94 
THE CORDON SYSTEM OF GROWING PEARS AT HOLME LACY. 
strong bud. During the next year, favour the free growth of the leader as much as possible by stopping all side shoots. The 
second pruning commences by pinching back the lateral branches through the summer to aid the formation of fruit buds, and 
again cutting the leader back to one third, or even back to the second year’s wood if there is no bud sufficiently vigorous on 
the last season’s growth. When the time arrives for the third pruning, the stem of the young tree has usually attained two 
thirds of its full growth ; it should then be inclined still lower, that is, from the angle of 6o° to one of 45°. If it had been 
inclined so much before, it would have favoured the growth of the strong buds at the bottom of the stem, to the weakening 
of the leading bud. 
The trees are treated in this way until they reach the top of the wall. They must then still be cut back, year after year, 
below the top of the wall; so as to encourage a strong leading shoot, and at the same time, to cause the sap to circulate freely 
throughout the whole length of the stem. 
On walls built from East to West, the trees may incline in either direction ; but on those built from North to South, they 
should incline towards the South, and on walls built on a slope, they must incline towards the highest part of the wall, and 
since they all incline in the same way, the wall will be equally and regularly filled. The wall should not be less than from 
eight to twelve feet high to grow Pears on the Cordon oblique method ; if the wall is higher than twelve feet, the upright, or 
vertical Cordon is best: but if the wall is below eight feet in height, the old forms of growth are preferable. 
By this method the wall will be covered in 5 years, a gain of 10 or 12 years over all other methods of training; and the 
trees will begin to bear the 4th year and arrive at full bearing on the 6th year, instead of having to wait until the 15th or 20th 
year by other methods. Many varieties (in this way) may be planted in place of a single tree, on the ordinary method, and 
thus fruit may be obtained for a longer period. If a tree dies moreover, with a little care another tree may readily be put in 
its place, and but little wall space be lost meanwhile, and this only for a short time. 1 
My attention was drawn to this method of training Pear trees during a residence in France 
from 1859 to 1862. I saw it in operation in the central and southern Departments, and it succeeded 
so well there, that I was anxious to try it in Herefordshire, a county where the love of Pomology 
in its various branches has so long prevailed among all classes. In the year 1861 I sent over a 
number of maiden trees from France, and since the price is an important consideration where a large 
number of trees is required, it may be mentioned that their cost was only four pence each, exclusive 
of transport, which by petite vitesse was not heavy. At that time Pear trees grafted on the quince 
stock were not easily to be obtained from the English Nursery Gardens, though they can be had now 
almost as cheaply here as in France. 
The Cordon Wall at Holme Lacy has a south aspect. It is thirty seven yards in length and 
eleven feet high. In this space eighty three pear trees are trained, comprising forty three varieties. 
One half of the wall was planted in 1861 and the trees bore fruit in 1864; and the other half was 
planted in March, 1865, and bore fruit in 1868. It has been essentially an experimental wall, both 
in regard to the system of training the trees, and to the varieties of Pears grown. 
In the year 1874 the following account of the progress of the experiment was published in 
the “ Garden.” From the time these trees began fruit-bearing up to the present date they have been 
perfectly healthy and have yielded large crops of fruit every year, with the exception of perhaps some 
1 The Cordon System of training Pear trees is fully described and illustrated with M. Du Breuil’s own drawings, in Mr. 
Robinson’s interesting work on “The Parks, Promenades, and Gardens of Paris ” (p.359-363) and it is now becoming very 
generally adopted. 
