THE CORDON SYSTEM OF FRUIT GROWING. 339 



along the stem. If anybody will reflect that as a rule the 

 full vigour of the ordinary espalier tree flows to its upper 

 line of branches, he will have no difficulty in seeing at a 

 glance the advantages of the horizontal cordon, particularly 

 if he bears in mind that the system as generally applied to 

 the apple is simply a bringing of one good branch near the 

 earth, where it receives more heat, where it causes no 

 injurious shade, and where it may be protected with the 

 greatest efficiency and the least amount of trouble. 



The system is simply an extension of the best principles 

 of pruning — a wise bending of the young tree to the 

 conditions that best suit it in our northern climate. The 

 fact that by its means we bring all the fruit and leaves 

 to within ten inches or a foot of the ground, thereby ex- 

 posing them to an increase of heat, which compensates to a 



Fig. 145. 



The Bilateral Cordon. 



great extent for a bad climate, will surely prove a strong 

 argument in its favour to every intelligent person. 



The form is so definite and so simple that anybody may 

 attend to it, and direct the energies of the little trees to a 

 perfect end, with much less trouble than is requisite to 

 form a presentable pyramid or bush. It does not, like 

 other forms, shade anything ; and beneath the very line of 

 cordons you may grow a slight crop. They are less trouble 

 to support than either pyramid or bush ; always under the 

 eye for thinning, stopping, and pruning ; easy of protection, 

 if that be desired ; and very cheap in the first instance. 



A few words are necessary as to the best method of planting 

 and managing the Apple trained and planted around the 

 quarters or borders. In a garden in which particular neat- 

 ness is desirable it would be better to plant them within 

 whatever edging be used for the walks ; but in the rough 

 ■kitchen or fruit garden they may be used as edgings. The 



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