336 



THE CORDON STSTEM OF FRUIT GROWING. 



larger forms of trees, he adopted those quick-rising simple- 

 stemmed kinds to cover the walls rapidly and give an early 

 return. Now it is clear that if we call a fan, or horizon- 

 tally trained tree, a " cordon," we not only misapply the 

 term, but prevent the inventor's very clear idea from being 

 understood. Notwithstanding this, some persons have 

 actually figured the old forms of fruit trees common in 

 our gardens for ages and called them cordons. To show 

 how erroneous is the impression that the term applies to 

 any kind of tree with the branches closely pinched in, I 

 have merely to state that the cordon Peach trees in French 

 gardens are not pinched in in this way, but have the 

 wood regularly nailed in, just the same as the common Peach 

 trees on our garden walls. However, the figures in this 

 chapter will give a correct idea of what the cordon system is. 

 A simple galvanized wire is attached to a strong oak post 

 or rod of iron, so firmly fixed that the strain of the wire may 



Fig. 142. 



The Simple Horizontal Cordon. 



not disturb it. The wire is supported at a distance of one 

 foot from the ground, and tightened by one of the handy 

 little implements described elsewhere in this volume. The 

 raidisseur will tighten several hundred feet of the wire, 

 which need not be thicker than strong twine, and of the 

 same sort as that recommended for walls and espaliers. 

 The galvanized wire known as No. 14 is the most suitable 

 for general use. At intervals a support is placed under 

 the wire in the form of a piece of thick wire with an 

 eye in it, and on the wire the Apple on the French paradise 

 is trained, thus forming the simplest and best and com- 

 monest kind of cordon, and the one so extensively employed 

 for making edgings around the squares in kitchen and fruit- 

 gardens. 



