ORCHARD-HOUSE PRUNING AND TRAINING. 137 



have, however, thought of late to place five trees 

 together, equidistant, in the border of the house, 

 and to coil these, at regular intervals of 12 inches, 

 round five upright wooden rods firmly fixed in the 

 ground. These five posts are connected at the top 

 by a stout iron hoop. In this case the diameter of 

 the spiral should be greater, and be about 2| feet. 

 This plan will be found very advantageous for 

 utilising the central borders of the house. Light 

 and air are freely admitted within the spiral, and 

 every part bears well. Indeed, the form seems so 

 natural to the trees that the spurs on them are 

 unusually strong. The continuous ascending curve 

 favours the development of the tree, while it en- 

 courages healthy shoots all round. Sometimes the 

 ends of the spiral cordons are allowed to run along 

 the rafters, or they might be slightly pendulous, to 

 check any rank growth ; but of this last there is 

 little fear. Cordon trees in full bearing are never 

 over-luxuriant, but rather the reverse : therefore we 

 should encourage them to grow rather than dwarf 

 them. Trees thus trained never require lifting nor 

 root-pruning, which is a great saving of labour. 



The shoots of spiral cordons may be treated as 

 those of bush trees, and be stopped at three leaves, 

 if the intervals between the twist be 12 inches. 

 Second growths should be stopped as usual at two 

 leaves. 



