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LIBRARY
OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS
AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE
THURBER - WOOLSON
COLLECTION
3*57
374
NO.
"HE CLASS OF
SPEQAL
a ARCHIVES
lTE
CDLLi CTIONS
This book may be kept out
TWO WEEKS
only, and is subject to a fine of TWO
CENTS a day thereafter. It will be due on
the day indicated below.
CORDON TRAINING
OF
FRUIT TREES,
DIAGONAL, VERTICAL, SPIRAL, HORIZONTAL,
ADAPTED TO THE ORCHARD-HOUSE AND OPEN-AIR CULTURE.
BY THE
REV. T. COLLINGS BREHAUT.
WITH A
SUPPLEMENT,
CONTAINING
REMARKS ON CORDON TRAINING; THE CULTIVATION AND
PRUNING OF PEACH TREES IN POTS; THE BEST
VARIETIES OF FRUITS FOR POT CULTURE;
AND
GENERAL REMARKS ON ORCHARD-HOUSES ADAPTED TO
THE CLIMATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
By C. M. HOVEY,
PRESIDENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETT ;
KBITOR OF THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE, AND AUTHOR OF THE FRUITS OF AMERICA.
BOSTON:
HOVEY & CO., 33 KILBY STREET.
1864.
CLERGY OF ENGLAND
PERSONS OF MODERATE INCOMES
THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
THE AUTHOR.
H. W. DnTTON & SON, PaiNTERS,
'M WASHINGTON STREET.
CONTENTS.
3B
CM
CHAPTKR. PAGE.
I. Introductory, -- 1
II. General Principles of Fruit Culture, - - - - 6
III. Seasons for Planting and Pruning, - - - - 11
IV. Defects of some Methods of Fruit Culture, - - 16
V. Cordon Training; its advantages and uses,- - - 19
VI. Cordon Training in Peach Trees; the Diagonal Cor-
don, 23
VII. Spiral Cordons, 38
VIII. Vertical Cordons, 39
IX. Horizontal Cordons, - - v 41
X. Cordon Training in Apricot Trees, . - . . 43
XI. Cordon Training in Plum and Cherry Trees, - - 46
XII. Cordon Training in Pear Trees, 50
XIII. Horizontal, Vertical, and Spiral Cordons, in Pear
Trees, - 54
XIV. Remarks on Trees in Pots, - - - - - - 57
XV. How to Supply Blank Spaces in Cordons, . - - 63
XVI. Objections to Cordon Training answered, - - - 65
XVII. Remarks on the Dimensions, &c., suitable for Orchard-
Houses, 68
XVIII. Names of some Varieties recommended for In-door
AND Out-door Culture, 69
XIX. Concluding Observations, 74
SUPPLEMENT.
Introductory, - - - - 81
Cordon Training, 83
Peaches in Pots, 88
Best Fruits for Orchard-Houses, ----- 98
General Remarks, - 103
Monthly Operations in the Orchard-House for the
Year, 107
Repotting Orchard-House Trees, Ill
Insects, 112
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Frontispiece,
figure. page.
1. Fruit Spurs on the Peach, showing the successive growths
and alternate pruning, - - .34
Fruit Spurs on the Peach — alternate Pruning — second
APPEARANCE?k 36
Formation of Fruit Spurs on the Apricot — First Win-
ter's Pruning, •- - 44
Formation of Fruit Spurs on the Apricot — Second Win-
ter's Pruning, 45
Formation of Spurs on the Plum — First W^inter's Pruning, 47
Formation of Fruitful Spurs on the Plum — Second Win-
ter's Pruning, 48
Formation of Fruitful Spurs on the Pear — Commencement, 52
Formation of Fruitful Spurs on the Pear — Completion, - 53
SUPPLEMENT.
9. Espalier Training in Oblique Lines (Cordon Oblique) - 85
10. First Pinching of the Buds of the Peach, - - - - 93
11. Second Pinching of the Buds of the Peach, - - - 93
12. Third Pinching of the Buds of the Peach, - - - 94
13. Fruit Spurs of the Peach, resulting from the Mode of
Pruning, 94
14. Young Shoots of the Peach just at the proper time to
Pinch, 94
15. Spur of the Peach resulting from the Pinching of the
Buds too late, 95
16. Spur of the Peach dried up, resulting from Pinching
too late, 95
17. Spur of the Peach resulting from Pinching the Buds at
the proper time, 95
18. Little Spur of the Peach, resulting from Pinching the
Buds and the Incision, 96
19. Spur of the Peach, bearing Flower Buds only, - - 96
20. Spur of the Peach deprived of the Flower Buds and
submitted to the incision, 96
CORDON TRAINING.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
Most books, whatever their size or subject, are better un-
derstood for some sort of prefatory remarks, and in an age
and country in which liorticulture meets with such high
patronage, it may seem presumptuous for an amateur to treat
of such a subject ; it may appear uncalled for ; and may
even require explanation of his motives.
