61 



CHAP. VIII. 



VERTICAL CORDONS. 



SELECT a straight tree, as before, well furnished 

 with laterals ; remove one third of the top, 

 and cut in the laterals to two buds. Should 

 any weakness appear in the lower laterals, cut 

 down to one half of the whole length, because 

 the lowest stage must be the longest, and it must 

 be encouraged. Plant in a pot, or in the open 

 ground, or border, as before. In the ensuing 

 summer the two buds on each lateral will develop ; 

 these must all be pinched as soon as six leaves 

 long, to three leaves, then to two leaves, and 

 then to one leaf ; but in the lowest stages it is 

 necessary to allow one leaf more at each pinching, 

 until that part has a predominance over the rest ; 

 in other words, until it has a pyramidal form. 

 Therefore, the lowest spurs all round should be 

 well encouraged, and if disposed to become fruit- 

 ful, then left as long as possible i.e. hardly 

 pinched at all, and the whole tree kept to the 

 pyramidal form altogether. If the lowest shoots 



