further growth, and they can be cut back in the winter. If 
 they are very vigorous shoots, from the tree being of a pow- 
 erfully growing kind, or from the shoots themselves being in 
 a vertical (a most dangerous) position, then the evil is much 
 greater. 
 
 You must partially break them through, about half way, 
 and in addition pinch off the ends of the rampant shoots, and 
 let them hang thus, and shrivel up, till the winter pruning ; 
 and even then, probably, a season will be lost before fruit ap- 
 
 ». FORMATION OF FRUITFUL SPURS ON THE PEAR. COMPLETION. 
 
 pears at that spot. In the case of Diagonal Cordon training 
 against walls, all forerights must also be preserved. The 
 leader will soon reach eight or ten feet, and can, in the win- 
 ter pruning, be lowered to 45 degrees, there to remain in fu- 
 ture. As in peaches, a strong lateral shoot having been 
 reserved to form the second leader, which is also, of course, 
 twelve inches distant, it will be shortened-in a little, and so 
 ready to be bent upwards as the second leader next summer. 
 In fact, the principles for forming a Diagonal Cordon, with 
 triple leaders, are similar to those in the peach, with the 
 marked exception of the treatment of the spurs. In the win- 
 ter pruning of these spurs, and the two shoots on each, which 
 
54 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 having been several times pinched in, look like fig. 7, they 
 must now be broken, not cut at four inches. The original 
 spurs add an inch or so to the total length, but it will always 
 be easy to keep the shoots and spurs under six inches. Some 
 of the shoots may have less than the three buds shown, which 
 is of no consequence, for one fruitful bud is enough on each 
 shoot. At the completion of the pruning (see fig. 8), when 
 in winter, the ends are finally to be cut off, — not broken now, 
 as in FIG. 7, where the object is different. When the ends 
 are finally cut off, as seen, then nothing remains to be done, 
 for the buds will have that appearance of protuberance and 
 roundness that they can no longer be mistaken. They are to 
 remain, therefore, on the shoots, one, two, or tlu-ee, but never 
 more. 
 
 The three leaders will shortly be completed, and the wall 
 look remarkably well. An immense saving of time is gained 
 in this way. There are other irregular forms to be met witli 
 ambng the spurs, but they cannot be entered into in so brief 
 a work as this is. I will therefore only add, that as soon as 
 a pear has been produced on a shoot, cut oif the pulpy part 
 to which it held ; but only cut off the extremity, otherwise 
 the latent buds, for other seasons, will be destroyed. 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL, AND SPIRAL CORDONS IN PEAR TREES. 
 
 In all of these, the spurs are managed exactly as before 
 described. The Vertical Cordon may have the shape de- 
 scribed in the Miniature Fruit Garden, page 17 ; i. e. it may 
 have five leaders trained upwards. Trees on this mode bear 
 very well. It is recommended by Mr. Rivers. The distances 
 and spurs may be as described in the Diagonal Cordon. A 
 great variety of fruits is obtainable in this way, — no small 
 advantag-e. 
 
PRUNING OP PEAR TREES. 55 
 
 Spiral Cordons are treated in the same way as to spurs and 
 distances. Three trees together may thus be grown (each on 
 a single Cordon), if so wished, because the length of the 
 spiral neutralizes the otherwise too great growth. Or one 
 tree with three leaders may be trained thus. Most handsome 
 and prolific trees they will be, and very amusing to watcli. 
 They are also very suitable for small gardens, as standards. 
 Indeed, there is no better form in this case. 
 
 Standard pear trees require some peculiar variations in 
 their treatment. The shoots which are nearest to the main 
 stem, and on the branches, will be generally weak, and should 
 not be interfered with, as they are almost sure to become 
 fruitful in time. The next on the branch, higher vj), if under 
 four inches in length, should also not be interfered witli ; but 
 those on the highest portions of the branches will always 
 grow freely, because the sap flows thither vigorously. 
 
 Tliat mode, which is the same in principle, of bending the 
 branches towards each other, is also a good way of checking 
 a vigorous tree ; but with a weak-growing tree it is useless. 
 Moreover, the ends of the branches thus bent should be let 
 loose in time, or they will dry up, and the vertical spurs must 
 be closely watched. 
 
 Horizontal, or fan-shaped pear trees, are trained on these 
 same principles. The lowest stage of branches must not be 
 lowered too soon, as before said. 
 
 These must be pinched to four buds, and the further 
 growths each to one bud more. In the winter they must be 
 broken at three buds. The very strong shoots should be only 
 partially broken through, instead of pinching them off, and 
 broken otf quite at the winter pruning. The horizontal 
 shoots are more fruit-bearing than the vertical. These last 
 are annoying, and grow fast ; of course there are no spurs 
 with two shoots on them, as in wall cordons, but each spur is 
 a single one. 
 
 The maximum of inclination of any brancli from the main 
 stem is seventy degrees. As the tree grows, shorten the lead- 
 ers each winter, and the leading side branches by one-third, 
 
56 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 then by one-fourtli, and finally, by one-sixth of their length ; 
 so that the tree should grow in a pyramidal form, and the 
 lower stages be always longer than those above them. This 
 golden rule is too often neglected ; but the tree should not 
 be allowed to become pillar-like by letting the leaders be too 
 long, or by dwarfing the lowest stage of branches. 
 
 The following brief notes on training Pyramid standards 
 were made by me at Angers: — 
 
 1st year of planting. Plant in November, and trim oif 
 one-quarter of the side branches only. 
 
 2d year of planting, 1st of training. Leave twelve inches 
 of stem ; select six buds for branches and one for a leader. 
 Cut the branches close in to the stem, but not too near. The 
 tree now looks like a walking-stick. 
 
 3d year of plantation, 2d of training. The first stage of 
 six branches will develop itself, and allowing an interval of 
 twelve inches, six more buds for the second stage of branches 
 must be chosen, and one to continue the leader. Incise semi- 
 circularly over the three lowest eyes to check the sap, and 
 develop them. Pinch in, and break in winter the laterals on 
 the first or lowest stage of branches, now pretty long ; keep 
 them much longer than the second stage. 
 
 4th year of plantation, 3d of training. Allow twelve 
 inches more of interval for a third stage. The 2d stage will 
 now progress ; continue the leader vigorously upwards. 
 Pinch laterals on the 1st and 2d stage to four buds, and 
 break in winter to three buds. One half of the new wood 
 on lowest stage must now be cut off. 
 
 5th year of plantation, 4th of training. Another interval; 
 another stage. One-sixth only of the new wood on lowest 
 stage should now be cut off. Regulate the upper stages from 
 this one, and, tapering upwards, ascend to thirty feet by six 
 feet at the base. Manure no deeper than tln-ee inches, — i. e. 
 old litter lightly forked in, — and do not disturb the upper 
 soil more than is needed for weeding, <fec. Mulch in July, 
 after the ground has become heated, but never before. Graft 
 pears in August. 
 
THE TREATMENT OF INSECTS. 57 
 
 As to apples, the treatment is similar to that recommended 
 for pears. Bushes are the best form, with branches connected 
 with their neighbt^rs. These bushes should be at intervals of 
 four feet. 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 REMARKS ON TREES IN POTS. 
 
 The Cordon system, in its various forms, is admirably adapt- 
 ed for potted trees.* My own trees in pots have succeeded 
 admirably, and there really seems no other way of treating 
 them. The only real difficulty I have ever experienced in 
 Orchard-house culture, has been to keep away the red spider.f 
 Tlie green aphis, when neglected in the spring, has sometimes 
 destroyed the fruit of whole trees, with the ends of the young 
 shoots. But as this did not form a part of the Cordon system 
 it produced confusion in every part. But there is a remedy. 
 The green fly is easily destroyed by mixing two ounces of 
 tobacco in a quart of boiling water, and when cool, gently 
 brushing the leaves upvmrds with a soft brush dipped in the 
 infusion. The blue aphis on the plum, and the dreadful 
 black on the cherry, are to be similarly welcomed. The 
 brown aphis feeds on the young shoots of peaches in early 
 
 * See pages 54, 55, and 56, Orchard-House ; by Mr. Kivers. 
 
 [t We are a little surprised at this confession of Mr. Erehaut. That the red 
 spider is a pest to the cultivator, we must frankly admit; and in ignorant hands 
 difficult to eradicate. But after all, it is no great terror to a skilful man. It is 
 quite as easily got rid of as the graen fly, and of the two insects the latter, on 
 some plants, is the most troublesome. One single fumigation with sulphur, care- 
 fully done, will destroy every red spider, or a dose of whale oil soap will effect- 
 ually clean the plants. The proportions of the soap mixture are one pound of 
 soap to six gallons of water, using hot water to dissolve the soap, and diluting with 
 cool water. The sulphur should be fumed on a warm flue, not burned, and six 
 pounds may be used in this way, in an ordinary-sized house, without any injury 
 to the plants. As to destroying the red spider by syringing with water, there is 
 no such thing ; it will keep them in check, but nothing more. We have known 
 many gardeners to insist upon this, but we never saw them accomplish any- 
 thing. — C. 31. H.] 
 
58 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 winter, and must be dealt with in like manner. But all 
 these fade into insignificance when compared to the pest of 
 the house, the red spii'er, This dangerous foe requires early 
 attention, A small magnifying glass will discover it, like a 
 grain of red sand, slowly walking over the under side of the 
 leaves. But, after a little sad practice, one glance at the yel- 
 low spots on the upper surface of the leaf is enough. This 
 disaster arises generally from confined and heated air, and 
 insufficient syringing. Indeed I found that near the ventila- 
 tors, — I mean those at the top, where the air is rarified by its 
 ascent, — and at tlie very lowest parts of the stems, wliere it 
 was difficvdt to apply the syringe, and behind even a slight 
 pillar, three inclies in thickness, which screened a few leaves 
 from the sliower of water, — in these three places alone, did 
 the red spider first come, and was so rigidily syringed down 
 that he made little further progress. But the Gishurst com- 
 pound is an excellent cure, and not dear to purchase, say two 
 ounces per gallon of rain loater. Syringe the afflicted parts 
 well ; or, I should say, vnder them, because it is often by 
 syringing above the leaves in a graceful manner that the only 
 efficient way of watering the under portions, luhere the insects 
 are, is neglected. With these precautions, and avoiding this 
 sprinkling when the sun is on the leaves, (so as not to burn 
 them into holes,) the amateur may be at peace. 
 
 I always followed Mr. Rivers's directions in planting pretty 
 closely, and wish now to add, that it is of much importance 
 to pot early, even just as the leaves are falling, because the 
 trees are less checked. In October and November, then, let 
 the bush or pyramid trees, &c., be potted very firmly with 
 plenty of drainage and calcareous matter, good loam and 
 very old manure. The whole should be firmly beaten into 
 the pots, and some loose manure suffered to lie on the sur- 
 face. Then give a good watering or two, and let them rest 
 without water, unless the roots shrivel during the winter 
 months. The orcliard-house is then supposed to be gay with 
 chrysanthemums for which it is extremely well adapted. 
 Hange the trees neatly side by side at the lower end of the 
 
APPROACH OF SPRING. 59 
 
 house, and by elevating a row or two of the flowers, they may 
 hardly be seen. Ventilate in fine weather, but shut up iu 
 frosty and windy days. As to the trees which have borne 
 during the past year, the amateur will know how to man- 
 age them ; that is, the roots which have penetrated through 
 the five holes — the best number — at the bottom of each pot, 
 must be cut off, and five or six inches deep of the old soil 
 being neatly picked out of the pots, to about four inches 
 of tlie edges, fresh good loam and manure must be added. 
 By no means let the trees be taken out of the pots, as ig- 
 norant gardeners will be sure to advise. Soak once or twice 
 with water, and place the trees with the others to rest. In 
 cold localities the house must be well shut up when the 
 weather is severe ; and should the temperature sink below 
 zero, then some dry hay among the pots or round them, and 
 over their surfaces, will be very useful. 
 
 As February comes, place the trees three feet apart from 
 stem to stem in their places. A house of thirty feet will hold 
 at least thirty fine trees. I have many more, but these are 
 pyramidal or slender Cordons, and take far less room than 
 the bush trees. Therefore the amateur must be guided by 
 circumstances, as he can always remove superfluous trees in 
 July out of doors to make room for the rest.* Some of the 
 fruit-bearing bushes may also be placed close to a warm wall, 
 between the wall trees, to ripen their fruits, which they will 
 do a week or two later than if kept in-doors. I found the 
 
 [* In our warmer climate, and brilliant sun, the trees may be removed to the 
 open air the 10th of June, where peaches more particularly will only acquire any 
 flavor. A peach grown in an orchard-house, unless the sashes are wholly re- 
 moved in June, is worthless, only to look at ; flavor it has little or none. Per- 
 haps plums and nectarines had better remain in until all danger of the curculio 
 is over, when they should be exposed to the open air, choosing, as Mr. Brehaut 
 advises, a sheltered place where the wind will not shake the trees or bruise the 
 fruit. Every tree left in the house is done at the sacrifice of quality, though the 
 beauty and size of the fruit may be enhanced. In September, when high winds 
 often occur, it may be well to remove pears back to the house to prevent the loss 
 of the fruit. 
 
