COLOR OP WALLS. 29 



slender laterals to two eyes or buds. At this stage these are 

 small, therefore be in no hurry to cut them off. Then the 

 forerights are to be similarly treated, i. e. cut back to two 

 buds, and the trees are ready. If the wall has wires or rails, 

 these must be at 12 inches of interval. Then a light guiding 

 rod is tied above the end of the leading branch in order to 

 direct the future young wood. Prepare and place this at the 

 winter arrangements. Water freely for some weeks. No 

 wall under 11 or 12 feet high is eligible for Cordon training. 

 If in the open ground it should have a good coping of one or 

 two feet to ward off the drenching rains.- If, as was said be- 

 fore, you do not immediately require the trees, or have not 

 yovir wall or house quite ready, tlien pot the trees till that 

 period, and no time is lost; at any rate, a reserve of some 

 half-dozen should always be kept thus potted in case of any 

 accident or otherwise. 



Thus, if one of your trees become unsightly or deformed, 

 or refuse to progress, then remove it without delay, and place 

 one of your potted trees (the most vigorous) in its place. 

 This the amateur must particularly attend to in Cordon 

 training. Trees one year old are cheap, and so are pots, and 

 there is no excuse for not having a reserve ready trained on 

 the same system to supply vacant spaces. 



With respect to the color of walls for orchard-houses 

 (lean-to's), white is preferable to black, though the latter has 

 certain advantages, but which are most attainable out of 

 doors : I mean with respect to radiation, but white is certainly 

 preferable for Cordon training, as so much of the wall is cov- 

 ered with leaves that no burning can take place. A coat of 

 lime-wash is invaluable on account of that " rubra cura" — 

 the red spider, which is the pest of peach-houses, and requires 

 to be kept down by regular syringing and ventilation. The 

 white color adds also very much to the appearance of a house, 

 and if a dash of rose or pink be added, the effect is consider- 

 ably heightened. Then with pillars of a clear blue, and rud- 

 dy gravel walks between the well-kept borders, the whole 

 may be as ornamental as any conservatory ; and there is no 



