352 SOME SPECIFIC MODES OF TRAINING 



they are better for training the cordon trees upon than ordi- 

 nary espaliers. The turn at the top gives the gentle cheek to 

 the upright flow of sap so desirable and advantageous for 

 securing fine fruit at the base of the tree. A garden in this 

 neighborhood has one of these arches 350 feet in length, 

 spanning the central road through the large kitchen garden, 

 and being fifteen feet wide and of the same height, it forms 

 a magnificent avenue. 



" WOODEN FENCES. It sometimes happens that wooden 

 fences are placed in such a position as to be available for 

 fruit. A wooden fence is in no case so good as a wall, as 

 in the best of them there is always some draught, so that 

 there is not the same uniform temperature maintained as in 

 the case of walls, which, from their greater substance, 

 retain a certain amount of warmth during the night. 

 Nevertheless, wooden fences are very useful for fruit. 

 They should always be wired before planting the trees, as 

 it is difficult to nail to the wooden fences, whilst wire also 

 possesses other advantages. I have seen wooden fences 

 employed to great advantage in Guernsey for fruit-growing. 

 In one case in particular I noticed a number of light wooden 

 fences, about six feet high and nine feet apart, running 

 north and south, and parallel to each other. These were 

 covered on both sides with cordon-trained pears, and at the 

 time of my visit they were laden with heavy crops of re- 

 markably fine fruit, and the cultivator was by these means 

 enabled to grow a very large quantity in a small space. 



"Many wooden fences surrounding the gardens of sub- 

 urban villas might be turned to very useful account for 

 growing fruit, and would afford healthful and interesting 

 employment to the over-wrought brain-worker in cultivating 

 it, as well as enable him to supply his own table with the 

 freshest of fruit. There are also numberless wooden fences, 

 as well as walls, in many of our farms and homesteads, 

 which could be turned to profitable account by covering 

 them with fruit, trained as above described. 