 Though most American cultivators know the character of the climate of Great 
 Britain, it may be well to remind them of the great difl'erence, by a brief state- 
 ment of the temperature of July, as compared with our own. The data are 
 
60 CORDON TEAINING. 
 
 fruit smaller in size, but generally finer in color. By March 
 all pruning must be over as before directed, and watering, 
 except in severe frosts, begin. Ventilate in mild or sunny 
 weather, but let the house be closed up in windy weather, or 
 at night. Changes of temperature or high winds are now 
 fatal to the blossoms, and the trees look most beautiful. A 
 handsome orchard-house of great length will look extremely 
 like a well-filled conservatory at this period ; the various-col- 
 ored blossoms making a gay and cheerful appearance, all the 
 more precious because of the coldness of the out-door weather. 
 But on sunny days, with the ventilation then needed, the air 
 will soon be heated by some 10 degrees, and be refreshing to 
 the invalid, resembling that of a southern climate. 
 
 Having spent many winters in the south, I can answer for 
 the resemblance in the dry and fragrant temperature ; per- 
 haps the less we talk about the latter quality in the south the 
 better, except among the orange and lemon trees. I can im- 
 agine nothing more refreshing than for a studious man to 
 have a long walk like this opening out of his study. Every 
 time he raises his eyes he is delighted with the lovely view, 
 and when, unable to resist the temptation, he arises and 
 strolls through his young trees, all so familiar to him, how 
 can he refrain from being thankful for such precious gifts ! 
 A house 100 feet long will furnish him, in its two paths and 
 extremities, with 250 feet of space for exercise, unexposed to 
 the weather, and from which he cannot but return to his 
 labors much strengthened and revived. These young trees 
 are highly suggestive. In tlieir growth, in their production, 
 in their rest, and in their decay, they are all potent images of 
 our own harassing career, and of its final close. 
 
 taken from a table kept at the London Horticultural Society's Garden at Cliis- 
 wick : — 
 
 The night temperature varies from 36° to 52°, and the day temperature from 
 66° to 80", rarely more than 72°. 
 
 In our climate the night temperature varies from 50° to 75°, and the day tem- 
 perature from 70° to 100°. 
 
 In fact many of the nights of July are as cool as with us in April, when a fire 
 is required in our early graperies. — c. M. H.] 
 
"first swell." 61 
 
 "When the young trees are in bloom they require much 
 care — they should be well watered,* or the fruit will not set, 
 and a gentle shaking will tend to facilitate this important op- 
 eration. A rather high and constant temperature is also now 
 very necessary. When, about the end of April, the fruit be- 
 gins to "make its first swell," (as gardeners say), begin to 
 syringe but gently, and under the leaves only, and do not 
 neglect to water the trees, especially in warm weather. Yen- 
 tilation is now of great importance, and, in May, all these 
 cares are doubly needed. Worsted netting will diminish 
 drauglits, and keep out sooty particles, so that orchard-houses, 
 by this simple precaution, succeed admirably in large towns. 
 The summer pinching-in of tlie young slioots on the spurs 
 will now have fairly commenced, and the amateur be in full 
 career, as this is an important period. 
 
 Syringing early, say before 8 o'clock, — and late, after 6 
 o'clock in the evening, when there is little sun to hurt, — 
 must now be carefully attended to, under penalty of insects' 
 tyranny. Trees three years old require two or three quarts 
 of water at a time, and I find it far better (as indeed it is in 
 the case with flowers), to soak them occasionallij than to 
 sprinkle the surface daily. Trees seven or eight years old 
 require one gallon of water at a time, — thus a good garden 
 engine is very useful and saves time. Trees in the borders 
 of course require less water, but they should be soaked when 
 it is done. 
 
 By the time June comes, the fruit will be getting large, 
 and syringing be required vigorously. There is now no dan- 
 ger of shaking down the young fruits. Some plums can be 
 put out of doors, and some apricots also, but not unless so 
 needed from want of room. Every care must be given to 
 ventilate the house bij night and by day, or the worst conse- 
 quences will follow. The potted trees should be lifted up 
 once this month, and once in July, to check the luxuriance 
 of the roots getting into the borders. Plenty of watering and 
 syringing in July, and fresh compost placed on the surface of 
 
 * No syringing is here meant. 
 
62 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 the pots, to be washed in by the daily waterings. July or 
 August is the best time for removing trees for fruiting in the 
 open air, as the season is most propitious for them ; and after 
 having been prepared by the two previous breakings-off of the 
 roots, (when lifted, as before directed), they suffer no check, 
 and the fruit is of a suitable size for being completely ripened. 
 Some trees can be placed near a west wall to retard them by 
 a fortnight, so as to have a succession of fruits. When the 
 windy autumn comes, care must be taken not to let the ripe 
 fruits be shaken off by gusts of wind. Ventilators to leeward 
 are then invaluable. When October and November return, 
 the potting of new trees (to increase the stock or as a re- 
 serve), and the renewing of the top soil of the older trees, 
 takes place. This is a busy time, and should be carefully at- 
 tended to. Unless watched, servants will not take sufficient 
 care, either in syringing, ventilation, or potting, the three 
 most important duties of the orchard-house. 
 
 This is, in fact, the only real drawback to the success of 
 the matter. No one can fail if he attend to these particulars, 
 but wherever you read of failures it is caused by some preju- 
 diced domestic or inattentive master. I find 13-inch pots the 
 most useful size ; but trees, in 18-inch pots, are extremely 
 enticing to cultivate. Of course the rows nearest to the low- 
 er portions of the house must be bush trees, with open cen- 
 tres ; then should come handsome spiral Cordons of all kinds, 
 and, in the higher rows, pyramidal apricots or peaches; and, 
 if a lean-to. Diagonal Cordons on the wall. 
 
 Trees in pots bear very well ; the branches should not be 
 pinched back too abruptly, but allowed to elongate much 
 farther than they will ultimately be cut down to in the win- 
 ter. If the ends are too closely pinched in, then the lateral 
 shoots will grow too fast ; and if these too be also shortened, 
 the tree may be unduly dwarfed. Neither, on the other 
 hand, should a rank luxuriant growth be encouraged, by 
 allowing too great length in fast-growing sorts, or by stimu- 
 lating the roots by excess of water, and too large supplies of 
 manure, because these trees will not readily bear under these 
 
HOW TO SUPPLY BLANK SPACES IN CORDONS. 63 
 
 conditions, and if once they get into the habit of thns extend- 
 ing, it is surprising how ditlticult it is to keep them under in 
 pots. 
 
 But witli ordinary skill, and the attention required to the 
 common things of life, there need be no apprehension enter- 
 tained of failure in pot ciiltivation of fruit trees. There is an 
 annual crop of feeding roots from above, and one from be- 
 low, and if unpruned, these last would descend into the bor- 
 der, and thence draw too potent nourishment. Lifting the 
 trees in June and in July prevents all this. If the trees be 
 in borders, then annual removal (which is less severe, what- 
 ever may be said, than biennial,) has the same effect. The 
 roots are kept compact, and a healthy development of spongi- 
 oles induced close to the root stem. 
 
 criAP. XV. 
 
 HOW TO SUPPLY BLANK SPACES IN CORDONS. 
 
 It will occasionally happen that, in spite of every care, 
 blank spaces will appear on the leaders of the various kinds of 
 Cordons. These occasion the only disfigurement possible in 
 the whole system, unless in the case of severe blight out of 
 doors, which calamity is common to all kinds of training, 
 and, therefore, requires a remedy, which is, fortunately, sim- 
 ple and efficacious. Wherever, then, a whole spur has died 
 off, or been destroyed by accident, one of the shoots of the 
 spur immediately below this spot should be allowed to grow 
 to twelve or fifteen inches in length. It will do so by mid- 
 summer, or at least by the beginning of August, during 
 which period is the proper time for applying it to fill up the 
 vacant space. 
 
 It is done thus. See that this shoot fit flatly and neatly to 
 the spot on which it is desirable it should ultimately grow, 
 
64 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 and having marked lightly the boundaries of the proposed ex- 
 cisions and incisions, which are to be If inches in length, 
 both on the shoot and on tlie leader : the succeeding process 
 resembles budding roses. For a cut la inches long being 
 made lengthwise through the bark of the leader, two more 
 transverse cuts are next made through the bark, one at either 
 end of the first cut. Take care not to cut too deeply, and do 
 not lacerate any part, or the place where the descending 
 fibres of the new roots are to be will be ruined. Carefully 
 then lift up the bark and make it thus ready, as in budding 
 roses, to receive the new shoot under tlie bark. This shoot, 
 having been marked where it is to meet the opened bark, 
 must be now operated upon. A slice is to be scooped out of 
 it, cleanly and neatly, If inches long, and the shoot must 
 then be neatly slipped into the orifice, and \inder the bark of 
 the leader. 
 
 I must not omit liere to state that a bud must have been 
 managed to be left in the side of this shoot, which is just op- 
 posite to the sliced-out part, so that when it has been slipped 
 into its place under the bark, this bud shall appear protrud- 
 ing, exactly as in budding roses. Proceed then with white 
 worsted to bind carefully round all the parts operated on, 
 leaving' out the bud, and bind the shoot into the leader. By 
 this means you will exclude all the air. If neatly done it will 
 surely succeed. All which I did last year succeeded, and 
 were so firmly united tliat they bore fruit, but did not ripen it. 
 
 In the ensuing spring, the ligatures being removed, the 
 shoot will be found united, inarched in fact, into the leader. 
 Then divide the shoot, just behind and under where it is 
 growing into the leader, leaving it there as a new spur, while 
 the remaining portion, still attached to the lower spur, is bent 
 back to its former position, and cut back to two buds, as re- 
 quired. Thus there is a new spur gained, without loss to 
 that from which it was supplied. In this way all blank spaces 
 • are readily filled up. Should, however, any one be desirous 
 of budding to fill up this blank, then let a triple bud be 
 selected; but it is, at best, a hazardous experiment, except 
 
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 65 
 
 on very young wood, while tlic plan recommended is far safer 
 and quite as easily executed. This method is much in use 
 in France, and called there " greffe par approche herbac<^e." 
 A neat illustration can be seen in M. Dubreuil's work, at 
 page 7, ed. 1857. 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 OBJECTIONS TO CORDON TRAINING ANSWERED. 
 
 The first objection to Cordon training seems to be its ap- 
 parently artificial form, by which the tree, being closely 
 spurred in during the summer, is more rapidly exhausted 
 and its duration diminished. You hear people after passing 
 by the Cordon trees with "faint praise grudgingly given," 
 even to visible results, come at last to some other specimen, 
 trained on obsolete systems, and exclaim, " Ah ! this looks 
 like a tree." A sigh of relief at their torture being now 
 over, proves the sincerity of their present words. How often 
 has it been my fate to hear such observations, not from prej- 
 udiced and ignorant men, but from otherwise well-informed 
 people. I really think that in this, as in many other cases 
 by the bye, that the fairer half of the creation has shown a 
 higher discernment. It is truly astonishing how soon intel- 
 ligent ladies will surpass us in horticultural pursuits ; and, 
 no doubt, the day is at hand when the soi-disant lords of the 
 creation will surrender the management of their orchard- 
 houses to the more enterprising management, certainly to the 
 more patient investigation of causes and results — of their 
 help-mates. They at least have generally taken on trust 
 what they did not immediately apprehend ; and at the end of 
 the seaso!*! been able to rejoice in their decision. 
 
 But in the case immediately referred to, all experience, as 
 yet, proves that no exhaustion of the trees, nor shortening of 
 their lives, takes place. And if it did, the remedy is so obvi- 
 5 
 
66 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 ous and so cheap as to make this objection futile ; for as long 
 as half-a-dozen trees in pots can supply a reserve, nothing 
 further need in reality be urged. Still it must be added, 
 that if excessive production be the cause of the destruction 
 of the trees after a certain number of years, then this is by 
 no means an unpleasant occurrence, for the fact is, that they 
 at present bear very little in proportion to the time and labor 
 devoted to them. But how long it will take to exhaust the 
 trees is not confidently stated by any one ; and for this excel- 
 lent reason, that no trees have as yet been exhausted after 
 fifteen years' trial, nor are any cases likely to occur for a 
 longer time. 
 
 When we consider the "fast habits" of the present day, it 
 would seem strange if trees did not partake of the general 
 rapidity of circulation; and no doubt a "fast nectarine" has 
 good cause to look back at its "slow but not sure" rivals toil- 
 ing painfully up the walls. 
 
 In the case, too, of horizontal Cordons and standard pear 
 trees this objection does not apply, for these are the slowest 
 portions of the system, and by no means the most productive. 
 
 Put the next objection is of a widely different character. 
 Now it is argued that the sap of the tree, far from exhausting 
 the whole, will, by being kept within undue bounds, act with 
 such vigor on the shoots, that they must become elongated 
 or wood shoots, and bear no fruit, especially in our moist 
 climates. 
 
 To this it is answered, that in the dry atmosphere of the 
 orchard-house no such result need be apprehended ; while in 
 the case of trees in the open ground against walls, the growth 
 of the leaders depends mainly on the powers of the roots, and 
 these are greatly checked in their lateral expansion by the 
 nearness of their neighbors. At the most, thirty-six inches 
 is but a limited space for roots of trees to expand laterally. 
 Again, root pruning, or annual lifting, is quite as easy of ap- 
 plication to any cordon tree as it is to other trees; nay, easier, 
 for many reasons. 
 