This feeling is not altogether without its uses, and the
author hastens to say, that this short work is the result of
much leisure time, which an enforced idleness, the result of
over-fatigue in the charge of a large parish, unexpectedly
created.
Summer after summer, and winter after winter, was passed
by him abroad. It was impossible to be unemployed, and thus
he was enabled to observe the various modes of fruit culture
practised in different countries.
This is an advantage, which is not always within the reach
of the most experienced gardener. But with the exception
of certain indigenous fruits, it is not necessary so to wander
to be convinced of the inferiority of continental gardening,
taken as a whole, compared with that of England. It is only
as we return northwards, that we can appreciate the skill by
which the very necessities of climate have led to the introduc-
tion of methods which have more than compensated for the
want of sun heat. A liberal use of glass enables us, even
1
2 CORDON TRAINING.
without artificial heat, to obtain dry and equable tempera-
tures, which rival the climate of the most fertile portions of
France ; and this without risk of damage from the spring
frosts, which, in those localities, are so injurious to vege-
tation.
It is not too much to anticipate the day when every small
garden will be considered deficient in one of its most indis-
pensable requisites, if it fail to have its orchard house, as well
as its modest vinery. Persons of moderate means will ever
find the orchard liouse a source of amusement and profit.
It is easy to construct ; equally easy to slock ; the manage-
ment is simple and readily understood, and the author is very
desirous of showing how a moderate amount of expense will
enable any one to be his " own gardener," and be thus lib-
erated from a degrading dependence on the caprice of un-
skilled men.
To his brethren, the clergy, scattered in villages, and thus
necessarily somewhat dependent on the limited resources
which these can supply, it seemed to him a grateful task to
state his own experience, and if he shall be able in any de-
gree to simplify the practice of fruit culture, and thus save a
portion of their invaluable time, his own labor will certainly
not have been thrown away.
There is no doubt that fruit culture is, as yet, very imper-
fectly understood, even by scientific men. Great advances
are, however, being made daily in this interesting branch,
and it is certain that few things tend more to further this
progress, than a simple and honest description of experience.
Every one can thus greatly judge for himself; and, by com-
paring his own observations with the notes made by others,
who are not more skilful, but wlio have more leisure, he may
reach a certain standard, which must be of immense value in
practice. It is difficult to account for the reticence observed
in these matters, and this is, doubtless, one great reason why
we do not advance as we should.
At the same time it is absolutely necessary to be cautious
in drawing conclusions from isolated facts. There are many
ORCHARD-HOUSE CULTURE. 6
concurrent circumstances to be taken into consideration,
which arc not always allowed, at the time, to have their due
weight. It thus often happens that the observer who feels
almost certain of some new and important discovery, has too
often to recant his errors before the close of the season. All
these doubts greatly check and embarrass the amateur, but
they have their uses in preventing rash and vain experiments,
as well as in saving unnecessary expense. But in cases
where, after a certain time allowed for reflection, a succession
of ascertained results have arisen, any one, actuated by the
simple desire to communicate his own advantages to others,
can never be open to censure. A man who does this only
fulfils his duty.*
The author, as stated, had been in delicate health for a
long period : and this cause has rendered him desirous of
making known to invalids the benefits arising from the study
of fruit-culture, which in all its branches is so suitable a pur-
suit for such persons. In the form of orchard-house culture
little can be better adapted to restore health ; for from the
dry state of the atmosphere, and the free circulation of air
uncharged with the odors emanating from flowers, a walk in
almost all weathers is secured ; while the mind, diverted from
gloomy thoughts by the sight of the beautiful young trees,
either in full blossom or laden with fruit, or even in their
rest, gains a healthful tone, and finds all snggestive in the
highest degree. The writer never suffered, as he feared,
from draughts of cold air ; though, of course, common pre-
[* These are invaluable hints, and should be well considered. We know of
nothing that has so much retarded true progress as the publication of so many-
so-called important discoveries in cultivation, which are trumpeted as the basis
of all success. These engage the attention of young amateurs, and often older
practitioners, who, led away by the apparent success of the discoverer, change
their whole course of culture just in time to learn that the " important discover-
ies" are an entire failure. If this was only once it would do no great harm,
but hardly has the cultivator recovered from his failure before he follows some
other equally wild notion, to be in turn attended with no better results. The
advice of the author to follow only well-known authorities is of the utmost
importance. — c. m. h.]
4 CORDON TRAINING.
cautions must be observed, as in rough weather, or in periods
of frost.
