278 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 31, 1887. 
striped flowers of 0. tigrinum. The waning months of 
the year were also brightened np by the almost per¬ 
petual-flowering Cypripedium eoncolor and C. Gode- 
froyse, which, together with C. niveum, form a very 
natural group, constituting the gems of the genus that 
are rarely if ever absent from a collection that can 
boast of a dozen species. That they are all closely 
connected there can be no doubt, judging from the 
numerous intermediate forms that connect the three, 
and that an imported batch when it comes into flower 
often exhibits a number of distinct forms, both with 
regard to the colour of the under-surface of the leaves 
and the ground-colour and spotting of the flowers. 
Spicer’s Slipperwort (C. Spicerianum) had also com¬ 
menced its annual display, at that/time about a month 
earlier than is usual for this species. 
The Moth Orchids (Phalfenopsis) are also well grown, 
as testified by the large healthy leaves of P. Schilleriana, 
which by being hung up near the light and kept in a 
healthy clean condition had developed in fine propor¬ 
tions, and were beautifully marked in a way character¬ 
istic of this species. Mr. Laing has the honour of 
being the first to flower Yanda Sanderiana in Scotland. 
That was soon after its introduction to this country, 
and before the plants had time to establish themselves, 
which, according to the experience of some cultivators, 
is a difficult or rather slow process, no doubt due to 
the slow rate of growth in this species. The summer¬ 
flowering Yanda limbata, a rather rare but pretty plant, 
was still in bloom, one of the chief recommendations of 
the species being the length of time it remains in flower. 
The sepals and petals are flat, richly spotted with 
brown on a pale yellow ground ; while the labellum is 
rose-coloured, with two curiously diverging lobes at the 
apex. 
In the stove, Anthurium magnificum was conspicuous 
by the fine proportions of its leaves, the lamina of 
which measured 3 ft. in length. The fine markings of 
the leaves of Tillandsia hieroglyphica make it cause for 
wonder why this, as well as other equally beautiful 
Bromeliads, are not more extensively grown as table 
decorative plants, for the vase-like habit assumed by 
the leaves, their beautiful markings, shining lustre, 
and the length of time they endure in good condition, 
are characters that merit more attention from culti¬ 
vators than they receive. A fine spotted strain of 
Gloxinias was also gay at the time of our visit. 
The greenhouse was resplendent with various objects, 
including well-grown specimens of Yallota purpurea, 
bearing two scapes from, a bulb, with about half a 
dozen large flowers on each. Snow-wreath, Chelsea 
Blue, and other varieties of Chinese Primulas were 
already in full bloom, as also was Primula obconica, a 
perpetual flowerer, now almost in every collection. 
Fine climbers are Clematis indivisa, with its pure 
white flowers, and Eecremocarpus scaber, with orange 
flowers. The latter is hardy even as far north as 
Edinburgh, in sheltered positions and a dry soil. A 
curiosity in its way was a Japanese Maple, with five or 
six other varieties grafted upon it, exhibiting the 
polymorphic condition of the leaves peculiar to that 
species, as well as rich and varied colouration. 
Time did not permit of a detailed survey of the out¬ 
door department, such as the fruit, hardy flowers, and 
the pleasure grounds, which, from what we could see of 
them, were rich in various kinds of trees, chiefly of the 
deciduous type. 
-- 
THE CORDON SYSTEM OP 
TRAINING APPLE AND PEAR TREES. 
(Concluded from p. 268.) 
Pruning and Treatment. 
The question will probably be asked, What about 
the treatment of them ; are they difficult to manage ? 
I would answer, No. The great point is to start right. 
Get your trees upon the right stock, and encourage the 
formation of close short spurs as early as possible. If 
your trees are in good condition when planted, they 
should fruit the first season. The only subsequent 
pruning they require is twice in the season, but the 
time of doing this is of the utmost importance. At 
the end of June or early in July, according to the 
season, prune all side shoots to within two or three 
eyes of the last pruning, or of the main stem if the 
branch has not been previously pruned. Again go 
over them early in September, and prune all shoots 
close back to the summer pruning. 