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 67 
 
 Besides, any gardener knows, that by allowing a foot or 
 two of the leaders to grow beyond the wall, and thus exhaust 
 the superabundant sap by gradually bending these down- 
 wards, and shortening them in the autumn, these things 
 greatly tend to keep the balance of growth preserved. The 
 borders of any trees should be well drained ; the trees should 
 not be stimulated with too rich materials, and any protection 
 to ward off the heavy autumnal rains by a broad coping 
 (such as the old monks always had on their walls) at the sum- 
 mit, and some planks sloping over the border, — these last be- 
 ing also of a good slope. With such precautions, indispensa- 
 ble under any system whatever, there is no ground for such 
 fears. 
 
 It is also for this reason chiefly, that triple Cordons are 
 recommended by me, having tried the single ones previously. 
 These last succeed well in France ; and if any one will reflect 
 that a Diagonal Cordon tree, with three leaders, will, on a 
 fair wall, cover about sixty square feet, why should it be less 
 likely to bear than another tree nine feet in extension by 
 seven in height, which contains sixty-three square feet only ? 
 In the latter case everyone knows that a tree of this kind 
 can, and will produce some five dozen peaches yearly ; but in 
 the case of my own Diagonal Cordons (under glass, it is 
 true), they produced at the rate of 150 or more peaches on 
 the same space. As to pear trees on this plan, I am con- 
 vinced that they will succeed admirably, all conditions for 
 success being duly observed. I have none whatever under 
 glass, because the climate of Guernsey, where I reside, does 
 not require this ; but neither does it in any part of England, 
 except far north. Out of doors I have this year some fine 
 specimens of fruit, although many of my pear trees are much 
 younger than the peach trees. 
 
68 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 REMARKS ON THE DIMENSIONS, ETC., SUITABLE FOR ORCHARD- 
 HOUSES. 
 
 Although a number of tliese interesting structures are now 
 in full work, and are becoming more known daily, as may be 
 seen from the number of inquiries made respecting my own, 
 and those of others, perhaps a few remarks on their dimen- 
 sions and form may not be out of place. A lean-to orchard- 
 house, thirty feet long, should be thirteen feet wide. If the 
 back wall be twelve feet high, that is ample ; and the front 
 should be about four or five feet high, but not more. Shutters 
 from twelve to fifteen inches in width all along the front, 
 which is conveniently made of half-inch boards, and about 
 half of the same quantity of ventilation at the back, are 
 required. Glass ventilators, swinging on pivots, instead of 
 wooden ones, are more expensive, but where this is of no 
 consequence, much preferable. Such a house need not cost 
 thirty pounds. 
 
 A lean-to house, 100 feet long or more, with walls fifteen 
 feet high, and eighteen or twenty feet wide, would be mag- 
 nificent, and have a double walk — one near the wall trees, 
 and one near the front row. In the smaller lean-to, which is 
 only thirteen feet wide, one walk only is permissible, and that 
 may be where you please ; but near the wall trees is best, as 
 it gives more head-room, and enables you to attend to the 
 wall trees better. To do this, a small ladder six feet high, 
 and exactly twelve inches in breadth, (in order to slip between 
 the spurs,) is requisite. 
 
 A small span-roofed house should be fourteen feet wide, 
 five feet high at the sides, and nine feet high to the ridge. 
 One centre walk leads between two rows of potted trees on 
 either hand, the smaller trees, of course, nearest to tlie sides. 
 
 A house thirty feet by fourteen costs about thirty pounds. 
 Larger houses are twenty feet wide, sides about five feet high, 
 height to the ridge about ten feet; the paths, two in number, 
 
DIMENSIONS OP HOUSES. 69 
 
 must be two and a half feet wide. The trees are placed on 
 raised beds, bricked in : these beds, at the sides, should be 
 four feet wide and fifteen inches high ; but in the central bed, 
 (there are three beds in all,) somewhat higher and one-third 
 broader. Here can be grown fine pyramidal apricots and 
 plums ; pears of choice kinds, and cherries, <fec. 
 
 One of Mr. Rivers's last and best is 100 feet long by 24, 
 and twelve feet high in the centre by five and a quarter feet 
 at the sides. It is glazed at either end, and the roof is sup- 
 ported by seven light iron pillars, the rafters being light. 
 There is a central border, and two paths, but none of the 
 borders are raised, which I prefer. 
 
 These large houses should stand endwise N. B. and S. W. ; 
 for if placed N. W. and S. E. some parts are in shade. Nothing 
 can well be finer than these large span-roofed houses ; they 
 are most ornamental and productive.* 
 
 CHAP. XYIII. 
 
 NAMES OF SOME VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR IN-DOOR AND 
 OUT-DOOR CULTURE. 
 
 In the orchard-house, the Red Masculine (Abricot precoce) 
 is a small round-shaped apricot, pale, and musky in flavor. 
 It ripens about the beginning of July, or even earlier in hot 
 seasons. The Large Early (Gros precoce d'Esperen) follows 
 it. It is larger, but not richer in flavor. I have some new 
 varieties from Lombardy, one in particular, large and very 
 early, is far superior to either of these. Then comes the 
 
 [* These are very suitable dimensions for orchard-houses. In our climate, we 
 should, as a rule, recommend span-roofs, as they are more easily ventilated, 
 and are not so hot as lean-to houses. As we have so much more sunlight than 
 they have in Great Britain, a position running anywhere between north and 
 south and east and west will do, according to the convenience or position of the 
 garden or grounds. — c. m. h.] 
 
70 ' CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 valuable Kaislia, the Syrian importation, which is a most 
 valuable variety — small, but well flavored — sugary, and it is 
 also prolific. Then the Moorpark, a week later, takes you 
 into the middle of August. The Apricot peach closes the 
 list of really useful sorts, though you may add many more, 
 as Beaug^, a capital late variety of the Apricot peach ; and 
 if an early sort be required, there are the Musch or the Viard 
 to choose between. 
 
 Peaches for the Orchard-house. — Here the variety is large, 
 but in reality only a certain number need be cultivated. 
 In countries where the peach bears tolerably out of doors, 
 then the very early and the very late sorts should be selected, 
 although, as was truly said to me the other day, " If you 
 have magnificent Royal George peaches out of doors, you may 
 have the same sort a fortnight earlier in the house, and so the 
 whole crop will not ripen at one time." 
 
 Now, this is a real advantage, as every peach-grower knows, 
 for I have literally found them fall by scores from my trees 
 during the night, and been obliged to let them perish, they 
 were so bruised and so common. Nets, in this case, should 
 be spread 18 inches above the ground to catch them. 
 
 But this is ridiculous cultivation, and similar to that in 
 the west of Canada, where, in the peach orchards, the pigs 
 devour the greater part of the fruit beneath the standard 
 trees. So, our object should rather be— " not so much, but 
 better." 
 
 In the orchard-house, then, the first fruit is the Eed Nut- 
 meg, (Avant Peche rouge,) which is a singularly small peach, 
 ripe in July. Then the Early York, an American novelty, is 
 highly spoken of — Mr. Rivers considers it excellent. Then 
 the Acton Scott, an intermarriage between Noblesse and Red 
 Nutmeg. Such are the absurd names given to these fruits. 
 But Acton Scott is useful for early exhibitions ; and though 
 a pale, medium-sized peach, will probably yet hold its ground. 
 
 The Petite Mignonne comes next, a capital varietj, and to 
 connoisseurs, the best early peach. It is rare, however, and 
 is succeeded by the Old Grosse Mignonne, which every one 
 
PEACHES RECOMMENDED. 71 
 
 speaks so much of ; but I cannot say much for it, as it is 
 every one's duty to speak the truth ; and then the mid-season 
 peaches. Noblesse is a well-known kind to the visitors of 
 Covent Garden. Choose the Sulhampstead variety of this, 
 it being by far the best, and the hardiest for the open wall, 
 and also forces well. Then the Reine des Vergers, a very 
 good peach (mine ripened early in August this year) ; then 
 Royal George and Red Magdalen — two old friends found in 
 every old garden. 
 
 After these come the Malta, that excellent peach. Noisette. 
 no mean judge calls it " his favorite ; " and mine this year, 
 even the smallest, were nine inches in circumference. Be- 
 sides, the Malta peach will hang on the tree without falling, 
 an excellent quality in any fruit. It will also be the best to 
 send to your friends at a distance, because it bears carriage 
 the best of any. 
 
 Then you may have the Chancellor peach ; Rivers and 
 Leroy of Angers call it " excellent," though MacEwen calls 
 it " ugly." It is a long, almond-shaped peach — rather bitter, 
 but otherwise curious, and good. Mine this year were very 
 fine. Then Barrington ; then Bourdine, all September 
 peaches, but in the orchard-house rather earlier ; then Wal- 
 burton Admirable, that noble kind, and Desse Tardive — a 
 most beautiful, yellow-colored, large variety. . I have Belle- 
 garde, (Noire de Montreuil,) which the French rave about. 
 It is excellent, but not first-rate under glass, nor Belle Bauce. 
 
 Belle de Vitry ripened in September. It is a staple of the 
 Montreuil gardens for the Paris market with Bellegarde, — 
 and I prefer it, — but the tree is very vigorous, and may ex- 
 ceed your powers to keep it under. Mr. Rivers does not 
 notice it in his catalogue, and you can do without it. Then 
 there are the Pavie or clingstone peaches ; of which I can 
 only say, that they who make trial of them will discover 
 something worth their labor. My own this year are very 
 fine ; but I cannot retard them as I hoped. Pavie de Ton- 
 neux, " fruit magnifiqae," (as Leroy says,) ripens a montli 
 earlier than was desirable ; but is a noble peach. 
 
72 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 Many others the amateur will see in catalogues, and will, 
 in time, choose for himself. For the present, I content my- 
 self with stating what I have found very good. I must not 
 omit, however, Pourpree Hative. If you can get it true it 
 is of a most vinous flavor, and Admirable Jaune, a capital 
 peach — yellow — -and common at Angers in September. I 
 have three trees of this kind, one full of fruit, but not yet 
 gathered. Also Monstrueuse de Doue was very fine indeed 
 from the wall. Tardive d'Bspagne, a late pointed peach, is 
 as yet far from ripe, and I have great hopes it will not ripen 
 till late in October. All my desires have been to prolong the 
 peach season. I found the orchard-house hastens them too 
 much, and a late peach, truly good, is yet a variety to be 
 desired everywhere. One that should be ripe in November, 
 say by the fifth, and yet require no sugar to eat with it, has 
 not yet been found.* 
 
 Nectarines for the Orchard-house. — Here I enter into the 
 best part of the subject, according to my own ideas, — a ripe 
 nectarine being, as I think, the finest of all fruits, and far 
 superior to a peach. As to growing nectarines in the open 
 air, it is simply ridiculous, and only answers in extraordinary 
 reasons. In the house, Fairchild's Early is a small but early 
 variety ; then Hunt's Tawny, a distinct, yellow nectarine, of 
 not too much flavor, but excellent nevertheless. Then follows 
 rapidly in August, Elruge, (^Q^il-roiige?) a very old sort, as 
 <3ld as Charles II. 's time. It is most useful for exhibiting, 
 as any list proves, and capital for forcing ; but only of 
 ^nedium size. 
 
 yiolette Hative is a very superior variety, excellent for ex- 
 hibitiony only medium size, but prolific and good. Pitmaston 
 too is well known. These three are first-rate. Hardwick 
 
 [* The American cultivator need not be guided by Mr. Brehaut's advice in the 
 selection of varieties, as our American sorts are, with a few exceptions, better 
 than the English and Trench peaches. The Early York has proved with 
 Mr. Rivers one of the best, and such sorts as Early and Late Crawford, Bergen's 
 Yellow, George IV., Coolidge's Favorite, White Ball, and many others, are not 
 ,only magnificent in size and appearance, but appear better adapted to pot culture 
 thm roanj of the old English and French peaches.— c. m. h.] 
 
NECTARINES, PLUMS, AND PEARS RECOMMENDED. 73 
 
 Seedling, hardy, firm flesh, a great favorite of mine ; then 
 the Murrey, medium size, immense stone, very racy flavor ; 
 the Due du Telliers, a large prolific kind, very good indeed. 
 The Downton, large and showy, but not so aromatic as the 
 Murrey. The Late Melting, a good late sort for exhibitors. 
 The White is also earlier than some of these, and the New- 
 ington race are all good. The Red Roman is immense, but 
 difficult to soften, and the Stanwick is the best of all. It, 
 however, cracks very much ; nevertheless it is very sweet, 
 and the kernel has really no bitter taste, as reported. Mine 
 this year are very fine and numerous, and I think with care 
 they might be grown without fire heat ; otherwise this is the 
 chief of nectarines in every way. It is of Syrian extraction ; 
 and comes, I think, from our consul there. 
 
 Plums for the Orchard-house. — The Early Favorite (Rivers) 
 ripens the earliest, about the middle of July. Then the St. 
 Etienne about the beginning of August — a sweet yellow plum. 
 Then Denniston's Superb, darker in color, very prolific, and 
 very good. Then the Green Gage for the end of August; 
 the delicious American Jefferson ; the Reine Claude de Bavay, 
 a splendid plum ; Coe's Golden Drop, first-rate for pots ; the 
 old Quetsche ; the Late Orleans, and Huling's Superb. All 
 these are very good for pot culture, and can be depended on. 
 
 Pears for the Orchard-house. — In this case each person 
 must select according to his individual taste. Some kinds 
 are really better, as the Brown Beurre, the Josephine de 
 Malines, the Beurr^ Clairgeau, the Bergamotte d'Esperen, 
 the Winter Nelis, the Louise Bonne, and the Van Mons L^on 
 Leclerc. All these are decidedly good pears. The Winter 
 Nelis and Josephine are the best^ according to Mr. Rivers.* 
 
 The summer pears hardly require protection ; but if in cold 
 localities far north it is wished to have one or two in-doors, 
 then choose the Doyam e u'Ete and the Jargonelle. 
 