His own orchard house has been to him a source of untir-
ing pleasure, and he has learnt in it more of the habits of the
various trees than could ever have been expected under the
old systems. The variety of the trees is so great, their habits
and products are so different, that the attention is soon arrest-
ed, and the cultivator cannot avoid remarking all this. But
if, in addition, he has the patience to follow up the seasons,
note-book in hand, it is truly astonishing how much a mere
amateur may quickly and readily learn. Open-air culture
has, of course, its own peculiar charms, though not so fasci-
nating, and no doubt is preferable in very hot weather.*
Another motive which presented itself, was the wish to
make known the decided success of a novel method of fruit
culture, called generally " Cordon Training." One form had
been found extremely adapted for the back wall of a lean-to
orchard house ; this was the Diagonal Cordon, with three lead-
ers,— a form which may be considered as the perfection of
the whole method. It has a certain resemblance to the
single oblique training practised so successfully at Montreuil,
near Paris ; very important modifications were required, how-
ever, before any practical result could be depended upon.
The climate of France is so different from that of England,
that what is proper in the one case becomes almost useless in
the other ; and the whole system now presented to the public
is so' altered, so combined, and, in the case of orchard-house
culture, so fundamentally different from the French system,
that it may be considered as a separate method, originating
from several others. Examples of this will abundantly occur
as the various forms are entered into and described. It will
be sufficient here to state, that the repeated summer pincb-
[* Our American climate fortunately is suflSciently warm and genial to remove
all the trees in orchard houses to the open air in June, or the sashes may be re-
moved with safety. If orchard houses are found less preferable for labor during
hot weather than the open air, in England, they would be far more oppressive
here. But this objection does not apply with us. — c. m. h.]
PRODUCE OF ORCHARD HOUSE. 5
ings, by which the shoots on the spurs are rendered compact
and fruitful, are partly described in a work published in
1812. This suggested the system put in practice at Chartres
very lately. In the orchard house it must soon supersede
any other, and is recommended in the eighth edition of Mr.
Rivers's excellent work. Of course in the case of Diagonal
Training, important modifications have been introduced, ren-
dered necessary by the angle af which the trees lie, and also
by the exigences of the climate.
As the French have no cultivation worth mentioning un-
der glass (and indeed it is only in England that this inval-
uable advantage is properly appreciated), the treatment of
these spurs require^ peculiar changes, more especially in the
case of potted trees, in which the scientific research of Mr.
Rivers has created a new field.
With respect to the actual results as yet obtained, the back
wall of my orchard house, which is a lean-to, produced this
year at the rate of three peaches per square foot.
On this wall alone the produce was at the rate of 600 fine
peaches and nectarines (some of the former were nine inches
in circumference,) so that a house 100 feet long and propor-
tionately broad, might reasonably be expected to produce
2000 nectarines and late peaches on the back wall, and at
least as many more apricots and mid-season fruits upon the
rows of trees in pots.
Tliis crop, iBy no means an extraordinary one in fair sea-
sons, could reasonably be hoped for by following the Cordon
Training which is here described.
One word more as to the expense of orchard houses. At
the usual rate, one 30 feet long by 12 broad, should not cost
more than X30. The returns for this outlay would be great
under fair management, the more so as X 3 or .£4 in addition
would be sufficient to stock the house with trees, half of them
in bearing state. A week's visit to the Continent would cost
quite as much as this handsome ornament to a garden would,
and afford, in the course of time, far more real amusement.
6 CORDON TRAINING.
CHAP. II.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OP FRUIT CULTURE.
The details, brief as they are, of this work, would not
readily be appreciated if a few general principles, obvious and
reasonable, were not first stated. General maxims are often
neglected in practice, so that it becomes necessary to re-
peat them in a short work such as this, because they render
the details more intelligible.
Many unskilled persons assert that the scientific culture of
fruit trees has neither the effect of increasing their productive
powers, nor of prolonging their vitality .'' Both these state-
ments are untrue. Experience has fully proved that certain
principles are necessary to be followed ; under these the re-
sults have been good : it is the deviation from them that is
the cause of failure.
It seems pretty certain that the office of the ascending sap
is to nourish and increase the volume of the whole tree,
while, by its passage through, and change while in the leaves,
and by its return to the roots, it promotes the production of
fruit. The sap becomes stored up, and ripened by the action
of light and heat, and in proportion as this action is retarded
or augmented, the tree is either productive or barren. A
certain action communicated to the sap will develop the
whole system in redundant wood. All tliis is modified by
attendant circumstances, but it is the general rule.
To regulate, distribute, and harmonize all these functions
is the duty of cultivation, and surely the preservation of the
balance between root and branch, and between fertility and
extension, can but have the effect of increasing the amount of
production, and also by economizing the vitality of the tree,
lengthening its life.
