10 CORDON TRAINING. 



without causing them to elongate in the form of branches. 

 Nevertheless, in the case of the peach, should any bud remain 

 absolutely dormant for two seasons, it will hardly ever be de- 

 veloped at all. 



When trees have obtained a certain size, their ramifications 

 have the eifect of diminishing the rapidity of the circulation 

 of the sap ; and thus it is that trees of a certain age are more 

 productive than those which are young ; for the sap has so 

 many irregularly-disposed branches to supply, that it cannot 

 well stimulate any single part and pass by the rest. 



By cutting your leading brandies very short for a number 

 of seasons, as in the case of that absurd form now happily 

 abandoned — the "pillar" or "quenouille" — the tree becomes 

 fruitful, it is true, but at the expense of size, form, and 

 beauty. In the case especially of standard trees, by pegging 

 down any too vigorous branch, it is completely checked, for 

 the reason stated previously ; but in this case the lateral 

 shoots, becoming vertical., have an extreme tendency to grow, 

 and require incessant pruning. This rule is applicable to 

 young growing trees, chiefly pears and apples ; but if applied 

 to an older tree, and all the branches should be thus bent 

 downwards, then as soon as the tree becomes more fruitful, 

 the branches should be loosened, and they will retain a suffi- 

 cient inclination to obtain the required result. The ends 

 would otherwise dry up, and the vertical shoots, absorbing all 

 the sap, would become converted into wood-shoots of great 

 vigor and difficult to restrain. In some cases the tree would 

 be exhausted by excess of production. 



One maxim more, and this part is ended. By removing 

 the earth from the principal roots during the summer, so as 

 to expose them to the air, the tree is much checked in its vig- 

 or. This shows the danger of growing crops too near to the 

 roots, as, independently of the exhaustion of tlie soil thus in- 

 duced, the risk of injury from the spade and removal of the 

 surface is very great. For this very reason, transplanting an 

 unfruitful tree often makes it bear well, when other methods 

 have failed. 