 [* Again Mr. Brehaut's advice is of little value to American cultivators. To 
 cultivate Bergamotte d'Esperen and Jargonelle, or even Van Mons Leon le 
 Clerc and Josephine de Malines, would be to make a very poor selection, when 
 such pears as Marie Louise, Sheldon, Beurre Hardy, Glout Morceau, Brandy- 
 wine, and other equally fine sorts, are to be had. — c. m. h.] 
 
74 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 Apples. — The Newtown Pippin and Northern Spy are the 
 best, and others are readily discovered if required. 
 
 It must not be forgotten by the amateur, that at least one 
 half of the trees for his orchard-house should be purchased 
 in a bearing state, because by this plan he will have fruit at 
 once, and also have models of what his training the others 
 should be. 
 
 For out-door culture, the best peaches are Noblesse, Royal 
 George, Grosse Mignonne, Bellegarde, Red Magdalen ; and, 
 of late sorts, Bourdine and Chancellor. The jElruge, Violette 
 Hative, and Pitmaston orange are the best for out-door cul- 
 ture ; of the nectarines. Apricots. — The Moorpark in favor- 
 able localities, but it is a very shy bearer ; the Roman, the 
 Hermskirke, a nice large variety ; and the hardy Breda, 
 which comes in August, and can be recommended. Alberge 
 de Montgamet is small, early and hardy. The Royal apricot 
 is also a valuable kind. 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 This last chapter shall be soon written. By this time, 
 doubtless, the amateur is more than satiated with peremptory 
 precepts. But they were unavoidable. The only alternative 
 was to introduce endless physiological discussions, which it 
 would not have been difficult to do, but which would not have 
 simplified anything. On the other hand, without a few gen- 
 eral principles on which sound training is best conducted, 
 every observation would necessarily have had to be taken on 
 trust. The consolation is, that this defect is common to all 
 books on fruit culture. " The explanations of horticultural 
 operations," says Lindley, " are simple, and free from ob- 
 scurity; provided they are not encumbered with speculations. 
 
REPOSE OF PLANTS. 75 
 
 Chemical illustrations, unless of the simplest kind, or refer- 
 ences to the agency of electricity, have little obvious applica- 
 tion to practical purposes." 
 
 The object of a brief work like this, is not to elucidate the 
 laws of vegetable life in all their minute and, it must be freely 
 confessed, obscure details, but to narrate to those already 
 acquainted with the art of horticulture, some experiences, 
 with which they have not had the leisure to become familiar. 
 Certainly there were many most interesting natural phenom- 
 ena which were very tempting to enter into : respecting 
 temperature, for example, a vital point in these matters ; or 
 moisture of soils ; on the periods required by plants for rest, 
 which is a very important subject, and one which that acute 
 observer, Mr. Knight, has so well explained. 
 
 Certainly, few people appreciate the necessity of diurnal 
 repose for plants, as well as their long rest during the winter 
 months, and thus the pernicious custom of keeping up high 
 temperatures during the night in forcing houses is still too 
 much in favor. This vicious custom exhausts the trees, with- 
 out promoting their growth or aiding the ripening process, 
 and as it bears so directly on the subject treated of here, I 
 cannot refrain from quoting as follows : " As early in the 
 spring as I wanted the blossoms of my peach trees to unfold, 
 my house was made warm during the middle of the day ; 
 but, towards night, it was suffered to cool, and the trees well 
 syringed at as nearly the temperature of the natural exhala- 
 tions as I could."* 
 
 Under this treatment Mr. Knight's trees flourished, and 
 the blossoms were extremely large, this being a most im- 
 portant matter, as the size of the blossom much regulates the 
 size of the fruit. 
 
 [* Truly does Mr. Brehaut call it a " vicious " custom to maintain a high night 
 temperature. Nothing, we have long been convinced, is so injurious to any 
 plants or fruits cultivated under glass, as a high night temperature. The plants 
 must have repose ; and to be kept under constant excitement, night and day, is 
 sure to weaken and eventually ruin them. Except when the weather is very 
 unfavorable, ventilation should be freely given at night as well as during the 
 day. — c. M. H.J 
 
76 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 Then the subject of soils is quite endless. It, however, 
 deserves a volume to itself, it is so important. 
 
 For example, in sandy districts which are so very soon 
 heated, the sand seldom dries deeper than ten or twelve 
 inches, while sea-salt becomes damp at night. On the other 
 hand, clay heats very slowly, besides being too compact for 
 the spongioles to penetrate, and retaining water. It has, 
 therefore, every bad quality. Sand, however, dries up too 
 rapidly to be suitable by itself. A mean between these ex- 
 treme cases is, therefore, of general use, with the addition of 
 peat. These exercise separate and counteracting influences. 
 The loam consolidates ; the sand lightens ; and the peat 
 unites. This is, therefore, a perfect mixture. • 
 
 Nevertheless, that loam which has the most calcareous 
 matter is far the best, for calcareous earth enters largely into 
 the organization of plants. It also, according to Davy, de- 
 pends on the action of the lime and vegetable matter together. 
 Manures act, either by stimulating, by absorbing the moisture, 
 or by supplying food, i. e., carbon and nitrogen. Carbonic 
 acid, at least, forms an essential part of the substances of 
 plants. It is, however, proper to apply manure when the 
 plants are rapidly growing, and to those parts which can 
 absorb it, and not, as a great many do, at the stems of the 
 trees. 
 
 The fall of rain furnishes the observer with many most 
 interesting phenomena for remark, and thus horticulture 
 leads the inquirer into many paths he would otherwise never 
 have trod. Less rain will certainly fall on the top of the 
 house than falls on the surface of the ground. The average 
 of downpour of a day and night is one inch of water ; but 
 in the west of England it is one third more, and in the lake 
 districts double the quantity. It is also remarkable how a 
 high temperature with a southwest wind will absorb the 
 vapors, and cause a delicious temperature, most healthy for 
 men as well as for plants. But the climate of England is 
 certainly very moist, and every precaution must be taken to 
 carry away the superfluous waters from the borders. 
 
VENTILATION. 77 
 
 Ventilation is an inexhaustible subject, and one of much 
 moment to the horticulturist. In the orchard-house, how- 
 ever, it is much simplified, though I see that Mr. Rivers 
 recommends fewer top ventilators than were of use at first, 
 and certainly cold currents of air, especially if charged with 
 excessive moisture, cannot be suitable to peach culture. Pre- 
 cautions must therefore be taken to guard against these, as 
 also against strong winds acting directly on the ripened fruit. 
 Ventilation is chiefly necessary to carry off noxious vapors, 
 and it is inconceivable how soon these are generated. A 
 minute quantity of sulphurous acid will cause every leaf in 
 the house to drop in a day. In forcing-houses ventilation 
 in the spring is rather injurious than beneficial. When the 
 air is charged with moisture it is more suitable for plants in 
 a growing state than when they are ready to rest. " The 
 skilful balancing of the temperature and moisture of the air, 
 and a just adaptation of them to the various seasons of growth, 
 constitutes tlie most complicated part of a gardener's art." — 
 Lindley^s Theory of Horticulture. 
 
 Enough, however, has been said on these subjects, and 
 perhaps by this time the reader is reduced to that condition 
 in which Horace, anxious to prepare for his supper party, 
 querulously tells his servant, " Persicos odi, puer, apparatus," 
 which, as the botanical name of the peach is " Persica," 
 may be thus rendered : " Gardener, I am sick of your peach 
 training." 
 
 The principal suggestions are — summer pinching reduced 
 to a method, and perfected in the winter pruning of peaches 
 on the alternate system ; and the placing the trees diagonally 
 at short intervals. I have not dwelt much on the obvious 
 advantage of being able in this way to occupy a valuable wall 
 with a succession of fruits, precious to the cultivator as this 
 must be, because it seemed to me that the being able to 
 shorten the period in which the wall space could be covered 
 with fruitful wood, completely overshadowed other considera- 
 tions, for in horticulture, as in other matters, the gain of a 
 year is of inestimable value. 
 
78 COEDON TRAINING. 
 
 I only wish, therefore, to say that no apprehension need be 
 entertained of the shoots on the leaders becoming too long to 
 manage, (an apprehension, by-the-by, not without its cause, 
 for Mr. Rivers writes to me on this subject, that he finds these 
 very shoots " always fighting to get away from the tree,") but 
 by merely allowing a few leaves to grow beyond the long 
 bearing shoot, (as in the vine,) and by cutting it back to two 
 buds directly after bearing, the shoots can be kept compact, 
 fruitful, and close to the main stem. 
 
 In all these cases, the reader will readily have discerned 
 that my favorite is the Diagonal Cordon, but with the ex- 
 ception of the growth on the lower sides of this form being 
 weaker than those on the upper, the management of the spurs 
 and shoots is the same in all cases. 
 
 I have had much pleasure in writing this book, but at the 
 close I feel that others will profit by my hints, and that I 
 must exert myself if I wish to keep pace with them in the 
 friendly race. 
 
SUPPLEMENT 
 
 TO 
 
 MR. BREHAUT'S 
 TREATISE ON FRUIT TREES 
 
 IN THE 
 
 ORCHARD-HOUSE AND OPEN AIR; 
 
 REMARKS ON THE CULTIVATION AND PRUNING OF THE PEACH 
 
 TREE, IN POTS; 
 
 ON CORDON TRAINING OF THE PEAR; 
 
 THE BEST VARIETIES OF FRUITS FOR POT CULTURE; 
 
 AND 
 
 GENERAL HINTS REGARDING ORCHARD-HOUSES ADAPTED TO THE 
 CLIMATE OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 BY C. M. HOVEY; 
 
 BDITOB OF THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 
 
SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 Orchard-houses, as will have been seen by the remarks of 
 Mr. Brehaut, as well as by the treatise of Mr. Rivers, and 
 other writers upon the subject, are, in fact, a real necessity 
 in the climate of Great Britain, where the peach can only 
 be successfully raised on walls or espaliers in sheltered gar- 
 dens, or in houses erected especially for that purpose ; and 
 where even the finer pears cannot be depended upon for an 
 annual crop, so variable and uncertain is the weather in the 
 spring of the year, often accompanied with severe late frosts, 
 which injure or destroy the blossoms ; and when they escape 
 these, the want of solar heat prevents the fruit from attain- 
 ing that perfection which it acquires in a warmer atmosphere, 
 and under clearer skies. Hence orchard-houses are a boon 
 to English cultivators, and it is not surprising that so much 
 interest has been taken in th& subject, or that such a large 
 number have been introduced into English gardens, since 
 they were first advocated by Mr. Rivers. 
 
 But in the climate of the United States the same causes do 
 not exist. Every fruit, unless we except the fig, fl.ourishes in 
 the open air, and ripens its crop in perfection even in our 
 more northern sections of the country ; the peach, it is tru.e, 
 is subject to injury from the great alternations of heat and 
 cold, during our long and severe winters, but even this is 
 only occasional, say two years out of five, while in the Mid- 
 dle and Southern States it is about as certain as the pear. 
 Orchard-house culture is, therefore, not a necessity with us, 
 6 
 
82 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 but rather a luxury — a delightful species of culture — employ- 
 ing the leisure hours of the amateur fruit grower, and sup- 
 plying the wealthy with superior fruit a little in advance of 
 the natural season. 
 
 Such being the case, we cannot expect to see orchard-houses 
 spring up as indispensable appendages to every garden, but 
 only introduced where fruit culture becomes a pleasant rec- 
 reation, when trees are valued for their ornamental aspect, 
 or as a means of supplying the table with the most beautiful 
 and tempting specimens. Viewed from either point, with the 
 abundance of wealth, and general love of superior fruits 
 yearly becoming more extended, orchard-houses must be re- 
 garded as a great source of extending and increasing our 
 enjoyment of rural pursuits. 
 
 The peach, the nectarine, the apricot and the fig, may per- 
 haps, be made exceptions in the northern sections of the 
 country where the former occasionally suffer from the inten- 
 sity of the winter, and produce no fruit, and where the latter 
 is too tender to resist our frosts. For these fruits orchard- 
 houses are peculiarly adapted ; under the judicious treat- 
 ment so well detailed by Mr. Brehaut, whether in pots or 
 trained as cordons on the walls, they produce an annual 
 crop with as much certainty as the apple in the open air. To 
 all who esteem these fruits — and the number must be small 
 who do not — they can be obtained in abundance by a process 
 at once simple, economical and sure. 
 
 But even with the hardier fruits, which as we have said are 
 known to flourish in perfection in the open garden, there is 
 no reason why tliey should not be cultivated and successfully 
 raised in pots, without stopping to make the common enquiry 
 whether it " will pay." Tliis utilitarian phrase, should not 
 be admitted into the vocabulary of the amateur cultivator. 
 In fact a genuine love of horticulture is not barred from the 
 enjoyment of its taste by any such ideas. The question is, 
 will these objects contribute to our gratification ? If so, that 
 is sufficient. That fine specimens of trees in pots loaded 
 with fruit must be attractive both from their beauty and their 
 
CORDON TRAINING. ' 83 
 
 value, there can be no doubt ; and it is upon tins basis that 
 we must look to see orchard-houses constructed and stocked 
 with a fine collection of all the best varieties of all kinds of 
 fruits. 
 
