APPENDIX II. 323 



equally toward all points of the plant, and at the same time 

 it occupies without loss of space all the surface of the wall. 

 But these cordons, or arms, must be subjected to certain con- 

 ditions. 



First. The two arms should present exactly the same length, 

 or else it will be seen that the longer arm will absorb the 

 greater part of the sap and soon destroy the shorter. More- 

 over, the shoots which these arms bear should spring only 

 from the upper surface arid at regular intervals of from seven 

 to eight inches. 



Second. The entire length of the arms developed by the same 

 stock should not pass certain limits, for if they are permitted, 

 as is often the case, to attain a length of from 32 to 48 feet, 

 the sap tends principally toward the extremities, the shoots 

 growing upon these points are too vigorous, while those nearer 

 the origin of the arms become feeble and finally wither. It is 

 much more profitable to increase the number of stocks against 

 the walls, and to concentrate the action of the sap in a less extent 

 of branches. In light soils and to varieties of ordinary strength, 

 an average length of 52 inches is given to each one of the arms 

 (or cordons) of the same stock. This, in very fertile soils, may 

 be increased to 66 inches. With respect to very hardy varie- 

 ties, as the Frankenthal, a length of from 78 to 97 inches is 

 allowed. That adopted at Thomery is commonly 93 inches. 



Third. The same stock should not bear many cordons one 

 above the other, for the sap tending principally to the upper 

 cordons, those beneath will remain weak. 



Fourth. In many gardens may yet be seen vines fixed to the 

 upper part of walls against which are trained different sorts of 

 fruit trees. This is a very bad arrangement. If the cordon is 

 placed in the most favorable condition for ripening the grape, 

 that is 19 inches lower than the coping of the wall, the foliage 

 of the vine shadows the trees trained below and condemns from 

 11 to 15 inches of their tops to complete sterility. Moreover, 

 they deprive these trees of the influence of the rains and dews 

 of summer. If, in order to avoid these inconveniences, the 

 cordon is placed above the coping of the wall, it is only with 



