OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 67 



Besides, any gardener knows, that by allowing a foot or 

 two of the leaders to grow beyond the wall, and thus exhaust 

 the superabundant sap by gradually bending these down- 

 wards, and shortening them in the autumn, these things 

 greatly tend to keep the balance of growth preserved. The 

 borders of any trees should be well drained ; the trees should 

 not be stimulated with too rich materials, and any protection 

 to ward off the heavy autumnal rains by a broad coping 

 (such as the old monks always had on their walls) at the sum- 

 mit, and some planks sloping over the border, — these last be- 

 ing also of a good slope. With such precautions, indispensa- 

 ble under any system whatever, there is no ground for such 

 fears. 



It is also for this reason chiefly, that triple Cordons are 

 recommended by me, having tried the single ones previously. 

 These last succeed well in France ; and if any one will reflect 

 that a Diagonal Cordon tree, with three leaders, will, on a 

 fair wall, cover about sixty square feet, why should it be less 

 likely to bear than another tree nine feet in extension by 

 seven in height, which contains sixty-three square feet only ? 

 In the latter case everyone knows that a tree of this kind 

 can, and will produce some five dozen peaches yearly ; but in 

 the case of my own Diagonal Cordons (under glass, it is 

 true), they produced at the rate of 150 or more peaches on 

 the same space. As to pear trees on this plan, I am con- 

 vinced that they will succeed admirably, all conditions for 

 success being duly observed. I have none whatever under 

 glass, because the climate of Guernsey, where I reside, does 

 not require this ; but neither does it in any part of England, 

 except far north. Out of doors I have this year some fine 

 specimens of fruit, although many of my pear trees are much 

 younger than the peach trees. 