 Such is our view of orchard-house culture in our climate, 
 and believing that the increasing taste for horticultural pur- 
 suits will be intensified by extending the sphere for its 
 gratification, we proceed to add, to what Mr. Brehaut has so 
 well said, some general hints applicable to our climate. 
 
 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 So much has been said upon cordon training by Mr. Bre- 
 haut, that it may appear superfluous to add more ; yet as this 
 method has not been, to our knowledge, adopted by. our cul- 
 tivators, though practised several years by the French, we 
 deem a few remarks of importance, as we are sure this sys- 
 tem of training, when once its advantages are understood, will 
 be tried in the orchard-house, upon the back walls of vineries 
 and cold graperies where trees are introduced, and in the 
 open air. 
 
 For the pear we believe it will be adopted by amateurs who 
 wish to possess symmetrically pruned trees, without great la- 
 bor, and a variety of superior fruits in a limited space ; and 
 for the peach, on the new plan of protection invented by Dr. 
 Weed of Iowa, to raise this fruit by means of a covering of 
 wooden sluitters during the winter, it will be just the mode 
 of planting and pruning to obtain the best results. 
 
 The different kinds of cordon training are noticed by Mr. 
 Brehaut, and he has given his reasons for preferring the 
 diagonal cordon with three leaders ; at the same time he 
 remarks that " in France the single cordon with laterals of 
 fourteen inches succeeds well," though as he states " it 
 would not do well in England." With the reasons he has given, 
 and what we know of the climate of Great Britain, we can 
 
84 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 well understand this. But our climate is unlike that of 
 Great Britain, and even more favorable to the peach than 
 that of France, where this fruit is never seen in the perfec- 
 tion it attains here as an orchard fruit. The single cordon 
 therefore answers every purpose and may be adopted with the 
 certainty of perfect success ; its advantages being that the 
 wall or espalier is covered with bearing wood in a very short 
 time (three or four years) and all the available space filled 
 long before it would be by either the double or treble cordon. 
 M. Dubreuil, the originator of this method of training, and 
 who has practised it exclusively since 1843, has given a de- 
 tailed account of it in the Revue Horticole, in which he 
 sums up its advantages over all other systems of training. 
 The principal of these are, its simplicity, being easily man- 
 aged by the amateur or less skilful gardener, and the saving 
 of from six to ten years in covering the entire espalier with 
 the branches. 
 
 The only difference in appearance or in practice between 
 the treble cordon, as delineated by Mr. Brehaut in the Fron- 
 tispiece, and the single cordon of M. Dubreuil, is, that each 
 cordon proceeds from its own root, the trees being planted 
 just fourteen inches from one another. The management of 
 the laterals is the same. The somewhat difiicult process of 
 bringing up the diagonal cordon being dispensed with. . 
 
 In our climate we would therefore recommend the single 
 cordon in preference to that of Mr. Brehaut. 
 
 The pear particularly may be subjected to the same system 
 of training, and for the information of amateur fruit growers, 
 who may wish to try it, we copy from the Magazine of Hor- 
 ticulture (Vol. XXV., p. 451,) a translation of M. Du- 
 breuil's communication, upon the subject, remarking that 
 we have a plantation of pears already growing, in which the 
 plan will be fully tried, and which so far have succeeded ad- 
 mirably ; we have no doubt of its superiority over all the old 
 systems of fan, or horizontal training. The method will be 
 fully understood after a perusal of M. Dubreuil's description 
 with the aid of our engraving (fig. 9.) 
 
CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 85 
 
 " We know that the forms most generally employed for es- 
 palier pear trees are such that it is necessary, for a wall of 
 eight feet in height, to wait sixteen or eighteen years be- 
 
 fore the trees entirely cover the surface which is intended for 
 each tree, that is, of fifty or sixty square feet. It is too 
 long to wait for the maximum product of the trees, for during 
 this time the interest upon the cost of the land and the con- 
 struction of the wall, as well as the expense of keeping the 
 same in order, is so great that the crop affords a very in- 
 suflScient remuneration. 
 
86 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 " We have described in the third edition of our Traite d^ Ar- 
 boriculture, under the name of " Cordon obHque double," a 
 mode of training, which, adopted against a wall of at least 
 eight feet high, answers completely for espaliers of pears, 
 apples, plums, cherries, and apricots, in the short space of six 
 or seven years. That which we now advise (fig. 9) and 
 which is only to be applied to these kinds, is called the Cordon 
 oblique simple, and was first adopted by us for the pear in 
 1843 ; it gives a still more prompt result, since we can attain 
 the same object at the end of the third or fourth year. The 
 following is the mode of planting an espalier for pears : — 
 
 " Choose trees one year from the graft, healthy and vigorous, 
 worked upon the quince for strong-growing varieties, and 
 upon the pear for the others. Plant them along the wall, at 
 a distance from each other of about eighteen inches only. 
 Incline them in planting at an angle of G0°, and cut off one 
 third of the whole length of the stem to favor the development 
 of the terminal bud, and pinch off, during summer, all the 
 lateral shoots, in order to transform them into fruit spurs. 
 The following year, at the winter pruning, cut off a third of 
 the whole length of the new growth, and give the same atten- 
 tion to the lateral branches as before, in order to make fruit 
 buds. During summer the new shoots should be subjected 
 to the same operations as the preceding. Repeat them each 
 year, until the time when the stem has reached two thirds of 
 the space which separates it from the top of the wall ; then 
 incline the stem at an angle of 45° at the winter pruning, and 
 continue its length till it reaches the top. This object will be 
 attained towards the end of the fourth year, and the espalier 
 will be completed. It will be necessary that the first and last 
 tree should be trained in the form in our figure, so that no 
 vacant space will be left upon the espalier. 
 
 " We can thus obtain by this new mode of training, towards 
 the fifth year, the greatest product, which with the old style 
 we could not do until the sixteenth or eighteenth year. It 
 is proper further to notice the simplicity of this form of train- 
 ing, which renders its execution easy even for amateurs, or 
 
CORDON TRAINING. 87 
 
 gardeners wlio have but little experience, and also the con- 
 venience of having a great number of different varieties in a 
 small space ; in sliort, the promptitude with which we can 
 fill the place made vacant by the accidental death of a tree. 
 It may be feared, it is true, that the space left between each 
 tree (eighteen inches) may be insufficient for the proper de- 
 velopment of the roots ; but this objection falls of itself, if 
 we think of the little extension of the stem, and the space 
 which tlie roots have to spread before the wall. If one fears, 
 to the contrary, that the stem is too much confined and en- 
 dangers the formation of flower buds by an excess of vigor, 
 it is sufficient to examine the fertility of the numerous es- 
 paliers of peaches, trained in our form of the cordon oblique 
 simple, to dispel these fears. One single objection : it is this, 
 that we can only conveniently establish this mode of train- 
 ing against an espalier nine feet high, lower walls not per- 
 mitting the stems to acquire a sufficient length, and their 
 excess of vigor injures them at the expense of the fruit. 
 
 " Let us say in closing, that the mode of training in oblique 
 lines, planting the trees eighteen inches apart, can be ap- 
 plied with the same advantage to apples, plums, cherries, and 
 apricots, as espaliers, provided that the supports of the last 
 may be at least eight feet high. 
 
 " The trellis adopted for this mode is made by nailing three 
 horizontal bands against strong posts, one at the top, one at 
 the bottom and one in the middle ; upon these are nailed the 
 trellises, which are eighteen inches apart, and fastened at an 
 angle of 45*^ : each tree is trained to a single trellis to which 
 it is tied." 
 
 "We cannot too strongly urge upon amateurs a trial of cor- 
 don training. The large and choice pears, such as Duchesse 
 d'Angoulenie, Eeurre Clairgeau, Beurre Diel, and others, of 
 similar size and character, may be grown to great perfection ; 
 and the means afforded of protection from high winds, often 
 so disastrous to the hopes of the cultivator, just as the fruit 
 is ripening, alone entitle it to our consideration, to say 
 
CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 nothing of the ornamental character of a long range of sym- 
 metrically trained trees, regularly covered from top to bottom 
 with the largest and finest fruitg. 
 
 PEACHES IN POTS. 
 
 The peach is an uncertain fruit in our climate, more par- 
 ticularly in the eastern and northeastern States, where a crop 
 is only obtained about three years out of five, the trees suffer- 
 ing from the severity of the winter, and even when safe from 
 this cause the buds are often injured or destroyed by late 
 spring frosts. Those who wish to have an annual crop must 
 have recourse to artificial means to effect this ; but as these 
 have generally been expensive and beyond the reach of all 
 but the wealthy, the production of this delicious fruit has 
 been restricted and enjoyed only by the few, except when out 
 door crops are abundant and good. To bring this fruit within 
 the reach of nearly all is the especial object of orchard-houses, 
 so called, which can be cheaply constructed, easily managed, 
 and a crop assured. That this can be done, notwithstanding 
 the failures in many instances, there is no doubt, and it is 
 our purpose to aid in removing any obstacles, if such there 
 be, which prevent the accomplishment of successful results. 
 
 The true way of obtaining the best peaches, is the system 
 of pot cultivation, for though the back wall in lean-to houses 
 may be covered with trees on the Cordon plan, all the remain- 
 ing available space, either in an orcliard or grapery, should 
 be reserved for pots. All stationary trees lead to greater 
 care in ventilation and managing the house in winter, in 
 pruning, &c. If the trees are wintered in a good cellar, as 
 we think they should be, all the care, labor, and uncertainty 
 is avoided. The house may be closed in autumn and receive 
 no further attention until the trees are removed to it again 
 in March or April. This was our mode of practice twenty- 
 
PEACHES m POTS. 89 
 
 five years ago, and H. W. Sargent, Esq., of Fiskhill, who 
 has devoted much time to orchard-house culture, recom- 
 mends it. 
 
 D. W. Coit, Esq., of Hartford, a successful cultivator, 
 winters his trees in a shed with a ground floor. The shed is 
 kept closed in severe weather, and the trees set close together, 
 all the pots being bedded in leaves beyond the reach of frost. 
 Even zero weather did not injure them, and he did not lose a 
 single tree in three years. 
 
 If, however, there are no means of wintering a number of 
 trees, some ready mode of warming the house, when the tem- 
 perature falls to zero, should be introduced, just sufficient to 
 keep it above that point, and if the house is shaded by an out- 
 side covering of straw mats, or cornstalks, as has been prac- 
 tised by H. H. Hunnewell, Esq., of Wellesley, the trees and 
 buds are perfectly safe, and the crop certain. With the aid 
 of a cool cellar, the trees may be introduced successively into 
 the grapery, or even the greenhouse, where there is room 
 and plenty of light and air, and an abundance of fruit 
 obtained. Still it is for the orchard-house principally, that we 
 intend to confine our remarks. 
 
 Mr. Brehaut having passed over the pot culture of trees 
 rather summarily, we now supply such information as will 
 make up for his deficiency. Our different climate would also 
 lead us to depart somewhat from his directions. 
 
 For the purpose of being better understood we shall treat 
 of them in three sections, viz. : the treatment tlie first year, 
 the treatment the second year, and general a*emarks on 
 pruning. 
 
 First Year. — Peach trees for pots should be only one year 
 old, and only of moderate size, rejecting large overgrown 
 specimens ; it is a common error that large trees will produce 
 fruit sooner. They should be potted not later than May if 
 possible. For this purpose have a quantity of ten to thirteen 
 inch pots ready, and a good compost made of sound turfy 
 loam and leaf mould, with a small portion of sand or old 
 lime rubbish. Each pot should have three or four holes for 
 
90 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 drainage, and two or three inches of the coarsest part of the 
 compost thrown in first. 
 
 Head in the trees to ten or twelve inches, leaving a straight 
 stem with five to seven good huds ; prune off the larger roots 
 if they interfere with the potting. Then place in the pot and 
 fill up with tlie compost, making it very firm with a potting 
 stick ; fill witliin an inch of the rim of the pot. Set them 
 away in a half shady place for a few days till they begin to 
 break freely, when they may be removed to an open sunny 
 situation, plunging the pots partly in the soil ; water sparingly 
 for a few days. As the shoots continue to grow, if the five 
 or seven eyes all break, they will need no other care than 
 pinching in any laterals to two eyes ; but if less than five 
 shoots break, the tops should be pinched off when 6 or 8 
 inches long (early in June) which will induce them to throw 
 out more shoots, and form a handsome head upon which the 
 future beauty of the tree depends. Thus the tree will com- 
 plete its growth, with due attention to watering, by the autumn, 
 and set its flower buds for next year. Lift the pots occasion- 
 ally to prevent the growth of any roots through the holes in 
 the bottom. 
 
 On the subject of pruning, which is in truth the important 
 part of peach tree culture, it is difficult to lay down definite 
 rules. Care should be taken that there are not too many 
 main branches the first year, and as by pinching the tops of 
 the shoots as above directed others spring out, generally 
 three to each, there would be fifteen, but only one should be 
 allowed to grow on to extend each branch, and the otliers 
 pinched off at the second or third bud, in order to form 
 lateral fruit bearing spurs. 
 
 As soon as the wood begins to ripen and the leaves fall, 
 the pots should be removed to a warm situation, where they 
 can stand on boards or a dry sandy soil, which materially 
 benefits the roots, by keeping them warm and dry. When 
 frosts are severe enough to freeze the earth hard, remove the 
 trees to their winter quarters, whether in the cellar, the shed, 
 or the orchard-house. This completes the labor for the first 
 year. 
 
