CORDON TRAINING. 87 



gardeners wlio have but little experience, and also the con- 

 venience of having a great number of different varieties in a 

 small space ; in sliort, the promptitude with which we can 

 fill the place made vacant by the accidental death of a tree. 

 It may be feared, it is true, that the space left between each 

 tree (eighteen inches) may be insufficient for the proper de- 

 velopment of the roots ; but this objection falls of itself, if 

 we think of the little extension of the stem, and the space 

 which tlie roots have to spread before the wall. If one fears, 

 to the contrary, that the stem is too much confined and en- 

 dangers the formation of flower buds by an excess of vigor, 

 it is sufficient to examine the fertility of the numerous es- 

 paliers of peaches, trained in our form of the cordon oblique 

 simple, to dispel these fears. One single objection : it is this, 

 that we can only conveniently establish this mode of train- 

 ing against an espalier nine feet high, lower walls not per- 

 mitting the stems to acquire a sufficient length, and their 

 excess of vigor injures them at the expense of the fruit. 



" Let us say in closing, that the mode of training in oblique 

 lines, planting the trees eighteen inches apart, can be ap- 

 plied with the same advantage to apples, plums, cherries, and 

 apricots, as espaliers, provided that the supports of the last 

 may be at least eight feet high. 



" The trellis adopted for this mode is made by nailing three 

 horizontal bands against strong posts, one at the top, one at 

 the bottom and one in the middle ; upon these are nailed the 

 trellises, which are eighteen inches apart, and fastened at an 

 angle of 45*^ : each tree is trained to a single trellis to which 

 it is tied." 



"We cannot too strongly urge upon amateurs a trial of cor- 

 don training. The large and choice pears, such as Duchesse 

 d'Angoulenie, Eeurre Clairgeau, Beurre Diel, and others, of 

 similar size and character, may be grown to great perfection ; 

 and the means afforded of protection from high winds, often 

 so disastrous to the hopes of the cultivator, just as the fruit 

 is ripening, alone entitle it to our consideration, to say 