The first pruning generally results in development of 
fruit buds upon the spurs, and the September pruning, 
by removing the surplus growth and unnecessary 
foliage, admits the full power of the sun to mature the 
fruit, and at the same time encourages the remaining 
flow of sap to spend itself, not only in perfecting the 
ripening fruit, but in the full development of the fruit 
buds for the ensuing season’s crop. YTe attach great 
importance to the latter point, as immature or weakly 
fruit buds will result in weakly and immature blossom 
and a failure in setting, especially so should the weather 
be at all unfavourable at the time of ripening. On the 
other hand, a fully developed bud may be relied upon 
to produce perfect and vigorous blossoms, and a good 
set of fruit. 
The question will be asked, How long will trees last 
under this treatment as cordons? I answer, From 
twenty to thirty years at least. I have seen them in 
France at a greater age than this, and still in good 
fruiting condition. In course of time, however, some 
of the spurs become too long and coarse, they may then 
be removed within a short distance of the stem. But 
this should be done gradually, not to cut away the 
whole in one season. Should any of the varieties be 
growing too strongly after three or four years planting, 
they should be lifted or root-pruned to check growth 
and induce greater fruitfulness. 
On the first introduction of the system into this 
country there was considerable prejudice against it. 
Gardeners, as a rule, were slow to recognise its advan¬ 
tages, and quick to perceive the failures of those who 
did not succeed. The want of success, however, could 
usually be traced to a false start in some important 
particular, such as the tree being on a free stock 
instead of a dwarfing one, or the want of knowledge as 
to the proper pruning and treatment. It was, perhaps, 
only natural that it should be so, and these failures 
produced an impression upon the public that it was 
merely a fad, of no practical utility, and, like many 
other new things, prophecies were abundant that its 
existence would only be of short duration. However, 
in place of this, the system has proved to be of such 
practical value that it is rapidly becoming generally 
adopted. 
The following occurs in The Gardening World, in 
an article upon our nurseries : — “The stock increases 
yearly in large numbers, and the demand also, so 
rapidly, we are glad to say, is the prejudice against the 
cordons dying out; for there can be no doubt, where 
variety and high quality are demanded, the cordons are 
the trees for garden culture. The great advantage 
gained from planting cordons, in new gardens especially, 
is that they give a return at once, and bear a crop the 
season after planting, and some varieties a good crop 
too; while as to quality, the Messrs. Cheal, Mr. 
Haycock, and other successful exhibitors have shown 
conclusively that the largest and best fruits are obtained 
from the cordon trees.” 
The Golden also says, “No one who has seen 
cordon fruit training carried out as it is here can 
question its great value, and particularly where space 
is limited. The broad plantations of Apple trees on the 
cordon system sufficiently convince one of the rising 
popularity of this system.” 
The Journal of Horticulture says, “For several 
years Messrs. Cheal & Sons have given special attention 
to the cordon system of training, and growers are now 
becoming aware of the advantages possessed by such 
trees, which combine in a remarkable degree orna¬ 
mental with useful qualities. It is surprising also 
what a number of fine fruits these cordon trees pro¬ 
duce, the Apples at two or three years old, and 3 ft. to 
4 ft. high, showing in many cases a dozen to twenty 
good fruits.” 
Mr. Saunders, late gardener at The Firs, Lee, 
says, “In the autumn of 1SS4 I selected from your 
stock upwards of 200 cordon-trained trees for planting 
against a new wall, and these have made most satis¬ 
factory progress, being well furnished with spurs from 
base to apex, and without a single exception bearing 
fruit of the most excellent quality. There could not 
possibly be a more useful form of tree than the cordon 
for the amateur and cottage gardener. The ad¬ 
vantages of beingjable to cover space at once, and in a 
year from planting to obtain crops of fruit, are 
manifestly greater than waiting a dozen years for a tree 
on the old system to do the same amount of work.” 
The veteran horticulturist, Mr. Shirley Hibberd, writ¬ 
ing in the Gardeners’ Magazine, says:—“ There are tens 
of thousands of Apple and Pear trees in Messrs. Cheals’ 
nurseries that consist of only one straight stem, like a 
stout fishing-rod, regularly dotted with fruit-spurs, 
from about 3 ins. above the ground-line to any height, 
from that of a man to that of a fire-escape, or nearly 
so. The cordon culture is a distinct feature reduced to 
a method, and there is nothing of accident about it, and 
the vertical cordons are as truly natural in growth and 
constitution as anything in these extensive gardens. 