PEACHES IN POTS. 91 
 
 Second Year. — If the trees have been well treated, they 
 will have set many more fruit buds than will be wanted. 
 Prune the trees before they begin to grow, by cutting back 
 just half of the shoots to a good bud — a leaf bud — which can 
 readily be known by their small size and pointed form. If 
 there are no single buds at the right place, cut to a triple bud 
 which contains two flower buds, with a leaf bud in the centre. 
 If there are nine shoots, four may be cut down to within five 
 buds of the base, and the others shortened in to about fifteen 
 inches in length ; the short branches will supply wood for 
 next year, when the old bearing wood should be cut back to 
 bring up young shoots in their place — always bearing in mind 
 that tlie peach never bears on the old wood — and that all such 
 is useless. If the cutting back is neglected, the trees will be 
 tall and lank with only leaves and fruit on the ends — which 
 may answer for the careless cultivator, but which form poor 
 looking specimens. 
 
 Scrape away the top soil down to the fresh lively roots, 
 and top dress with a good rich compost. This will support 
 the trees for a time. Give all due attention to airing and 
 watering, and especially the destruction of the red spider, so 
 troublesome to the peach, and by the 10th of June the fruit 
 will be of good size, and the weather so warm the trees may 
 be removed to the open air, selecting a sheltered spot. Here 
 they will perfect their fruit, which will be better flavored than 
 any raised in the orchard-house, unless the sashes are wholly 
 removed. Apply a mulching of cow or horse manure, the 
 fertilizing qualities of which will be carried down to the roots 
 in watering, and give increased size to the fruit. Pinch off 
 the laterals from time to time, and so select the shoots as to 
 have a supply of young wood for next year. When the fruit 
 begins to color, water less bountifully than before, and discon 
 tinue all syringing ; by the middle of July, if the trees are 
 started in March, the fruit will be ripe. 
 
 After the fruit is gathered give attention to the growth and 
 ripening of the wood, and when cold weather arrives remove 
 to the shed or cellar as before. This, in brief, is the course 
 
92 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 of culture the first and second year. We might add many 
 minute directions which would extend our volume farther 
 than it is intended, which is merely supplying a few deficien- 
 cies of Mr. Brehaut. The enthusiastic cultivator will dis- 
 cover them in his efforts to success. 
 
 The third and successive years require little more attention 
 than the second. If it is desirable to secure the best results, 
 the trees may be shifted the third year from the 13 into 18 
 inch pots, removing a little from the bottom of the ball, 
 slightly loosening the sides, and removing the surface as 
 before down to the fresh roots. Pot firmly and prune as 
 before. It is our opinion that trees more than five years old 
 are unprofitable and had better be thrown away, having a 
 fresh lot to take their places. No doubt, as Mr. Rivers says, 
 they can be kept in good bearing condition many years, as we 
 ourselves have had them from seven to nine years ; but tak- 
 ing into consideration the pruning and the ultimate beauty 
 and vigor of the trees, the tendency to become bare at the 
 base, a supply of fresh specimens will afford the best results. 
 
 Pruning. — All or nearly all subsequent success depends 
 upon the care in pruning. We have given the general mode 
 of doing this, but the French cultivators have changed their 
 views in regard to pruning the peach, and as we think justly, 
 by which means severe cutting back annually is unnecessary, 
 and more compact and bushy specimens obtained. We have 
 not ourselves practiced this system, but for the information of 
 all who wish to try it, we copy the following account of it, 
 with engravings illustrating the same, by M. Dubreuil, who 
 has tried it and found it to be superior to the old mode of 
 pruning for espalier trees, and we doubt not for trees in pots 
 also. By the aid of the illustrations it will be fully understood. 
 
 In order to understand fully the system as explained by 
 M. Dubreuil, it may be necessary to state what is in fact gen- 
 erally known, that the peach tree bears its fruit on the shoots 
 of the preceding summer ; these, when growing vigorously, 
 throw out laterals, which are termed summer laterals, because 
 they are produced from the buds of recent formation on 
 
PEACHES IN POTS. 
 
 93 
 
 the young summer shoots, and not from the old wood of the 
 preceding year. Sometimes, according to the condition or 
 \;igor of the tree, no such laterals are produced, unless the 
 growing shoot is stopped, or cut in, which induces the freshly 
 formed buds to break into shoots, instead of remaining as 
 buds till another year. These the French term bourgeons 
 anticipes laterals, to distinguish them from the regular shoots, 
 that is, those which grew from the buds of the preceding 
 year. 
 
 According to the new system it appears, that of the shoots 
 which push from mature buds those situated on the front and 
 
 sides of the branches only are 
 retained ; those behind are dis- 
 budded as soon as they are 2| 
 inches long. At the same time 
 the others are pinched so as to 
 preserve only the two lower 
 well-developed leaves, as at a a, 
 (fig. 10.) The weak leaves, b 
 B B, are not taken into account. 
 This pinching has the effect of 
 causing the young buds, situ- 
 ated in the axils of the two 
 leaves, to burst into shoots a a, (fig. 11), and when these 
 shoots are 2 inches long, they also are cut off above the first 
 
 leaf from their origin. 
 The secondary laterals 
 which push from the first 
 ones are likewise pinched 
 to one leaf from their 
 bases, as at A A, (fig. 12.) 
 Those shoots which push 
 afresh from vigorous 
 parts are • entirely re- 
 
 10. FIRST PINCHING OF THE BUDS 
 OF THE PEACH. 
 
 SECOND PINCHING OF THE BUDS OF 
 THE PEACH. 
 
 moved. 
 
 These operations cause 
 the production of buds which at the winter pruning have the 
 
94 
 
 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 appearance represented by fig. 13 ; they are then cut at a a, 
 A A, so as to leave only the flower buds nearest the base. 
 
 12. 
 
 THIRD PINCHING OF THE BUDS OF THE PEACH. 
 
 When numerous laterals push, on tlie leading shoots, c, 
 (fig. 14), those situated behind are entirely removed. The 
 others ought to be pinched as soon as the second pair of leaves 
 have the buds in their axils sufficiently advanced. If the op- 
 eration is deferred too long, the shoot lengtliens and a spur 
 
 13. FRUIT SPURS OF THE 
 PEACH RESULTING FROM THIS 
 MODE OF SHORT PIKCHING. 
 
 14. YOUNG SHOOTS (BOURGEONS ANTICI- 
 PES) OF THE PEACH, JUST AT THE 
 PROPER TIME TO PINCH. 
 
 is produced, which at the winter pruning is like that repre- 
 sented by FIG. 15. If the operation is performed too early, 
 
PEACHES IN POTS. 
 
 95 
 
 before the buds have commenced to form, tlie shoot withers, 
 
 as in FIG. 16. 
 
 But when the pinching is performed at the proper time the 
 
 shoot ceases to lengthen, and the lower pair of leaves remains 
 
 near the base. At the winter 
 pruning the shoots have the ap- 
 pearance represented by fig. 17. 
 
 It sometimes happens that, in 
 spite of pinching, the laterals con- 
 tinue to lengthen. In this case 
 a cut is made with the point of the 
 knife on one side of the base, as 
 at A, (fig. 14), about half an inch 
 in length. This cut stops the 
 growth, and a few days after, the 
 lateral is pinched, and the eyes 
 , are formed in the axils of the two 
 
 13. SPUR OF THE PEACH (ANTI- 
 
 cipe) resulting from the buds lower leaves, as at d, fig. 18. 
 (ANTiciPE) PINCHED TOO LATE. ^j^ ^|jq latcrals liaviug been 
 
 pinched for the first time, on several of them one or two 
 generations of young shoots will be produced. These are 
 
 16. SPUR (aNTICIPE) of the PEACH, 
 DRIED UP. RESULTING FROM 
 PINCHING TOO LATE. 
 
 17. SPUR (aNTICIPK) OF THE PEACH 
 RESULTING FROM PINCHING THE BUDS 
 (aNTICIPE) at the PROPER TIME. 
 
 pinched above the leaf nearest to their base, as already ex- 
 plained, and this operation will give rise to shoots as repre- 
 sented in FIGS. 17 and 19. At the winter pruning they are 
 cut as at B, (fig. 17.) 
 
96 
 
 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 Sometimes the spur resulting from these repeated pinchings 
 becomes entirely composed of blossom buds, as represented 
 (fig. 19.) If left they so completely weaken the spur that it 
 is apt to die. To prevent this all the flower buds are cut off, 
 and an incision made as at a, (fig. 20.) 
 
 Finally, close pinching is not practised during the first year 
 after the tree is planted. 
 
 Such appears to be the plan now advocated by M. Dubreuil 
 under the name of pincement court, which we prefer to call 
 
 13. LITTLK SPUR (aNTICIPE) OF THE 
 PEACH, RF.SULTING FEOM PINCHING 
 THE BUDS (ant.) AND THE INCISION. 
 
 19. SPUR (ant.) of the peach 
 
 BEARING FLOWER BUDS ONLY. 
 
 spur pruning. That the method has been unsuccessful in 
 several places he admits, but he thinks that this has been ow- 
 ing to want of skill in the operator. His own experience tells 
 him that it possesses the following advantages : — 
 
 20. SPUR (ant.) of THF peach, as in fig. 19, DEPRIVED OF THE 
 FLOWER BUDS AND SUBMITTED TO THE INCISION. 
 
 1st. Economy of labor resulting from the summer tying 
 or nailing of the shoots, and the winter tying or nailing of 
 the main branches. 
 
 2d. Economy in the construction of the trellis. Those in- 
 tended for other kinds of fruits answering every purpose, as 
 the tying or nailing is applied only to the main branches of 
 the tree. 
 
PEACHES IN POTS. 97 
 
 8d. The winter and summer pruning given to this kind of 
 treatment are very simple, and are more readily understood 
 by the gardener. 
 
 4tli. The fruit spurs projecting from the front of the old 
 wood are sheltered from the sun by the foliage. 
 
 6th. The fruit spurs upon the bearing branches being very 
 short, the latter can be kept much closer, as it is sufficient to 
 have only a space of a foot, (30 centimetres), which will 
 allow double the number, and, consequently, double the 
 quantity of fruit upon the same espalier or wall. 
 
 These various advantages do not result from the influence 
 of any exceptional circumstances. Our instruction in various 
 parts of the country allows us to prove this in different cli- 
 mates and under the most varied circumstances : in the envi- 
 rons of Paris, in the Seine-et-Marne, the Seine-Inferieure, 
 L'Eure, L'Orne, le Puy-de-Dome, I'Ain, la Haute Garonne, 
 les Basses Pyrenees, la Cote d'Or, la Haute Saone, le Rhone, 
 &c. 
 
 Let us place the two following inconveniences by the side 
 of these advantages : — 
 
 1st. The necessity of preserving the usual space between 
 the main branches of the tree, under the old form, with the 
 loss of time in covering tlie espalier or wall. 
 . 2d. Much greater care in attending to the summer shoots 
 (bourgeons anticipes) during their development. 
 
 It is evident that these inconveniences are more than com- 
 pensated for by the preceding advantages. Hence we should 
 not hesitate in adopting the new mode of pruning, particu- 
 larly for the peach, submitted to the oblique or horizontal 
 mode of training, (cordon oblique or vertical.^ Experience 
 has already shown the utility of some modifications appertain- 
 ing to the first mode of training adopted by M. Grin. 
 7 
 
98 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 BEST FRUITS FOR ORCHARD-HOUSES. 
 
 Mr. Br^haut has given a very full list of the best varieties 
 of fruits which he has found adapted to orchard-house culture, 
 and which, no doubt, can be relied upon in the climate of 
 England, and some of them here. But we have native varie- 
 ties of some of tliem which are much better, and can be 
 recommended as superior for orchard-houses. 
 
 Peaches. — Until very recently Englisli cultivators have 
 refused to recognize any very great merits in our American 
 peaches, and wc believe only two varieties have attained to 
 any very extensive cultivation, viz., the Royal Kensington 
 and George IV., both American, but renamed by English 
 pomologists. Even George IV., the Pomological Magazine, 
 where it is described, says that it is an American variety of 
 considerable importance, not so much for its good quality as 
 a hardy kind, as for being a forcing variety of great merit. 
 
 But Mr, Rivers, who appears to have a due appreciation of 
 many of our American fruits, and introduced many of them 
 into his large collection, was struck with the " earliness and 
 goodness" of the Early York, and used it as the parent to 
 produce new seedlings, of which his Victoria is one of the 
 progeny. 
 
 To whatever it may be attributed there is no doubt of the 
 superiority of our American peaches, for forcing or orchard- 
 house culture, being vigorous growers, and setting their fruit 
 with great certainty. And as to quality, though there is no 
 dispute about tlie excellence of the Grosse Mignonn^, Noblesse, 
 and some otiiers, it is hard to surpass in quality the Coolidge's 
 Favorite, or Early York, or in beauty, the Early and Late 
 Crawford. 
 
 For tlie orchard-liouse tlie best peaches are the following : — 
 
 Early York, (true,) with serrate leaves, not very large, 
 l)ut very early, beautiful and delicious, the first good peach 
 to ripen. 
 
BEST FRUITS FOR ORCHARD-HOUSES. 99 
 
 Early Crawford is a splendid peach, coming immediately 
 after the Early York. A large, yellow fleshed fruit, often 
 measuring twelve inches in circumference, with a deep yellow 
 skin, and superb crimson cheek. 
 
