518 



JO' 



'b!p HOUtlCULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



r December 26, 1865. 



occasionally "be ■watered as vrell as Bjriuged ^^^th salt -water, 

 taking care not to use it too strong. I would, however, -warn 

 any one who means to attempt growing this giguutie jilant that 

 a height ol at least 40 feet -will be reqirired, and eaclr tree must 

 have a tub fully C feet across and i feet deep. 



Another tropical fruit I could never succee|Cl with is the 

 Anchovy Pear (Grias caulifiora), rather a Oummon stove plant 

 I helieve, at least I have met with it several times, but one I 

 never heard of as bearing anything more tl-ian flowers. My 

 tree grew well enough, but could never be induced to open its 

 blossoms, and they invariably fell off in bunches. I was the 

 more vexed at this, as the tree itself is really ornamental, bear- 

 ing Cue leaves, somewhat like those of a Pear, often 2 feet 

 long, and the flowers would, I am sure, be both handsome and 

 fragrant, if they would open. I beheve I tried almost every- 

 thing "to cure the plant of this unfortunate propensity, but in 

 vain ; and if any of your numerous reiulers have been more 

 successful with it I should feel grateful for a few hints. 



Passing over the JIammeo (JXammea americaua), a noble 

 tree, with a delightful fruit somewhat like an ■Apiioot, but 

 richer, and which I was fortunate enough to fruit twice, so I 

 suppose I must not class it with my failures, I will come to the 

 last I mean to mention at present, as I fear our good Editors 

 will be getting rather impatient with me for tilling up so mucli 

 of their valuable space ; this is the Sappodiila (Achras sapota), 

 a tree witli beautifully smooth leaves, and white bell-shaped 

 fiowersL It gi'ows freely, and generally looks ver^- heiilthy, 

 which is more than can be said of most tropical trees, but it 

 seldom flowers, and still more rarely bears fniit, which never 

 ripens, but rots on the tree in a green state, and nothing seems 

 to be able to prevent this. I some time ago gave away my 

 trees in di.^gust, which now I am sorry for, as the tree is very 

 ornamental, the leaves being so smooth and shining that they 

 look as if they were waxed, and the flowers very sweet-scented, 

 besides which the plant will grow anywhere in a stove, and is 

 by no means particular' as to soil or culture. — J. H. 



' THE , JilODEEN PEACH-PRUNER.— No. 1!). 



,, ,' ' OBCHARD-HOUSE PKVNIXG AND TRAINING. 

 . Amoko the various beautiful forms suggested by cordon train- 

 ing none are superior to the spiral cordon. This style is excel- 

 lent in every way, productive, manageable, and elegant in ap- 

 pearance. Visitors invariably prefer it, and during the blos- 

 soxning ]j«riod it shows to the best advantage in the whole 

 house. • 



There a,re various ways of forming the spiral cordon. Two 

 trees, ecjuidistant, may be planted in tlie border, and curled 

 roimd wires or rods as desired. The diameter of the spiral 

 need not exceed 15 inches, and at this interval there is no fear 

 of crowding the spurs and shoots. A Peach and a Nectarine 

 tree look very well together thus placed. Eoimd the ijillars 

 of an orchard-house is the most natural position for a spiral 

 cordon. I have, however, thought of late to place three trees 

 together, eijuidistaut, in the border of the house, and to coil 

 these, at regular intervals of 12 inches, round five upriglit 

 wooden rods firmly fixed into th.e ground. These five posts 

 are coimected at the top by a stout iron hoop. In this case the 

 diameter of the spiral should be greater, and be about 2 feet. 

 This plan will be found very advantageous for utilising the 

 central borders of the house. Light and air are freely admitted 

 mthin the spiral, and every part bears well. Indeed, the form 

 seems so natural to the trees that the spurs on them are 

 imusually strong. The continuoits ascending curve favours 

 the developmeitt of the tree, while it encoui-ages healthy shoots 

 all round. Sometimes the cuds of the spiral cordons are al- 

 lowed to run along the rafters, or they might be slightly pen- 

 dulous, to clieck any ranlc growth ; but of this last there is 

 little fear. Cordon ti-ees in full bearing are never over-luxu- 

 riant, hut rather the reverse : therefore we should encourage 

 them to grow rather than dwarf them. Trees thus trained 

 never require lifting nor root-pruning, which is a great saving 

 of laboin'. 



The shoots of spiral cordons may be treated as those of bush 

 trees, and be stopped at three leaves, if the intervals between 

 the twist be 12 inches. Second growths should be stopped as 

 usual at two leaves. 



There is no reason why Apricots and Plums should not form 

 handsome spiral cordons. Cherries might produce too much 

 wood. 



