62 CORDON TRAINING. 



the pots, to be washed in by the daily waterings. July or 

 August is the best time for removing trees for fruiting in the 

 open air, as the season is most propitious for them ; and after 

 having been prepared by the two previous breakings-off of the 

 roots, (when lifted, as before directed), they suffer no check, 

 and the fruit is of a suitable size for being completely ripened. 

 Some trees can be placed near a west wall to retard them by 

 a fortnight, so as to have a succession of fruits. When the 

 windy autumn comes, care must be taken not to let the ripe 

 fruits be shaken off by gusts of wind. Ventilators to leeward 

 are then invaluable. When October and November return, 

 the potting of new trees (to increase the stock or as a re- 

 serve), and the renewing of the top soil of the older trees, 

 takes place. This is a busy time, and should be carefully at- 

 tended to. Unless watched, servants will not take sufficient 

 care, either in syringing, ventilation, or potting, the three 

 most important duties of the orchard-house. 



This is, in fact, the only real drawback to the success of 

 the matter. No one can fail if he attend to these particulars, 

 but wherever you read of failures it is caused by some preju- 

 diced domestic or inattentive master. I find 13-inch pots the 

 most useful size ; but trees, in 18-inch pots, are extremely 

 enticing to cultivate. Of course the rows nearest to the low- 

 er portions of the house must be bush trees, with open cen- 

 tres ; then should come handsome spiral Cordons of all kinds, 

 and, in the higher rows, pyramidal apricots or peaches; and, 

 if a lean-to. Diagonal Cordons on the wall. 



Trees in pots bear very well ; the branches should not be 

 pinched back too abruptly, but allowed to elongate much 

 farther than they will ultimately be cut down to in the win- 

 ter. If the ends are too closely pinched in, then the lateral 

 shoots will grow too fast ; and if these too be also shortened, 

 the tree may be unduly dwarfed. Neither, on the other 

 hand, should a rank luxuriant growth be encouraged, by 

 allowing too great length in fast-growing sorts, or by stimu- 

 lating the roots by excess of water, and too large supplies of 

 manure, because these trees will not readily bear under these 