The locality chosen for any particular tree is of great im-
portance, and demands mucli reflection. In this tlie amateur
must submit to be guided by the experience of others, while
FUNCTION OP THE LEAVES. 7
he carefully observes for himself. Before any final decision,
he should make a tour of the gardens in his neighborhood.
He should attentively note the varieties which flourish best in
the soil and aspect which correspond with those in his own
garden. The fruits most common in the neighboring markets
should also be considered, unless tliey are of an inferior de-
scription. These observations will not appear trivial to an
amateur. Every one has experienced the value of such
things who has commenced a career of horticulture. In
these cases a reference to the catalogue of a respectable nurs-
ery is invaluable, and may also be a great subject of amuse-
ment.
One hint more. In selecting the trees, let no one be influ-
enced by the mere price, for it is of the greatest importance
to have well grown and healthy trees to begin your experi-
ments upon and to avoid discouragement in the outset.
The selection then being made, the amateur should remem-
ber, that the natural tendency of the sap is to flow upwards
and towards the extremities of the branches, so that without
due care, especially at the commencement, the centre of the
tree, and the lowest branches (in the case of those on walls)
become less vigorously stimulated, and are thus dwarfed in
comparison with those higher up. This will cause an un-
equal distribution of fertility, and quickly destroy all the har-
mony and symmetry of the tree. The leaves, according to
their number and healthy state, draw up and attract the sap.
Therefore a branch, once enfeebled, has, by its very want of
power ^ an increased chance of decay. We must, therefore,
endeavor to avoid this feebleness.
Again, by this irregular distribution of strength, the whole
tree is disturbed, and eventually ruined. For when in this
diseased condition it receives any shock, as by an attack of
blight (perhaps by two or three successive attacks) ; by injury
to its roots from any cause ; by any of its branches breaking
in a gale of wind ; the first irregularity of form becomes so
considerably augmented, that few trees are able to remedy
this defect by a spontaneous effort of nature, and the expecta-
tions of years become frustrated in a single season.
8 CORDON TRAINING.
When, then, we perceive a commencement of this want of
due vigor in any branch, we must hasten to remedy it.
There are various ways of obtaining this object, but I refrain
at present from mentioning many of them. One excellent
plan is to allow a larf^er )iumber of leaves on a weak branch
than on a strong one. The reason for this has been stated
above. The leaves are the lungs of the tree, and attract and
modify the sap, which is little altered till it reaches the leaves.
When it does reach them, it ceases to be sap, properly so
called; it becomes the "proper juice." Discharged into the
bark, it is thence carried, by cellular channels, throughout
the tree.
From this " proper juice," that is, converted sap, the fruit
attracts what it needs to produce flavor. The more the tree
secretes the better. Pruning and training here play a great
part. By removing a great portion of the leaves on a vigorous
branch (cutting them in two is the best), and by allowing as
many as possible on a weak branch, we equalize both. Re-
moval of some of the leaves produces flavor in the fruit.
But we speak hero, chiefly, of the growth of the tree, and its
regulation. Another method of strengthening a weak branch
is to untie it from the wall, and allow it to swing loosely in
the free play of sun and air on all its sides, — one, at least,
of which would otherwise receive nothing. Of course, then,
to tie down a branch to the tree has a contrary effect, and the
more we approach the horizontal position, not to speak of the
extreme method of bending it downwards altogether, the
more the branch is checked in its development outwards. So,
if it is desired to lengthen a branch, it must be directed up-
wards; and a branch tied, for a season, vertically, and exposed
at the same time, in wall trees, to the free action of hght and
air, will grow much more rapidly than another tied to the
wall, and carried into a horizontal line. This is a useful
maxim to remember, because it may be so readily applied in
nearly every case that can occur.
If we wish to give a temporary check to a too vigorous
branch, we must diminish the number of leaf-buds on it, and
TERMINAL BUDS. 9
allow a rather too abundant crop of fruit on the fruit-bvds,
while, at tlie same time, the weaker side should be raised
vertically, and not allowed to bear at all. Of course the tree
will not look so pretty in this way for the season, until the
winter pruning shall harmonize the whole ; and this is often
a reason for neglecting" this very useful plan. By pinching
off the green ends of branches some time before the others,
those first reduced in length are checked in tlieir growth, be-
cause they have not so many leaves from being shorter.
In cases of great necessity, you may even cover over the
leaves of a strong branch with some light but impervious ma-
terial, for a week at a time. It should be no longer, taking
care to observe if the foliage becomes injured or not. Never-
theless, I do not recommend this method, which is more prac-
tised in France tlian in England.