It should follow, as it does follow, that they produce 
fruit ; and here we see at least one of the advantages of 
the cordon form. Given a dwarnng’stock, a precocious 
variety, and a perfectly natural system, and we may 
consider we have reduced to a minimum the time that 
must elapse between the day when graft or bud is in¬ 
serted and the day when a basket may be filled with 
ripe fruit. In the quarters here we see small Apple 
trees no larger than walking-sticks, because not old 
enough to be larger ; yet they show us a lot of fine 
fruit which, as there are no branches and the spurs are 
practically invisible, have somewhat the appearance of 
being tied on, but are none the less beautiful and useful 
for that reason. Indeed, if we come to the usefulness 
of it, here is a near approach to perfection, because of 
the exceedingly small space on the ground that each 
tree occupies, in its minimum of area making a maximum 
of appropriation of the fructifying powers of the light 
and air.” 
At the. recent great fruit show at Manchester, the 
two leading collections of Pears, those cf Mr. Butler, 
of Sittingbourne, and our own, which took the first 
and second prizes respectively against all England, were 
both grown principally on cordon trees. I may also 
mention, that Mr. Goldsmith, of Kelsey Manor, 
Beckenham, who came forward as a very successful 
exhibitor, having largely adopted this system, an 
article in The Gardening Y'oeld describing a visit 
to him this autumn, says, “He is an enthusiast about 
cordons, and they here bear out all that has been said 
in their favour. I counted twenty good fruits on a 
young cordon, with not more than 3 ft. of fruit-bearing 
wood ; and in some instances the fruit on the cordons 
of the same varieties is much better than those on the 
horizontally-trained tree.” 
From the foregoing facts and statements, I think it 
will be pretty clear that the cordon system of training 
is likely to be something more than a mere passing 
whim, and I claim for it that it meets the requirements 
of the day, in providing the best means for producing 
fruit of the finest quality in the shortest possible time. 
—Joseph Cheal, Lovfcld, Crawley. 
-- 
HORTICULTURAL TECHNICAL 
EDUCATION. 
The aspirations of the young gardener for some 
higher -knowledge of the art in which his lot in life 
seems to be cast, have been partly evidenced in some 
correspondence seen in our columns of late, which 
appears to be but in accordance with that general 
anxiety for more elevated technical knowledge of re¬ 
spective vocations which animates the artisan class 
generally. Gardening is so far peculiar, that whilst it 
demands knowledge of a high intellectual order, it yet 
lacks in a material degree institutions which serve so 
much in other trades to help the learner and worker to 
a higher knowledge of the technicalities of his employ¬ 
ment. Isolation so materially marks gardeners, that it 
is only in special cases opportunities offer to young 
men to acquire other information than such as garden 
literature, with their own unaided observation, affords. 
In some instances gardeners can gather together in 
centres, meet for consultation or discourse and mutual 
intellectual help, but of actual horticultural institute 
or school there is none, and young men gather up their 
knowledge in a haphazard fashion, taking what comes, 
but setting about the acquiring of nothing systemati¬ 
cally. The assumption seems to be that youngsters 
have but to get a start in a good garden or nursery, 
and all that is needful is accomplished. Unfortunately 
it is then that the youth’s difficulties begin, for in too 
many cases his efforts to acquire knowledge are 
hampered by cold-blooded indifference on the part of 
his superiors, and frequently because these superiors 
are too unintelligent to be able to appreciate or help 
technical instruction. "We have no maudlin sympathy 
with the youth who is set to wash pots, roll walks, 
pull weeds, sweep up lawns, and for a time perform all 
sorts of common menial work. It is not so much that 
in after life he may have to do common labourer’s 
work, as that he should have a perfect knowledge of 
how the very meanest of garden work should be done, 
iu order that he may, when occasion demands, be all 
the more capable of supervising others. 
It is very lamentable to find men posing as head- 
gardeners who cannot direct even the humblest of 
O 
labour in such a way as to command the assent or 
respect of their labourers. For this reason we regard 
the teaching of the very elements of common garden 
