September 2, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



197 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



SEPTEMBER 2—8, 1875. 



Alexandra Palace— International Fruit Show. 

 South of Sootlantl Show at Dumfries. 

 Manchester Show cloaes. 

 15 Sunday afteii Trinity. 



Cryatal Palace Great Aatumn Fruit and Flower Show. 

 Glasgow Show. 



From observations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day temperature of the week is 75.0'^ 

 47.3'. 



and its night temperature 



WHICH IS THE BEST WAY TO TRAIN 

 OUTDOOR PEACH TREES? 



^"~|^ URING the autumn of 1872 



I purcliased 

 thiity maiden Peaeb and Nectarine tree.s, in- 

 cliuliugthe bestof tlie old kinds and some of 

 Mr. Rivers's newer varieties, never dream- 

 ing for a moment that tlie latter were 

 such acquisitions as they have since proved 

 themselves to be, and I should bave been 

 more than satisfied if they bad only turned 

 out half as well as they have, for we always 

 expect everybody to think bis own geese are 

 Rivers, however, seems to be free from that 

 common failing, and to be able to judge with impartiality 

 liis own productions, and only to let us outsiders become 

 acquainted with such as are worthy of being associated 

 with his honoured name. 



Although I wanted to test some of the varieties, my 

 main object was to test a whim of my own for quickly 

 covering a wall ; for as a rule Poaches do not flourish at 

 all in this neighbourhood out of doors, and indeed the 

 trees do not live many years in the particular spot I 

 have charge of, tlie soil being extremely cold and heavy, 

 the atmosphere humid, and frost visits us every month 

 in the year; it completed the cycle this year by coming 

 in August, and leaving its visible effects on Heliotrope 

 and Coleus. Under these conditions it is hardly worth 

 while to go very elaborately into a system of training 

 which will t.ake eight or ten years to cover a wall, for it 

 is a hundred chances to one if the trees ever live to such 

 a respectable age. 



Again, I always bad an idea that the severe mutilation 

 Peach trees undergo for the purpose of producing what 

 are called trained trees has much to do with their habit 

 of gumming in after life. If you should be so fortunate 

 as to procure young trees evenly balanced, it is a very 

 Jiflioult matter to keep them so. Strong sappy shoots will 

 occasionally start, and if not attended to immediately will 

 rapidly rob the weaker growths; and cut, pinch, and train 

 afterwards as you will, the balance is irretrievably lost, 

 and probably you have gumming as well. 



In fan training no three branches can have equal ad- 

 vantages, because of their being placed at all the different 

 angles between upright and horizontal ; and although 

 there is no ditliculty in managing the Plum and the 

 Cherry owing to their hardier nature, yet Peaches and 

 Apricots are very seldom satisfactorily trained in this 

 manner out of doors. Well, then, if a system can be 

 found which is simple and gives every shoot an equal 

 chance, and which also hastens the maturity of the wood 

 in autumn, and produces a crop of fruit in half the time, 

 I think that system is to be preferred. The simple cor- 

 don docs all this and much more. My soil, however, I 

 consider too strong for simple cordons ; unless the walls 

 were much higher the trees could scarcely be kept with- 

 in bounds. The double or treble cordon has nearly all 

 the disadvantages of the fan-trained tree by giving some 

 Iranches greater facilities than others. What I bave 



No 753— Vol. XXIX., New Sebies. 



adopted I suppose must be called a compound cordon, 

 although it is still extremely simple, and 1 find any boy 

 of average intelligence can be taught by the aid of one 

 or two lessons how to manage the trees after they are 

 fairly established. 



Maiden plants are selected in autumn as if for simple 

 cordons, only their growth must be untouched, and it 

 must be ripe ; we want moderate-sized firm wood, not 

 pith and water. They are planted obliquely at an angle 

 of 45° and about 4 feet apart, measuring in a horizontal 

 line, and have just one tack to prevent them being blown 

 about. Nothing more is done to them beyond giving a 

 little protection in spring and taking care of the insects 

 till the following June, when the buds which are not 

 wanted to produce long shoots are picched-back to two 

 or three leaves, not pulled off; and mind, they are still 

 unpruned, their laterals being all left on them as they 

 were produced the previous summer. 



As soon as the young trees attain a real healthy growth, 

 say about midsummer, such as are wanted of these same 

 laterals are nailed-in at right angles with the stem at a 

 distance of 9 or 10 inches apart, while those not required 

 are cut-back, leaving if possible shoots at the bases to be 

 kept pinched-in. The laterals laid-in at right angles 

 with the stem are trained to fill the space between the 

 two trees, and are treated exactly on the closely-pinched 

 cordon principle. There may be some blanks at first, 

 but these, if the stopping and training is attended to, will 

 be filled up by other wood buds pushing from the main 

 stem. 



It is quite a mistake to suppose laterals on Peach trees 

 are useless ; I never cut them out if there is room for 

 them and they are produced sufficiently early in the 

 season to ripen, even on fan-trained trees, and on fan- 

 trained trees indoors especially ; by utilising them you 

 can cover your space in a much shorter time. On my 

 compound cordons, as a rule, the only buds which are 

 removed are those which are on the side next the wall, 

 all others are kept pinched only, unless they are likely 

 to become too crow^ded. I think it very important to 

 have the main stem especially covered with foliage, as 

 thereby the sun's rays are not likely to act injuriously 

 on it, and it swells very much more freely than when 

 denuded. 



As I said at the commencement, I bought thirty maiden 

 plants in 1872, that being all my exchequer would allow 

 at that time, and my wall being a good length would only 

 allow the plants to be about 8 feet apart ; but the follow- 

 ing autumn— that of 1873— being encouraged by the ap- 

 pearance of those I already had, and having brought my 

 ideas into practical shape and experimented to my satis- 

 faction on the system of midsummer pruning, I procured 

 other thirty plants, and filled up the wall so that the 

 plants were about 4 feet apart. Thefo last-planted trees 

 now, owing to my understanding better what to do with 

 them, are superior to the first lot, being about the same 

 size and very much better clothed with foliage, and I 

 have the satisfaction of seeing such a crop of fruit on 

 tbem for quality and size as I have never had here before. 



No. ur;.— Vol.. LIV.. Old Sebies. 