If it be wished to prolong any branch (no matter its vigor)
we must concentrate the whole power of the sap into one or
two buds by cutting down to them, taking care that these buds
are healthy, and, above all, placed exactly as the new exten-
sion is desired to be. Terminal buds are always more vigor-
ous tlian lateral buds, because the sap is conducted more
directly to tliem. To lengthen a branch, always remember to
cut well down to the bud selected for the new shoot, not,
however, so near as to weaken it, but near enough that noth-
ing useless be left beyond, l)ecause, during the drying up of
that part, the bud is checked, and the object is to advance its
growth. To obtain fruit-buds, on the contrary, every aim
must be directed to keeping them, for one or two years, as the
case may require, in a dormant state. To effect this, you
must divert the full current of the sap away from them, so
that it shall pass them by, but without completely drying
them up, which would be a great fault. A leaf bud or two
must, therefore, be suffered to extend beyond any flower bud,
i. e., one properly so called. The sap having passed vigor-
ously up the main conduits of the tree, and in the leaves hav-
ing been converted from sap into "proper juice," must be so
diverted from the flower buds as only to nourish tlieir fertility
10 CORDON TRAINING.
without causing them to elongate in the form of branches.
Nevertheless, in the case of the peach, should any bud remain
absolutely dormant for two seasons, it will hardly ever be de-
veloped at all.
When trees have obtained a certain size, their ramifications
have the eifect of diminishing the rapidity of the circulation
of the sap ; and thus it is that trees of a certain age are more
productive than those which are young ; for the sap has so
many irregularly-disposed branches to supply, that it cannot
well stimulate any single part and pass by the rest.
By cutting your leading brandies very short for a number
of seasons, as in the case of that absurd form now happily
abandoned — the "pillar" or "quenouille" — the tree becomes
fruitful, it is true, but at the expense of size, form, and
beauty. In the case especially of standard trees, by pegging
down any too vigorous branch, it is completely checked, for
the reason stated previously ; but in this case the lateral
shoots, becoming vertical., have an extreme tendency to grow,
and require incessant pruning. This rule is applicable to
young growing trees, chiefly pears and apples ; but if applied
to an older tree, and all the branches should be thus bent
downwards, then as soon as the tree becomes more fruitful,
the branches should be loosened, and they will retain a suffi-
cient inclination to obtain the required result. The ends
would otherwise dry up, and the vertical shoots, absorbing all
the sap, would become converted into wood-shoots of great
vigor and difficult to restrain. In some cases the tree would
be exhausted by excess of production.
One maxim more, and this part is ended. By removing
the earth from the principal roots during the summer, so as
to expose them to the air, the tree is much checked in its vig-
or. This shows the danger of growing crops too near to the
roots, as, independently of the exhaustion of tlie soil thus in-
duced, the risk of injury from the spade and removal of the
surface is very great. For this very reason, transplanting an
unfruitful tree often makes it bear well, when other methods
have failed.
OUT-DOOR PLANTING. 11
CHAP. III.
SEASONS FOR PLANTING AND PRUNING.
The season for planting is a busy, and it must be confessed,
a somewhat harrassing period. It is "dig sine otio." The
time which succeeds the first rest of the sap, that is, the early
part of winter, is the most suitable for the work in hand. If
neglected, then that period which immediately precedes the
first movements of vegetation is the best.
As to young trees in the orchard house, any time during
■winter will do for them. If they are ready to bear, of course,
the less they are disturbed late in the season the better their
chance of setting tlieir crop will be. But then, these trees
can be bought now ready potted, and thus a new house may
be stocked at any time. If destined to continue in pots,
when carefully packed, no injury is done to them, and if for
plantation in the borders, they are equally ready, summer
and winter, with ordinary care ; and therefore a tree estab-
lislied one or two years in a pot is ready for any use.
For out-door planting, if not on too large a scale, trees
thus potted are far the safest ; their roots are more established,
and are infinitely more full of fibres, and the indispensable
spongioles are not cut off in transplanting. This is the rule
in the case of more valuable and delicate trees : pears, plums,
and apples are easily managed. By having a portion of your
trees in pots, you may be ready for your house if not already
built, and time will thus be gained. You may house them, or
leave them out of doors near some sunny spot, protecting the
surface of the pots from drenching rains, by a few slates. Some
branches placed to windward, and a mat around them, will
preserve any fruit tree from injury ; or it may so happen that
a friend has a spare corner in his own orchard house, or a
slight shed can be run up. All these are simple means and
obvious resources, if the season for planting should come on
12 CORDON TRAINING.
US before we are quite ready to undertake the whole at one
single time.*
As to out-door planting on a larger scale, a mild day with
a gentle sun-heat is the most favorable time. Never plant
the trees on a level ivith the surface soil, but let them be
raised up above it in their own little mound, some four inches
above the surface. By the end of the first season the natu-
ral subsidence of the ground will bring them to their proper
level. This is very important to bear in mind, but is very
seldom attended to, although it is ruinous to the tree to neg-
lect this precaution.!