 George IV. ripens about the same time, is of medium size, 
 and of great excellence. 
 
 Coolidge's Favorite. Similar to George lY. A most 
 beautiful and delicious peach, ripening at the same time; 
 exceedingly tender skinned, and not setting quite so abun- 
 dantly, yet valuable. 
 
 Bergen's Yellow is another variety, similar to the Early 
 Crawford, but with a deeper crimson hue in the sun ; large 
 and excellent. 
 
 Late Crawford. This is another noble peach, larger 
 even than Early Crawford, but not quite so deep colored and 
 beautiful, and with a more woolly skin. It is, however, a 
 fine forcer, and late, closing up the season, which begins 
 with the Early York. 
 
 These six, for small collections, will, perhaps, be sufficient ; 
 but, where they are larger, the following may be added : — 
 
 Cambridge Belle. A delicate and beautiful white peach, 
 with pale blush cheek. 
 
 Royal George. Something like George IV. ; a fine peach. 
 
 Grosse Mignonne. Very fine ; succeeds the last. * 
 
 Old Mixon Free. A very large and late variety, of great 
 excellence. 
 
 Late Admirable. Large, late, and good. 
 
 Stump the World. Ripening with the Early Crawford, 
 and similar to it. 
 
 These will give a dozen of the very best peaches for the 
 orchard-house. Amateurs, who like to try varieties, will find 
 many other sorts in the Catalogues, worthy of trial. 
 
 Nectarines. — Nectarines are not very extensively raised, 
 and our own opinion is somewhat different from Mr. Bre- 
 haut's. For their beauty nothing can excel them, but as 
 regards their quality, until the introduction of the Stanwick, 
 we could not speak in high praise, compared with the. best 
 
100 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 peaches. To set off a dish of fruit on the table they are, 
 however, indispensable, and a few trees should always find a 
 place in the orchard-house. They cannot be grown to any 
 perfection in the open air. 
 
 Hunt's Tawney. This is an excellent nectarine, rich and 
 dark colored, ripening in good season. 
 
 Elruge. This old variety is still one of the best, forcing 
 well, handsome, and of good size ; it is a valuable nectarine. 
 
 ViOLETTE Hative is, as Mr. Brehaut states, a superior 
 variety, handsome, prolific and good. 
 
 White. Remarkable for its clear waxen skin, good size, 
 and good quality ; as a variety it is very desirable. 
 
 Boston, or Lewis. Remarkable for its superb appearance, 
 though not equal in excellence to some of the others. It is 
 of very large size. 
 
 Stanwick. This noble variety appears to do better in our 
 climate than in Great Britain, where it often cracks. With 
 Mr. Hun ne well of Wellesley, plants in pots have jearly borne 
 and ripened several dozen fruits each, which were very largo 
 and beautiful. It is one of the latest in ripening. 
 
 Plums. — Since plum trees have been so subject to the black 
 knot, and the fruit to tlie curculio, their cultivation in pots is 
 becoming an object of interest ; for, without much labor and 
 expense, ft is almost impossible to secure any fruit in the 
 open air. The trees do not come into bearing early, but the 
 certainty of a crop of fine fruit will repay all the care and 
 attention. The following are excellent sorts : — 
 
 Green Gage. For its excellence unsurpassed, but its 
 beauty much inferior to others. It has a dwarf stocky habit, 
 admirably suited to pot culture, and bears profusely. 
 
 Jaune Hative. This is a small but very early plum, ripen- 
 ing in the open air, three weeks before the Green Gage ; its 
 great merit is its earliness. 
 
 Jefferson. One of our most beautiful native plums, with 
 a deep yellow skin, and slightly tinted crimson cheek ; rich 
 and delicious. 
 
 Bradshaw. a very large, long, purple plum, with a rich 
 
BEST FRUITS FOR ORCHARD-HOUSES. 101 
 
 blue bloom, and of great excellence ; matures before tbe 
 Green Gage. 
 
 Coe's Golden Drop. A superb variety, very large, late, 
 beautiful, and delicious ; admirably suited to pot culture. 
 
 Reine Claude de Bavay. A late variety of the Green 
 Gage family ; not attractive in appearance, being of a dull 
 green, but large, late, and excellent. 
 
 No doubt many other of our American varieties, of which 
 Mr. Br^haut enumerates Denniston's Superb, will prove val- 
 uable, but they have not yet, to our knowledge, been tried. 
 We would enumerate the General Hand, Ives's Seedling, 
 Imperial Green Gage, Smith's Orleans, and Lawrence, as 
 worthy of trial. 
 
 Pears. — For pot culture all the trees should be upon the 
 quince ; and if such varieties are wanted as do not grow well 
 on that stock they should be double worked. On the pear 
 it is difficult to get them to fruit early. Of course it is desir- 
 able to grow only the large fruits, provided they are good, of 
 which, fortunately, we have plenty. Not that a small fruit is 
 not worthy of attention, but because they are partly for orna- 
 mental purposes, and the large fruits set off the trees to great 
 advantage. Some of the most desirable are the Bartlett, 
 Beurr^ Clairgeau, Ducliesse, Louise Bonne, and Urbaniste, for 
 autumn; and the Beurre Diol, Winter Nelis, Glout Morceau, 
 and Easter Beurre, for early and late winter. The Beurre 
 Clairgeau is very handsome when grown on trees in pots, and 
 also of unusual excellence ; we have seen them weighing a 
 pound, or more. The Easter Beurr6, so difficult to get in 
 perfection, produces fine specimens in the orchard-liouse. 
 
 Apples. — Proljably few American cultivators will consider 
 the apple worthy of a very prominent position in the orchard- 
 house. Yet, we cannot consider one complete without 
 them; we do not, indeed, know of a more ornamental object 
 than a Red Astrachan, full of its brilliant red fruits. Con- 
 sidered simply for the fruit, tliey would not be feo important ; 
 but, to set off a collection of fifty or a hundred trees, a few 
 of the most beautiful apples are indispensable ; we name a 
 few of the best: — Red Astrachan, Primate, the Bough, Grav- 
 
102 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 enstein, Hawthornden, Melon, Northern Spy, Washington, 
 and Fameuse. 
 
 Figs. — The fig is a delicious fruit, and may be easily grown 
 in the orchard-house, if the plants are wintered in the cellar. 
 We have had heavy crops on trees so treated, ripening all 
 summer. The treatment is very much the same as for the 
 peach. Young plants potted in 13-inch pots in April, and 
 plunged out in the open ground, will make fine specimens 
 by the autumn. The figs will begin to appear by September, 
 and the trees should then be sheltered from severe frosts, and 
 placed in a light dry cellar in October. In the following 
 April they should be taken into the orchard-house, when the 
 fruit will soon begin to swell and ripen ; another crop will 
 ripen in the autumn. The best figs for pot culture are the 
 following : — 
 
 Early Violet, White Marseilles, Brown Turkey, White 
 Ischia, St. Michael, and Brunswick. 
 
 Apricots. — Cultivators who wish to try the apricot, a very 
 pretty and excellent fruit, may select the following: — 
 
 Royal, Moor Park, Peach, St. Amboise, Muscat, and Red 
 Muscatine. 
 
 Grapes. The grape does very well in pots, and very fine 
 crops may be raised with due attention to culture. They 
 must be wintered in the cellar or in a cold pit, where the 
 shoots can be covered with earth or leaves. Such as succeed 
 best are the following : — 
 
 Black Hamburgh, Muscat St. Laurent, Chasselas of Fon- 
 tainebleau, Muscat de Sarbelle, Chasselas Vibert, Black 
 Prince, Chaptal, and White Frontignan. 
 
 Strawberries. — These may be successfully raised in the 
 orchard-house and the fruit obtained nearly one month before 
 it ripens in the open air. Pot good strong runners in July 
 and prepare them in the usual manner for ordinary forcing. 
 On the approach of winter, place the pots in the house and 
 cover them with leaves to prevent freezing ; in April uncover 
 and give them a good position near the glass. 
 
 The best sorts for pots are Triumph de Gaud, Keens' Seed- 
 ling, and Boston Pine, 
 
GENERAL REMARKS. 103 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 Orchard-houses aro so useful for many purposes of garden- 
 ing, that we think they will soon become necessary appen- 
 dages to every complete garden. In our severe northern 
 climate, where winter holds undisputed sway for nearly six 
 months, it is very pleasant to have some comfortable place of 
 resort, both in the late autumn and early spring months, 
 when the out-door weather is chilly, rough, and disagreeable. 
 The orchard-house, when well constructed and of good pro- 
 portions, supplies this want. In autumn it may be partially 
 filled with late flowering plants ; such as chrysanthemums, 
 roses, &c., thus keeping up a display until severe weather sets 
 in. And in the spring much can be done in bringing forward 
 vegetables and bedding plants, without interfering at all with 
 the main objects of such a structure. When the trees can be 
 wintered in a shed or cellar, a real winter garden may be 
 produced by the introduction of the rare and not wiiolly 
 hardy evergreens, in pots, which however will not suffer in 
 such a place if tlie roots are protected with dry leaves ; and 
 when the fruit trees are introduced they can be removed to 
 ornament the lawn or flower garden in summer. Viewed in 
 all these aspects the orchard-house cannot fail to be a valuable 
 addition to every garden. 
 
 The construction of orchard-houses has taken a wide 
 range. The first efforts of Mr. Rivers were mere hedges on 
 the sides, to break the wind, with glass roofs and boarded 
 ends. This style was soon found to be altogether too breezy 
 for tlie safety and certainty of the crop, and boards were sub- 
 stituted for the hedges. Their dimensions were yet small, and 
 the next advance was to make them larger; this resulted in 
 the introduction of tlie span roof, and from the original long, 
 low, narrow structures, by gradual steps, the result of expe- 
 rience and sound practical deductions, Mr. Rivers has erected 
 more lofty and commodious houses, 100 feet long and twenty- 
 four feet wide. 
 
104 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 Liko other houses for artificial culture, there is there- 
 fore no rule as regards the dimensions of orchard-houses. 
 They may be small or large, cheap or expensive, according 
 to the wants and means of cultivators. But to secure the 
 best results they should be rather lofty and wide ; experience 
 liaving shown that very low houses, containing only a small 
 volume of air, heat up quickly, but cool down quite as rap- 
 idly. Hence, orcliard-houses, especially those without fire- 
 heat, should be wide and high, that the temperature may be 
 more equal. The volume of air contained in a large house, 
 warmed by taking advantage of closing it early in the latter 
 part of the day, requiring a longer time to cool down ; thus 
 maintaining a night temperature considerably higher than a 
 low and narrow house. It is from the experience acquired 
 by Mr. Rivers in working these structures that he has grad- 
 ually increased their size, until they have attained the dimen- 
 sions above named ; and his advice is now to build them in 
 something like the following proportions : — For a large house, 
 100 feet long by 24 feet wide, and 10 or 12 feet high in the 
 centre. For one of moderate dimensions, 50 feet long by 20 
 feet wide, and 10 feet high in the centre ; and smaller, 30 
 feet long by 16 feet wide, all span roofed. 
 
 The interior arrangements may be a level floor, on which 
 the plants are arranged in rows, with two walks, if the house 
 is wide, or the walk may run through the centre, and be 
 sunk one or two feet, the mode in which the orchard-houses 
 erected on the Paxton patent are mostly constructed. The 
 orchard-house of G. G. Hubljard, Esq., of Cambridge, is a 
 lean-to house, about 110 feet long and 16 feet wide ; the 
 trees being arranged in a bed, which occupies all the space 
 except a walk three feet wide around it. This has answered 
 well, and the trees have borne good crops. 
 
 For the information of all amateurs who would be glad to 
 know the detail of dimensions of the best orchard-houses, 
 we give the views of Mr. Rivers, whose experience is exten- 
 sive and reliable : — 
 
 " My large houses are 20 feet wide, the sides 4| feet high, 
 
GENERAL REMARKS. 105 
 
 and 9| feet in height to the ridge; the paths are 2^ feet 
 wide ; the back beds at the sides arc 4 feet wide and 15 
 inches high ; the central bed 7 feet wide and 18 inches high ; 
 these dimensions may of course be varied at the pleasure of 
 the builder. I give mine exactly as they are. The posts to 
 support the side plates are of oak, 6 inches by 4 ; they are 
 2J feet in the ground, and placed 4 feet apart ; on these are 
 nailed deal boards, three-quarters of an incli thick, tlie upper 
 part of which, on one side, one foot in width, is on hinges, to 
 form shutters for ventilation ; the rafters are 4^ inches by IJ, 
 and placed twenty inches apart." 
 
 This house, as will be seen, has two walks, and three beds 
 on which to place the pots; there is no top ventilation, which 
 Mr. Rivers says lie has found unnecessary. When there is no 
 fire heat, the rafters are fixed, and the glass 20 inches wide 
 by fifteen long. Yet Mr. Rivers considers this the most eco- 
 nomical method of building large span-roofed houses. 
 
 The dimensions of another large house he gives as follows : 
 "The sides are brick walls, 2 feet 6 inches high; on these, 
 sashes 2 feet 6 inches by 3 are fixed, with pivots so as to 
 admit a large quantity of air; width twenty feet; length 
 ninety feet; height (in centre) ten feet." This he calls a 
 noble specimen of a nobleman's orchard house. 
 
