Chap. XX.] LYONS. 339 



firmly and regularly set with branches, each in its turn furnished 

 from top to bottom with fertile wood. There remains the objection 

 that fruit grown in this way and in all respects carefully looked 

 after, is liable to be blown off by an autumnal gale ; hence, the 

 grower cannot depend on them as on an espalier. Cordons of the 

 various fruit-trees, mostly simple cordons, are employed, when 

 the aim is to cover the wall quickly and get an early return. 

 Ground-cordons of the Apple form a continuous and frequently 

 inter-grafted line by the side of the walls, and are very useful in 

 the production of fine specimen fruit of the more valuable kinds. 

 There is a deep permanent coping to the walls, and, beneath it, 

 iron stays to support a temporary coping, not less than two feet 

 wide during the spring. A wide coping is placed over the Easter 

 Beurre here, not only when in flower, but throughout the season. 

 It is believed that, in a climate so changeable, and frequently so 

 severe, spotting, cracking, and various other maladies are best 

 guarded against by a deep coping. 



Lyons. — Towards the close of the Paris ILxhibition of 1867, a 

 noble Peach-tree was shown by M. Morel, trained as a Palmette 

 Verrier, and so well trained as to excite the admiration of all who 

 saw it. M. Morel lives at Vaise, a suburb of Lyons, where I had 

 the pleasure of visiting him afterwards. The wall on which his 

 Peach-trees are grown is on an average thirteen feet high, and it 

 is made of very cheap material — the common earth of the garden. 

 A foundation is made, and the wall raised a little above the surface 

 of the ground with stone, to guard the earth-wall above from 

 injury by frost and wet. ■ Then the earth is laid in and well 

 battered down between boards, and on every layer of earth there 

 is deposited about a inch and a half of mortar. The layers in one 

 wall were about one foot deep ; in another — the better wall of the 

 two — they were about two feet deep : and between each layer the 

 thin seam of mortar could be seen. The walls are about eighteen 

 inches thick, and capped with a coping of tiles, under which are 

 inserted iron supports for protection in spring. In this way 

 strong and useful walls are made for fruit-growing and other 

 purposes. The earth-walls cost about a shilling per yard, those 

 of stone about four shillings. The earth-walls, when well made, 

 last for a couple of centuries. A house near at hand, constructed 

 in the same way, has been erected one hundred years. 