The earth from the bottom of the pit, which should be am-
ple and large, should be placed in one side of the hole, and
that which came from the surface on the opposite side.
Then when your tree is planted, the upper soil should be
placed near the roots at tlie bottom, and the earth from the
lowest part, mixed with some leaf-mould and sand, will serve
well for the top. Place the tree on a gentle mound in the
centre of the hole, lightly powder the earth over and between
the central roots, but press down ratlier firmly the earth over
the extremities of the roots, having first well spread them
[* This advice is for the mild climate of Great Britain ; in this country such
protection is insuflScient, as the November and hiter frosts would freeze the earth
in the pots, and not only injure the roots, — which should never be allowed to
freeze, — but the pots would be broken. If there is no place to house them safe
from frost, the pots or tubs should be sunk six inches below the ^trface in a dry
soil, and covered with a foot of leaves or strawy manure, and here they should
not be left out later than the middle of December. The proper place is a cellar
where the frost does not^enetrate. — c. m. h.]
[tThis is another item of advice which is not altogether applicable in our dry
climate. A great deal has been written about planting trees too deep, and it is
well that cultivators should understand that such an error should be avoided.
But on the contrary it is not absolutely necessary to the success of the trees that
they should be planted " in their own little moun 1 above the surftxce," and that
it is " ruinous " to neglect it. All good cultivators advise planting the quince
below the surface, and of thousands of trees so managed we have not yet seen the
first instance of failure. In regard to other trees, the rule should be, to plant level
with the surface, so as to fairly cover the roots, unless in swampy or low wet
ground, and then " its own little mound " may be safest. Our hot sun, and long
summer droughts, would soon exhaust all the moisture from these little mounds,
and leave the tree to perish. — c. m. h.]
VARIOUS SOILS. — MULCHING. 13
flatly in every direction. A stake to wliich the tree shall be
firmly tied completes the operation, not, however, forgetting
to have the name of the tree written on a label attaclied to
it. Zinc, or wood painted, is best for labels. Avoid all stim-
ulating manures in contact with the tender fibrous roots, ad-
ding only vegetable mould, and calcareous matter with it.
No tree should be planted in damp situations ; but if this be
unavoidable, a drainage of four to six inches of stones, or
oyster shells, will tend to remedy this.
There is some variety in the soils proper to the various
kinds of fruit-trees. The plum, tlie cherry, and the apricot,
require an argilo-calcareous soil. The situation should be
rather more moist than dry, and they will do well where
there is no great depth of soil. It is useful to remember
this ; because light soils, especially if at all sandy, are not
adapted for peaches. These require a firm and rather unc-
tuous loam, — deep, but permeable, — and they must have
abundance of calcareous matter.* In the case of wall trees,
the borders should not be less than six feet broad, and should
slope gently downwards, and be well drained. This is indis-
pensable in the case of peaches. These borders should never
be cropped. No early potatoes should ever be allowed to en-
croach on the ground devoted to wall trees. Fork lightly up
these borders, removing the weeds, but unless the soil be very
heavy do not dig them up. Mulch the borders in July, but
never before that month ; because the ground is not warmed
enough till that period to shade it from the sun by mulching:
but after that time this operation is invaluable^ as it checks
evaporation and saves watering. In the late autumn hghtly
[* This is the Terr opposite of the advice of American cultivators, which is to
plant the peach in light soils. Indeed, no soil has been thought too light for the
peach, except a perfect sand. We are inclined to believe that much of the decay
of our peach orchards, and the so-called disease of the yellows, is to be attributed
to a long course of starvation, applied to the peach tree. Certainly it can do no
harm to try a generous treatment, and allow it to have a decent soil, and a little
manure. We know that no such thing as the yellows exists in Great Britain,
and we know too that the finest looki^^g peaches — to say nothing about their
flavor — are raised on walls and under glass in that climate. — c. m. h.]
14 CORDON TRAINING.
fork in this mulching, which will then be quite friable. You
may renew it in the summer, as occasion requires; indeed,
the proper time to nourish the tree is during growing and
bearing season, and not when it should be at rest, — that is,
in the winter. In cold localities, however, mulching in win-
ter has the advantage of protecting the surface roots from
the frost.
The pear also requires a good deep soil, but not retentive
of moisture. Leaf mould (very old manure), but not near
tlie roots : loam and sand together form an excellent compost.
Moor earth near rivers must be well drained in heaps, and a
little unslaked lime added to correct it. If the soil be too
heavy in any case, powdered charcoal, or burnt earth, are the
usual palliatives.
The apple (which unfortunately is generally considered fit
for any situation) prefers, on the contrary, a rather drier
soil than the pear, and if in rather a gravelly spot, so much
the better. Canker proceeds from neglect of this, a fertile
source of discussion. The unwholesome sub-soil supplies
vitiated food to the spongioles, and the sap thus corrupted
breaks out at the weakest portion of the bark. Sometimes,
however, the conjuncture of a sudden excess of pruning is
the cause of this fatal disease, as it is of gum in other trees.