 For all general purposes, however, a simple span-roofed 
 house, with level ground floor, answers every object ; the 
 raised brick beds being, in our opinion, in our climate, of 
 no great advantage to the trees, especially if they are to be, 
 as we should advise, removed to the open air to mature their 
 crop. If, however, the pots are to bo plunged in tlie earth, a 
 brick edging would certainly add to the neatness and beauty 
 of the house. 
 
 But whether the style be a lean-to or a span-roof, ample 
 ventilation in our climate must be secured. The sides 
 should be provided with shutters or sashes, that may be 
 opened when required, and top ventilation must also be am- 
 ple. In spring, and during the time the trees are swelling 
 their fruit, side air should rarely be given, as most of the ven- 
 
106 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 tilation should come from the top ; but in autumn and win- 
 ter an abundant circulation of air will be necessary, to keep 
 the house at a low and even temperature. The houses should 
 be constructed as liglit as possible, consistent with proper 
 strength ; and whether the rafters be fixed and the glass 
 glazed upon them, or the house is fitted with movable saslies, 
 is immaterial, provided always, that the ventilation is ample. 
 A house on Mr. Rivers's princij)le, without top ventilation, 
 would certainly be unsuited to our climate, where the hot 
 sun soon raises the temperature to an injurious degree, 
 without air. We, however, much prefer sashes ; because 
 they can be readily taken entirely off in summer, and the 
 trees allowed to have the benefit of our bright sun and clear 
 air just where they are grown, if there is no other convenient 
 space to remove them to, such exposure being absolutely 
 necessary to obtain rich and delicious-flavored fruit. 
 
 Next to ventilation, drainage should be considered ; a dry 
 warrp situation is always to be preferred, but if from any 
 cause there is reason to apprehend too much moisture, then 
 underground drains sliould conduct all tlie water to a good 
 outlet. Neither trees nor plants should stand in a cold, 
 damp soil, and as this can always be prevented, drainage 
 should be attended to in the construction of the house. 
 
 A supply of pure rain water should be secured if possible, 
 as it is far preferable to spring or well water ; if good gutters 
 are constructed, and the water conducted into a large tank or 
 cistern, it will not only prevent tlie water from saturating and 
 cooling the soil in and around the house, but give an abun- 
 dant supply of water at all times. A manure tank will also 
 prove highly beneficial in the growth of fine fruit ; for, 
 although temporary means may be adopted to furnish a small 
 supply, where there are many trees a large and commodious 
 tank will prove a valuable accessory to the orchard-house. 
 
 An enthusiastic and industrious cultivator will not, perhaps, 
 need to be reminded of all these hints ; but will achieve suc- 
 cess without the aid of so many directions. The mass of 
 those, however, who may attempt orchard-house culture, will 
 
MONTHLY OPERATIONS. 107 
 
 find that they will put them upon the right track, and if they 
 fail with the aid of all the necessary details, it will be because 
 they do not understand the practical knowledge which it is 
 almost impossible to acquire from books, but which experience 
 alone teaches, often too dearly, if valuable information is 
 ignored. 
 
 Our object is to increase and extend the love of our people 
 for the best fruits, especially when it can be done at so little 
 expense ; and we know of no means by which more can be 
 secured than with the aid of a smaller or larger orchard- 
 house, or, as Mr. Rivers has termed the larger class, a Fruit 
 Conservatory. 
 
 MONTHLY OPERATIONS 
 
 IN THE ORCHARD-HOUSE FOR THE YEAR. 
 
 January. At this season, provided the trees are protected 
 according to the directions for December, it will only be 
 necessary to keep as even a temperature as possible, and 
 guard against very sudden changes and severe frost. In 
 clear sunny weather give an abundance of air during the 
 middle of the day, and if warm, until night. In very severe 
 weather, with the temperature below zero, if the house is 
 provided with shutters, as we think it should be, these may 
 be put on, which will keep out many degrees of frost. Thick 
 straw mats may also be used to guard against intense cold 
 as well as bright sunshine. 
 
 February. The same directions will apply to this month, 
 which is often the coldest of the year. 
 
 March. This is the trying season, as the sun has now 
 reached such an altitude it will soon warm up the house in 
 fine weather. It will now be safe to leave the house open 
 from morning till night, until the middle of the month, 
 when the trees will begin to show signs of growing. When 
 
108 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 this is perceived, the house should be closed earlier in 
 the afternoon. It will now be time to remove the cov- 
 ering from the pots, that the earth may receive the benefit 
 of warmer air. Commence now to prune the trees, as already 
 directed (page 91) ; after this is done, scrape away the sur- 
 face soil with a sharp-pointed stick or iron down to tlie fresh 
 lively roots, and top dress with a good compost of leaf-mould, 
 old decayed manure, and sound loam. If the weather is 
 favorable, give a good watering, through a fine rose water-pot 
 to settle the soil. Air now abundantly from 9 o'clock till 4 
 o'clock, covering with the shutters at night if any danger of 
 frost. 
 
 April. Early in the month the trees will be in flower, and 
 attention will now be required that the trees receive no 
 check. Ventilate freely during the day, closing early if 
 frosty, to retain the day heat, and put on the shutters if cold, 
 as it occasionally is, up to the middle of the month. But 
 with ordinary care there is not much danger of injury to the 
 blossoms. As soon as the fruit is well set and beginning to 
 swell, syringing may be commenced and continued in fine 
 weather. Always use water of the temperature of the house, 
 and syringe only in the morning until the nights are warm, 
 when it may be repeated at evening. Give the trees proper 
 waterings at the root, and the fruit will soon show the advan- 
 tage of good treatment. If the green fly appears, as it 
 generally does, the house must have a good fumigation with 
 tobacco. 
 
 May. Continue the same treatment as in April, but give 
 more attention to ventilation ; as the season advances the 
 heat will increase, and an abundance of air should be ad- 
 mitted. Be careful, however, not to open the front venti- 
 lators in dry windy days, and at no time during this month 
 only for an hour or two in still warm weather, otherwise mil- 
 dew will be likely to result. The trees will now require a 
 greater abundance of water and a free use of the syringe, to 
 keep away the red spider. If the green fly is again trouble- 
 some fumigate once more. 
 
MONTHLY OPERATIONS. 109 
 
 June. If all has gone on well, the trees will have swollen 
 their fruit to a good size, and a portion or the whole of the 
 trees may be removed to a sheltered place in the open air 
 about the 10th of the month. By removing only half of 
 the trees there will be a better circulation of air around 
 those remaining, and both the fruit and foliage will receive 
 much benefit. Besides a much greater number of trees may 
 be put into the house if it is the intention to remove a por- 
 tion to the open air in June. Up to this time the young 
 shoots will not have advanced sufficiently to require the 
 space they must have later in the season. 
 
 Select a sheltered spot and remove the trees, placing them 
 at 5 or 6 feet apart, half plunging them in the soil. Now 
 cover the earth in the pots with half-decayed cow or horse ma- 
 nure, and water freely every evening and in very dry weather, 
 morning and evening. Syringe well every night. 
 
 Commence now to thin out the fruit, and begin thp pinch- 
 ing of the shoots, as directed on a preceding page, whether 
 upon the old system or the new one of M. Dubreuil. Upon 
 this summer pinching will depend the future shape and char- 
 acter of the tree. 
 
 If any red spiders make their appearance, they should at 
 once be looked after. The readiest way we have found to 
 get rid of them is to syringe the trees lightly, tipping them 
 on one side so that the under side of the leaves may be wet. 
 Then take sulphur and thoroughly dust every leaf; allow the 
 sulphur to remain three or four days, when a complete 
 syringing will wash it all off and with it the red spiders. 
 
 July. All the trees, both in and out of the house, will 
 need plenty of water, and occasionally liquid manure, until 
 the fruit is nearly grown. Then the syringing should be dis- 
 pensed with, and the waterings less frequent. By the last of 
 the month the early sorts will begin to color. Attend to the 
 pinching of all vigorous shoots. 
 
 August. As the fruit begins to ripen it is sometimes 
 attacked by bees ; when this is the case a thin gauze netting 
 will keep them ofif. Ventilate the house freely night and 
 
110 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 day. By the middle of the montli the Early York will be 
 ripe, succeeded by George IV. and Early Crawford. Con- 
 tinue the pinching to the end of the month. 
 
 September. Every tree, as soon as the fruit is gathered, 
 should be removed to the open air, to ensure the ripening of 
 the wood. Late kinds of peaches or pears may be retained 
 until the fruit is ripe. Give proper waterings, but not in 
 such liberal quantities as last month. 
 
 October, If any trees remain in the house, ventilate free- 
 ly in all good weather ; and as soon as the fruit is gathered 
 the sashes may remain open night and day, except in rainy 
 weather. Towards the last of the month, if tlie nights are 
 frosty, the trees removed to the open air may be brought in, 
 and by placing them close together there will be abundant 
 room. 
 
 November. Sudden changes often occur this month, and 
 though ventilation should be abundant, when there is danger 
 of cool frosty nights the sashes should be closed early, to re- 
 tain the sun-heat. Water very sparingly, just sufficient to 
 keep the earth moist. 
 
 December. All should now be got ready for winter. In 
 our climate this is quite unlike the winter treatment as de- 
 tailed by Mr. Brehaut. Our zero weather is unknown in the 
 island of Jersey. Place the trees as near together as possible, 
 filling in the spaces between the pots with dry leaves. Then 
 cover the whole with leaves or hay to the depth of six or 
 more inches, so as to keep out all frost. Thus prepared they 
 will stand until the return of fine weather in March. Keep 
 the house open in fine weather, but close up when rainy, 
 snowy, or very cold. 
 
 If these directions are attended to, the trees can be kept 
 without injury in the house ; but where there is a dry warm 
 shed, or cool dry cellar, they may be quite as safely wintered 
 without the trouble and care of ventilating for three months 
 of the winter. 
 
REPOTTING ORCHARD-HOUSE TREES. Ill 
 
 REPOTTING ORCHARD-HOUSE TREES. 
 
 Since a portion of tlie preceding remarks were written, 
 there has been considerable discnssion in regard to orchard- 
 house culture in the Englisli periodicals; some being greatly 
 in favor of the method, and others opposed to it, each giving 
 their views for and against it; but the predominant feeling 
 has been that it is a sure and certain plan of raising many of 
 the finest fruits. 
 
 This general discussion has also been followed by detailed 
 methods of treatment, and the failure of some cultivators has 
 induced others who have been successful to make known the 
 process by which they have accomplished such results. One of 
 the most interesting of these has been the remarks on repot- 
 ting. We have not ourselves recommended but one shift 
 from 13 to 18-inch pots, for a course of five years, though 
 some orchard-house cultivators recommend it annually ; but 
 we do not think it advisable, and we quote the remarks of an 
 experienced man, who has been highly successful, as showing 
 that frequent repotting is ratlier injurious than beneficial : 
 
 " Having had ten years' practice in the management and 
 cultivation of orchard-house trees in pots, I tender my expe- 
 rience in reference thereto. In 1854 I commenced the culti- 
 vation of fruit trees in pots, more especially that of peaches 
 and nectarines, and my labor has been crowned with success. 
 I have scarcely, during the whole period, repotted a tree of 
 tJiose with which I first started, unless I have observed the 
 drainage defective ; in that case I have shaken the stagnant 
 soil from the roots, and returned the tree to the original or a 
 pot of the same size. I allow the pots to stand on a bed of 
 soil, into which the roots are allowed to descend ; the pots 
 are not moved until the fruit is ripe. During the time the 
 fruit is swelling, the trees receive liquid manure occasionally, 
 and after the wood is pretty well ripened they are placed out 
 of doors until the approach of winter ; the old soil is then 
 gently stirred on the surface and a little fresh applied. I 
 
112 CORDON TRAINING. 
 
 have exhibited peach and nectarine trees in pots at Brighton 
 for several seasons, and have always been a siiccessfnl com- 
 petitor. Many of my trees are in as fine liealtli as can be 
 desired, and none are in a bad condition." 
 
 INSECTS. 
 
 A few words in regard to insects and our remarks are 
 brought to a close. Mr. Brehaut has alluded to the green-fly, 
 and more particularly the red-spider, as the pests of the or- 
 chard-house cultivator, and tobacco is the old remedy for the 
 first, and a sure one if used in season. 
 
 The red-spider is often very troublesome, and often hard to 
 destroy ; but if the right means are used their ravages can be 
 soon checked. The oil soap mixture will do it, if the trees 
 are well syringed, but as objections are made to its odor, sul- 
 phur will be equally effectual. Our plan has been to fumi- 
 gate with sulphur, being very careful not to let it melt and 
 burn, as it is then sure to take off the foliage. Another safe 
 method is to thoroughly syringe the trees on the under side 
 of the leaves, by turning each pot on its side ; then, while wet, 
 they should be thoroughly dusted with sulphur. The house 
 should then be kept as warm as possible without danger, for 
 a day or two, when another good syringiiig with clean water 
 will take off all tlie sulphur and red spiders too. This mode 
 is safe, and thorough if well done, and in the hands of inex- 
 perienced amateurs will not lead to any loss of the crop. 
 
 The other insect most troublesome is the peach borer; these 
 should be looked after attentively, and if this is done there is 
 little chance of their doing much damage. Every few days 
 the trunk should be looked over, and if washed with whale- 
 oil soap it will be all the better for the tree. If they do attack 
 any of the specimens, which can soon be observed, they should 
 be killed by inserting a wire in the hole, or cutting them out 
 carefully. 
 
 Eternal vigilance is the price of success, and the cultivator 
 who does not start with this motto will be likely to fail.