108 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ Febraary 6, 1868. 



trained, evenly balanced, and with close summer-stopping as 

 a prominent feature in all its modifications. 



If we consider M. Grin's idea of a cordon as being unsuitable 

 to our sunless and humid climate, we must remember that, like 

 M. Du Breuil, he ha.s advanced since he began years ago to the 

 point of merely bisecting the stipulary leaves. His original 

 pruning was not so close as this, but the idea was the same — an 

 idea, as Professor Gressent says, "founded on the normal 

 principles of fructification " — viz., that of suddenly arresting 

 and condensing the sap at the base of growing shoots and 

 spnrs. 



I well remember, years ago, being at M. Andre Leroy's nur- 

 sery at Angers pruning with M. Levard, one of the very 

 best_ pruners I ever saw. After a hard day's work, as we were 

 leaving the gardens M. Leroy met us, and said he was thinking 

 of sending Levard to Chartres to study a new system of close 

 pruning, of which he, M. Leroy, gave us some few details. 

 M. Lovnrd did not like the new system, and never went to 

 Chartres, and years after I found him still at M. Du Breuil's 

 first style ; but immediately on my return to Guernsey I cut 

 back the whole of my Peach trees in every form to the new 

 system, and have ever since carried it on, modifying it as 

 occasion seemed to require, and never seeing M. Grin's trees 

 till much later. The result of these experiments induced me 

 to publish the " Modern Peach-Pruner," in which pruning to 

 four leaves is recommended for the Peach, and working by 

 alternate shoots. This was a combination of the coursotmes de 

 Montrndl with the close pruning of Chartres, and this last 

 extended to four leaves, as a minimum, being of these regiUar 

 systems a modified and combined view which contains the 

 idea o( a pure cordon, taking care that the leading branches do 

 not fork, and be in some geometrical form. It is, however, 

 the oldest regular cordon-training in this country. 



This much may suffice to supplement, as I said before, the 

 excellent work of the Editors ; but does not the thought strike 

 every one that it is owing to the poverty and confusion of our 

 horticultural terms that much of this doubt as to the meaning of 

 " cordon " has arisen ? What, for instance, shall we say of 

 snch a teim as the " irregular fan," when we know that a fan 

 is not irregular, but the contrary? Why this dread of the 

 introduction of foreign terms when we have the word espalier 

 in such common use ? What have we as an equivalent for 

 " cordon," understanding it as we do ? What word shall we 

 empkiy, so as to be universally understood, to describe a tree 

 with u single main stem and with horizontal branches and the 

 ends turned upwards ? Nevertheless, every one abroad would 

 at once say a jalmHtc ^'errie}■. But should the tree have a 

 double-central leader (as we saw at the Paris Exhibition, and 

 ■which is one of the neatest modes possible to control the sap), 

 and the branches be trained obliquely, horizontally, or ':i la 

 Terrier, how should we designate it? 



The word jiiibm'tte is scarcely very happy, and we need not 

 retain anything beyond a few expressive words borrowed from 

 the French, but it is high time that horticultural terms were 

 settled on some recognised basis. 



We may rest satisfied that the orchard house of the future, 

 if a lean-to, will have diagonal cordons planted against the 

 back walls. Spiral cordons (one of the purest forms of cordon), 

 will supersede all others but bush trees in pots for borders, 

 when planted in groups of three or five. If the house is a 

 span, then diagonals parallel with the house cannot be sur- 

 passed for beauty, or produce, or simplicity of training. On 

 the open walls diagonal cordons of Pears and choice Apples 

 will soon occupy their share, while low horizontal cordons 

 for edgings for the borders will also be generally adopted. 

 Some portions of a large garden being thus devoted to cordons, 

 need not interfere with larger forms trained in other ways. 

 In a good garden of suitable size something of every style of 

 any pretension should have a place. 



When cordon- training has leen once fairly tried, its merits 

 cannot fail to be recognised by English gardeners, who, in 

 reality, are so superior in most things that any prejudice is 

 out of place with a spirit of investigation and of fairness. For 

 amateurs cordon-training is admirably suited. Its simplicity 

 must recommend it. As to its injuring the life of trees, I can 

 only say I have not found it so after these many years of heavy 

 cropping.— T. EiiLnArx. 



SOME OLD PLANTS. 