For the back wall of any lean-to no method equals the diagonal 



cordon. If the house is low, say about 9 feet high, then no 

 very strong trees should be thus trained, and those of moderate 

 growth would require the double or triple cordon. For houses 

 with 10 feet of back wall single cordons of moderately vigorous 

 kinds would suit. Twelve or thirteen feet of back wall is the 

 best height for single cordons. They will not be long in reach- 

 ing the top, and when there there is no trouble in keeping 

 them close. Very strong sorts, such as the Stanwick, may be 

 double cordons on such a wall ; but there is no doubt that the 

 single cordon is the easier to form. 



The distance between the trees, counting from stem to stem, 

 varies according to the style of treatment. If flat cordons, with 

 the shoots rather closely kept, be decided on, then 12 inches 

 from stem to stem will suffice, and there is no practical diffi- 

 culty in keeping the spurs and shoots within these limits, as 

 the amateurs, now rapidly increasing in number, who have 

 adopted this style, will testify. 



Trees grow naturally towards the sunlight, and thus produce, 

 if allowed, numerous forerights. Out of doors we should soon 

 lose the benefit of the wall radiation and shelter if these were 

 not restrained ; but in orchard-houses this is not the case. 

 There, forerights are the rule rather than the exception. Flat 

 diagonal cordons, then, are easy of formation, and can be 

 trained without any more difficulty than fan-shaped cordons. 

 Of late 1 have gradually been led to adopt a larger form of the 

 diagonal. In the new bouse just planted the trees are placed 

 as single cordons, being old trees transplanted, and the oldest 

 in England of this form, against a 13-feet back waU, at intervals 

 of 15 inches. All the roots were found to have been produced 

 in a forward direction, towards the light, and thus no difficulty 

 arose in planting or transjjlanting from lateral development, as 

 we expected. These trees have straight stems about 2 inches 

 thick, and the spurs on them are generally half an inch in 

 thickness. On these sptn-s are fi-om six to ten shoots, which 

 ]n-oject forward, and are sometimes spread out symmeti-ically 

 by ties. These large spurs and shoots require but little winter 

 pruning, as most of the shoots on them are of classes 5 and 7. 

 They look exactly like a small bush tree grown in an eight-inch 

 pot, and could bear nearly as well. In replanting these trees 

 the lower portion of each alternate one is now made to project 

 about 12 inches from the wall, the remainder lying close to 

 it. The object of this is to acquire more space for the roots, 

 while the shoots on the lower third of the tree thus advanced 

 will be allowed to grow all round, as in pyramidal cordons. 

 Thus the space gained by advancing the alternate trees wiU he 

 utilised, and the tree be allowed to make more wood at that 

 part which most requires it. At about 5 feet from the ground 

 the stem is allowed to touch the wall, and is trained, like the 

 others, close to it. The angle of inclination of all is only 

 about (;°, as the trees are now full grown and established. To 

 distinguish them from the usual fiat diagonals I have named 

 them " diagonals with pyramidal bases." 



The advantages of diagonal training may be briefly summed 

 up as follow'S : The trees come sooner into bearing, which is 

 only to be expected, as each tree lies at the natural angle made 

 by a branch with the parent stem ; the wall is sooner covered 

 tbau by any other mode ; many varieties can be grown side bj 

 side, and tliose not found good replaced ; a succession is ob- 

 tained from the same wall, -which is a great object in smaU 

 houses or gardens ; the produce is large ; the training is not 

 more ditlicult than in the case with other forms ; and the trees 

 are very readily untied to cleanse the wall, also a matter of 

 importance. 



There is little doubt that, when better known, this form for 

 the back wall will be common. Mr. Richard Clay, of Hampton 

 Court, has had the happy idea of largely adopting this method 

 for his large span-roofed house, IfJO feet long by 20 high, and 

 of great width. In this house there are six rows of diagonal 

 cordons, trained jiarallel to the length of the house on wires at 

 an angle of -15°, with shoots on both sides. The produce of 

 this new house is already very great. 



For the open air it may be questioned if, in this climate, the 

 diagonal is sufficiently large of form, and therefore suitable, 

 although it succeeds in France. It is, however, strange that 

 it is not more adopted for Pears, Apples, and Plums on the 

 open wall, where a large variety and a succession of fruit is 

 desired, and the walls are more than 11 feet high. Cherries 

 are rather rebellious under this form. Plums do ver\' well, re- 

 quiring, however, tl:e triple cordon ; very strong-gi-owing sorts 

 niiglit not suit. For choice Apples, however, and especially 

 for Pears, there is no question of the advantages to be deiived 

 from this simple and natural mode of training. It is much 



