ADgust 1, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOOLTTJEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



75 



SriU.VL CORDONS. 



.1 ^ -.,/.- .t* 



I KOM time fo time I liave 

 recommended in " onr .Tour- 

 nal " tliis mode of training 

 fniit trees, which especially 

 suits the Peach, and tln! 

 progress made by the young 

 spiral cordons in my new liousc would at once convince 

 any sceptical visitor of its advantages. These young 

 trees, planted in groups of five, at intervals of 15 inches, 

 have already made immense strides towards the glass, and 

 are regularly clothed with good bearing shoots from base 

 to point, the buds prominent, the wood iirm, and tho 

 folinge clean and healthy, promising a heavy crop next 

 season. I removed all the fruit from them to favour 

 development, being convinced that, in most cases, trees 

 arc ruined by early bearing, whether in orchard-houses or 

 in the open ground. Cases may, however, occur where 

 excessive growth requires checking by every means in our 

 power ; and, indeed, some of the standards in tho new 

 house are becommg troublesome, and difficult to keep in 

 balance. 



Tliere is no doubt in my mind, however, now that spiral 

 cordons for '.he borders, intermingled with pyramids in 

 pots, kept rather low so that the sun may freely shine on 

 the lower portions of the wall trees (in lean-to's), will be 

 the future style of border-planting for orchard-houses. 



For tho walls of lean-to's nothing equals diagonal cor- 

 dons in productiveness, simplicity, and beauty. 



In the case of span-roofed orchard-houses, parallel rows 

 of diagonal cordons, planted in borders, and trained on 

 horizontal wires kept tight, with guiding rods of osier to 

 l;eep the leaders straiglit, are ■I'ery beautiful, and most 

 fertile. IJows of potted trees, kept low, are placed near 

 the sides of such a house ; the rest are all diagonal cordons 

 on either side of the walks. 



I wish readers of this .Tournal could see the liouse of a 

 friend near Ijondon, who generally styles himself " your 

 persevering disciple" when «Titing to me, and well merits 

 tlie title ; and, in truth, orchard -houses were made for such 

 men. They arc a never-failing souroo of pleasure and 

 interest to them. This gentleman, who is a man of busi- 

 ness, rises regularly at .'> a.m., and prunes till breakfast- 

 time. Then to Ijondon, and after dinner, on liis return, 

 till nightfall his chief occupaticm and only recreation is 

 pruning, and superintending the watering of his beloved 

 trees. Of these there may be nearly a thousand by this 

 time, all beatitifully pruned and trained Tho houses are 

 span roofed, 700 or 800 feet long, and planted with diagonal 

 cordons, except near the sides. My friend wished to make 

 the trees meet in an arch overhead, btit tliis plan, though 

 picturesque, I declined to recommend. I should liave pre- 

 No. S9I.— Vol. JUL, Nbw Sbhiii. 



ferred spiral cordons for the second rows of trees, tho two 

 central rows remaining diagonals of immense length and 

 power. With potted trees near the sides such an arran''e- 

 ment seems to me not very ea.sy to beat. As to appearance- 

 when in bloom, it must be splendid. 



JMy own predilections are all for lean-to houses, heate*' 

 or unheated ; nevertheless, by a combination of this form 

 with the span-roofed, every object would be obtained. By- 

 dividing tho houses by means of glass partitions, and by 

 the application of various degrees of lieat, a succession of 

 fruit would be secured. 



But whatever bo the form of the Jiouse, spiral and diago- 

 nal cordons are what I prefer, with potted trees for tho- 

 sides of the iiouses, or to mix with the others. Large- 

 standard trees are beautiful, but not so easy to restrain, 

 nor so productive : moreover, tliey are a return to former^ 

 now exploded, notions. More trees, smaller in form, and 

 closely stopped, represent the more modern idea's— ia 

 orchiird-house trees at least. Each of my groups of spiral 

 cordons, of five trees together, takes up about the samo- 

 space as a large standard, and will, probablv, bear tliree 

 times as much fruit ; of varieties, too, ripeninij from .July 

 to October, instead of all at once. As to priinin", these 

 groups can be managed by a child, so to speak. 



At Bill.ancourt there were exhibited some small speci- 

 mens of Apple trees in pots, trained spirally, which had a 

 good appearance ; they were intended for a novel portable 

 orchard-house, the invention of some French gardener at 

 Montpellier. These orchard-houses were a step in the 

 right direction made by our neighbours ; tliey afforded a, 

 hint which might be useful for such persons'as could not 

 iind space for larger houses. For choice Cherrv tree.s in 

 pots, easily sheltered, or for select American Apple trees, 

 they seemed well adapted. In these cases the si)irat form 

 had been chosen, with a just appreciation, bv our foreign 

 friends. If ever they seriously adopt, orcliard-houses. there- 

 is no doubt that cordons such as here spoken of will be 

 those chietly used. 



As it is, cordon training is making such rapid advances 

 in popularity that it is no longer necessary to advocate it 

 in these pages. Only, as spiral cordons were first tried in 

 our hotises (they are not adapted for open-air work), they 

 liave many cl.aims, besides their evident utilitv. to be again 

 brought before tlie notice of the leaders of "this .lournaL 

 To my clerical brethren. esp>(-iilly. always in advance in 

 horticultural novelties— and they will not mind mv saying 

 it, I know — sometimes in advance ('.') of my good friend 

 llivers in " departing from liis teaching with advantage," 

 let me hero recommend these beautiful cordons. ° 



Another reason for so doing Is to be found in the oppo- 

 sition any novelty always meets at the hands of preiudioej 

 men. Whilst in Paris a learticd professor, wlio hail written 

 certain heavy works on kinrlred s.ihjects. but rcfu^^es to 

 recognise any opinion but liis own. said to me, '• uli ; von, 

 too, liave gone into the corks.rew line (donne dans /« 'tire- 

 hiiduiii), together with I)u I5i-..-,iil and Grusseut." Charmed 

 to be condemned iu such excellent company, no reply was 

 needed; but when the mvmt proceeded "to a.ssert that 

 English gardeners could grow n.. Crape at all equal to tlie 



.>•• . '.19.- Vol. XXXVIll., 0i.» Sewbs. 