Therefore, in weak trees, especially in the tender apricot, do
not prune all the trees at one single time. On a due atten-
tion to the soil proper for each variety depends, in a very
great measure, the success of the whole matter. No expense
or care bestowed in this way, nor attention to these details,
can ever be thrown away.
There is no doubt that pruning dnrifig the slimmer months,
is too much neglected. There are so many demands upon
the precious hours at this period, that this indispensable act
has not often its due attention ; then, when the winter sur-
prises us, we are apt to find a huge, entangled, overgrown
mass to unravel, demanding very much more labor and skill.
This is a vicious custom with unskilful gardeners, because
a severe use of the knife in the winter is to them the great
INJUDICIOUS PRUNING. 15
resource and panacea for all evils. All their errors, they
think, are thus obliterated until the next season's wood shall
recommence. A tree severely cut back, and tightly nailed
in, looks so very knowing, and argues so much forethought!
No matter the age or kind of tree, a smart semicircle is de-
scribed over its unhappy limbs, and branch after branch disap-
pears "at one draw." The employer, meanwhile, looks on
with amazement and wonder. The growth, progress, and
periods of repose required by nature are highly suggestive to
the thoughtful mind. Tlie period of rest is now come, that
of active labor, ceases. All that was necessary to be done
should have been accomplished before the stage of repose.
Some little supplementary work still remains, for plants, as
well as animated beings, are never absolutely idle ; but the
severer discipline applied to the tree should not be reserved for
the winter pruning. During their stage of growth, superabun-
dant vigor is restrained and checked, because at that early pe-
riod wounds are not so difficult to heal, and the mere growth
of the tree will soon cause them to disappear. A tree neglected
during the summer will soon show signs of this forgetfulness.
It will then be no proper remedy to use the pruning knife
with energy. It is as in life ; we can only hope with reason
to turn aside the violence of a wrong bias at the outset. An
even balance should be preserved ; no part of the whole sys-
tem should run riot while the remainder unfairly languishes.
Neither should winter pruning ever take place during a frosty
season, for the knife lacerates the hardened wood and induces
decay. To delay the pruning till the tree begins to feel the
first movements of spring vegetation is also pernicious, for
then the check is too great.
In the case of the peach, however, a mere beginner had
better delay his pruning until he can fairly distinguish be-
tween a flower bud and a leaf bud.
Should the number of trees' be great, the proper plan
would be to commence with the apricots, then the peaches;
after these the plums, the cherries and the pears, reserving the
apples for the last. A simple rule, but not generally known.
16 CORDON TRAINING.
It is best to have more than one pruning knife, for peach
pruning demands a sharp-pointed instrument.
To save time, a pair of strong pruning scissors is very con-
venient. With scissors the work is very rapidly done ; there
is nevertheless this disadvantage in their use, that they must
be kept very sharp, or the buds will be quite torn away.
Besides, it is impossible to cut very near to the buds, so that
at the winter priming another clean cut must be made with a
sharp knife nearer to the part selected.
These cuts must always be made " at one draw" (as gar-
deners say), for the sake of appearance, and that the wounds
may heal more rapidly.
CHAP. IV.
DEFECTS OF SOME METHODS OF FRUIT CULTURE.
No doubt the climate of our country has many faults to
answer for; its severe spring frosts are indefensible ; its vicis-
situdes are highly reprehensible ; and as to its autumnal
gales, which shake off the hopes of the season prior to their
complete maturity, — if that period ever does occur, according
to a noted French authority, — the least a patriot can say in
their defence, the better for his truthfulness.*
But has the art of Horticulture nothing to answer for?
It is true we can point to noble examples, such as Lindley,
Rivers, Thompson, Knight, or Duhamel,yan Mons, and many
others ; but it is when gardening is practised by men of mod-
erate incomes that we are astonished at its mediocre results.
The chief reason is, that the lower class of hired gardeners
is often ignorant, prejudiced, and traditional in a wonderful
degree. But so widely spread is the love of gardening, that
[* Willi this honest confession, seldom admitted, our American cultivators can
duly appreciate the enthusiasm in orchard culture in Great Britain — an actual
necessity — and not, as with us, auxiliary to the production of the best fruit. — c. M.
H.]
MANAGEMENT OP THE CENTRE. 17
very large sums are yearly spent even by persons of limited
incomes, on their fruits and flowers. But the results are
really disproportionate. How seldom is a well-kept garden
to be seen. How seldom does the proprietor know the reason
of his numerous failures.
