IN THE BOIS DE VINCENNES. 



435 



wood about six feet long by four feet wide^, wliicli are 

 dropped into a groove made in the uprights,, the stronger 

 framework being based upon a few inches of masonry ; the 

 felt is whitened over^ and the whole surmounted by a little 

 ridge-like coping. This peculiar form of wall was erected 

 in consequence of the objection of the authorities to have 

 any walls of solid materials in the neighbourhood, which is 

 so near the fort : but this merely helped to prove that in 

 cold northern countries we may hope to grow good fruit 

 by means of something less expensive than well-made brick 

 walls. These walls are about nine feet high, except at the 

 north end, where they are more than twelve feet high. 



The garden, which is not a yard larger than is necessary 

 for the purpose to which it is devoted, is in two divisions — 

 one to illustrate the practical and profitable culture of fruit for 

 market, the other all the important modes of fruit culture, 

 the various curious and useful forms of wall and standard 

 trees, and, in a word, most things necessary to know con- 

 cerning the subject. The division devoted to illustrate the 

 mode of culture best calculated to aifford a quick and certain 

 return is planted almost entirely with the finest of all winter 

 Pears, Easter Beurre, and that well-known Apple the 

 Calville Blanc, one of the best of all Apples for either dessert 

 or culinary uses. The Pears are all cordons, either planted 

 against walls or espaliers, and the Apples are all the low 

 horizontal cordon, the form I have so often recommended. 

 The most valuable and excellent fruits are the only ones 

 cultivated. Most of the cordons against the walls are 

 oblique (thus, ////), except at the high end wall, where 

 they are vertical. The Professor's reason for adopting this 

 form, is that the walls are more readily covered by it, and 

 a much quicker return obtained ; and of course he thinks 

 these advantages compensate for the expense of planting so 

 closely, or any other objection that may be urged against 

 the system. Between three and four thousand trees of 

 Easter Beurre, and the same number of Calville Blanc, are 

 planted here in this small garden. The trees have done 

 very poorly indeed, having been planted too late, and it is 

 to be feared many of them will die, so that much in the 



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