26 CORDON TRAINING. 



interior parts of standards, are without fruit. It 

 now abounds at the extremities of the branches ; 

 and, year after year, retires further and further 

 from the centre of all. Large bare spaces are 

 visible on every tree. Invaluable south walls 

 are profitless ; and there is no remedy but to cut 

 back the unhappy tree. 



But, independently of the disfigurement of 

 the garden wall, and the serious loss of time, this 

 cutting back is an absurd and unnecessary plan. 

 In the case of the peach, it hardly ever succeeds 

 at all; especially if done in the winter, as is 

 generally the case. Any method which should 

 obviate this precessity must be useful, and, un- 

 doubtedly " Cordon training " does this, as will 

 be shown. 



By keeping close to the centre of our work, 

 instead of wearing out the whole, we refresh and 

 stimulate incessantly the latent energies of the 

 tree, because we seek for them in their chief 

 source, where nature lias placed them the main 

 stem. On the contrary, it is evident that an 

 irregular excitation of particular and distant 

 portions, while the remaining (and far more 

 important parts) are left languishing and inert, 

 must end in confusion, inferiority of production, 

 and diminution of the flavour of fruit. As to the 

 tree itself, it cannot fail to decay in some place 

 or other, and be finally condemned as a disfigure- 

 ment to the garden* 



