360 



THE PARKS AND GARDENS OF PARIS. [Chap. XXI. 



perfectly covered— if indeed one can draw any distinction 

 between the walls here, which are all as fresh-looking as a 

 meadow in May. 



A form presenting the advantage of the cordon, without its too 

 confined and unnatural development, is very common. It is 

 properly termed the U, bearing a considerable resemblance to that 

 letter much elongated. Frequently this is doubled, and a tree 

 with four ascending branches obtained. These forms are excellent 

 for poor ground, or that in which the Peach grows with but little 



Mode of Pruniiig io cover bare spaces 

 071 the branches of Peach-trees, first 

 year. The shoots arising f^'ovt the 

 buds A, B, C, ajid D, are allowed to 

 grow freely, and are nailed in during 

 the summer. 



Result of preceding operation, second year. A, B, C, D, 

 are the shoots developed from the bitds to ivhich the 

 same letters refer in the preceding figure. This figure 

 shows the appearance of thf branches before the 

 prutting. 



vigour. The number of fruit borue by the finer examples of trees 

 here range from four to five hundred, and this without in the 

 least injuring the tree. As to the pinching of the summer shoots 

 after they are laid in, it is done according to their strength ; but 

 the greater number are pinched at from six to ten inches, and the 

 lateral branches that spring from these are of course pinched also, 

 while weak shortish branches are allowed to grow to their full 

 extension. The pruning is distinct from ours in this : it is done 

 on the spur, and not on the cutting-out principle. We generally 

 leave the shoots of the past year long, and cut away a good deal 