 In page 40 is a query about a Salvia with the terminal leaves 

 o! a violet colour, found by " D. S." on the slope of the Col de 



Tenda. I have no doubt that the plant is the Purple-topped 

 Clary (Salvia sclarea), once so common in our gardens, but 

 now rarely seen. It is a native of Syria and Italy. The in- 

 florescence of Salvia bracteata has purple bracts, but it is a 

 Russian plant, and cannot be the one alluded to. 



There is another query, I believe, unanswered, about the 

 plant called the Double Yellow Rocket, which is very fine. If 

 those wishing for the information will look into any book on 

 English botany they will find a plant called Earbarea vulgaris, 

 or Yellow Rocket, of which the flower in question is a double 

 state ; the plant is, therefore, Barbarea vulgaris flore-pleno. 

 It is a great favourite in cottage gardens, and deservedly so. 



The Red Rocket, a neat, beautiful plant, is Lychnis flos- 

 cuculi, or the Double Ragged Robin, which is rather scarce. 

 This, however, must not be confounded with the purple variety 

 of the Garden Rocket, which is Hesperis matronalis purpurea 

 plena, and is so apt to die off that few can keep it. That truly 

 beautiful plant the old dwarf Double White Rocket is plentiful 

 in some localities. Cottagers about here who know how to 

 manage it grow it profitably for market, as it is keenly looked 

 after as a trade plant. The larger sort called the Giant, in- 

 ferior, though fine, is often substituted for it, but a practised 

 eye will detect the true sort at a glance. — Thojias Williams, 

 Or)iiskirk, 



COCCOLOBA PLATYCLADA ior DINNER-TABLE 

 DECOIIATIOX. 



Plants for the decoration of the dinner table at the present 

 time are in such great request that every one suitable for that 

 purpose is made use of. There are few plants better adapted 

 for the purpose than that which I have named. It is an ex- 

 ceedingly interesting and curious-growing plant, introduced 

 from Solomon Islands, with singular flattened branches, bearing 

 oblong or hastate leaves, small whitish flowers, and fleshy 

 fruits, at first red and then purple. Having used this plant 

 myself, I can highly recommend it to those who may not have 

 it. It succeeds well in an intermediate house. In colour it is 

 of a lively green, and its habit is very graceful. The long 

 flattened leaves are covered or rather edged more or less with 

 small leaflets in an irregular manner. I never placed a plant 

 on the dinner table that caused so much interest, or that looked 

 better. It is also very useful for bouquets as it stands so well. 

 J. Gaiuinek, Aston Hall Gurdiiis. 



POTATOES. 



Evert year convinces me more and more how very ignorant 

 we are on the subject of the Potato disease ; at the same time 

 it seems to me that we do gain some insight into one fact — 

 viz., that atmospheric causes, and especially wet, have much 

 to do with it, and that to speak of any one particular variety 

 as being free from disease is simply a fallacy. Some may be 

 of hardier constitution than others, but given the conditions 

 favourable for the development of the disease, and no variety 

 will be then able to withstand it. I am strengthened in this 

 impression by observing the condition of my own stock this 

 year. Last season (18GC), I had a most disastrous time, and 

 came very short in my supply. This season (1807), we were 

 favoured in this part of England with a very fine August, which 

 tended to make our harvest an excellent one ; and as I took 

 my Potatoes up before the September rains set in, I was saved 

 the annoyance of seeing them spoiled, and have not had cer- 

 tainly a gallon of bad ones up to this time. Had I tried some 

 of the many nostrums recommended, or grown one particular 

 sort, or cultivated them in any exceptional way, I might have 

 laid it to one or all of these things ; but as I did nothing out 

 of the way, and went on in the old routine, I can ascribe this 

 result to nothing but the favourable weather that we had. 

 Amongst other varieties I had a piece of the Salmon Kidney, the 

 best late-keeping Potato grown, and this in August was seized 

 violently with disease iu the haulm. I immediately cut it 

 down, much to the amusement of a market gardener (and a 

 good one too), near me, who said it was no manner of use — 

 that would not stop the disease. Fortunately for me it did, and 

 so I hope to have good Potatoes until the new ones come in. 

 I should add that I have for tho last two years well hmed my 

 roots when I have taken them up, and I rather fancy that this 

 has tended to keep them dry ; dampness is, I believe, most 

 favourable to the development of the disease. 



In giving my estimate of varieties it must be borne in mind. 