Tliis little work is offered therefore in the simple hope of
helping some such person, who, having less leisure, cannot do
as I have done, follow up my own trees, year after year, note-
book in hand. My experience on this account cannot be val-
ueless to him, and I have therefore freely given it.
One grand defect which is observable in the general treat-
ment of fruit trees is, that very little difference is made in
the care bestowed on the various kinds.
The dormant buds, which are the hopes of ensuing seasons,
are treated on similar principles, the consequence of which is,
that the centre of the tree is denuded of fruit, and an appear-
ance of age is, by this means, induced, long before the tree
has reached the period of decadence. As the sap ascends
far more powerfully in the main channels than in the more
distant and feebler portions, one would suppose that this
would be a guiding principle in the treatment of the whole
tree. But, instead of this, what do we generally see ? In a
few years, by unskilful pruning, the whole of the centre of
the wall-trees and the interior parts of standards, are without
fruit. It now abounds at the extremities of the branches ;
and, year after year, retires further and further from the
centre of all. Large bare spaces are visible on every tree.
Invaluable south walls are profitless ; and there is no remedy
but to cut back the unhappy tree.
But, independently of the disfigurement of the garden
wall, and the serious loss of time, this cutting back is an ab-
surd and unnecessary plan. In the case of the peach, it
hardly ever succeeds at all ; especially if done in the winter,
as is generally the case. Any method which should obviate
this precessity must be useful, and, undoubtedly, " Cordon
training" does this, as will be shown.
• 2
18 CORDON TRAINING.
Bj keeping close to the centre of our work, instead of
•wearing out the whole, we refresh and stimulate incessantly
the latent energies of the tree, because we seek for them in
their chief source, where nature has placed them — the main
stem. On the contrary, it is evident that an irregular excita-
tion of particular and distant portions, while the remaining
(and far more important parts) are left languishing and
inert, must end in confusion, inferiority of production, and
diminution of the flavor of fruit. As to the tree itself, it
cannot fail to decay in some place or other, and be finally
condemned as a disfigurement to the garden.
Another radical defect in fruit culture is the vicious cus-
tom of too rapidly inclining the bearing branches towards
the horizontal line. By this plan the lowest stage must inev-
itably become the sliortest and the most feeble, while, by all
the rules of harmony, it should be the longest. This defect
once commenced is fatal and irremediable, and some of the
best portions of the wall and tree are lost for ever.
Many trees are trained fan-wise, and this, with proper pre-
cautions, is suitable only for strong growing varieties, and
for those which, like the pear, are of long duration.
But, on the authority of M. Dubreuil, even the pear re-
quires about sixteen years to reach to the top of an ordinary
wall, admitting the necessity of a proper lateral extension.
On the same authority, it is certain that the life of the peach
is not valuable after twenty years, and if half of that period,
ai least, be spent in raising it to the summit, it is evident that
it only arrives there when on the point of diminishing in pro-
duction. During the time, therefore, that these trees, and
others also, are reaching to the utmost limits assigned to
them, the valuable wall space is unoccupied and useless.
This very serious defect has led to the introduction of the
"Cordon system," by which the space of time required to
cover a given superficies is abridged by two-thirds. As life
is too precious to be wasted, and we naturally look for speedy
returns for all the care and money which we bestow, if this
system can really shorten the period of fructification, without
ITS ADVANTAGES AND USES. 19
corresponding disadvantages, it would be very proper to
adopt it in preference to older methods, especially as it is
adapted for all purposes required, and for all varieties
cultivated.
CHAP. Y.
CORDON TRAINING ITS ADVANTAGES AND USES.
Cordon training derives its name from its fanciful resem-
blance to a cord or chain. A certain number of leading
branches are carried out, and on them spurs are developed,
so that the branches look somewhat like twisted cables or
chains. It is not an entirely new plan, but has the advantage
of being based on well-known and valuable methods long in
use. In the present case its value chiefly consists in its com-
binations, and modifications required by the peculiar character
of the climate of England. In the case of in-door culture
much more novelty was admissible, because in this instance
the dry and equable temperature aided powerfully in its suc-
cess. Objections made to cordon training in the open air,
which, however, are not based on experience, being gener-
ally made by persons who have never even seen the trees
during one season, in orchard-houses, fall at once to the
ground.
But for an amateur to take up cordon training and to en-
deavor to practice it, irrespective of the exigencies of our
rainy skies, and to expect results attainable in other dry and
sunny localities, is simply absurd.
I have myself carefully studied the system, and followed it
out on a fair scale for some years, both in the open air and in
the orchard house. While, therefore, convinced of its value,
I trust it will not be considered presumptuous in me to say,
that I believe that an important portion of this peculiar sys-
tem would prove a total failure unless it were carried out ex-
20 CORDON TRAINING.
actly as described in these pages. But as it is so simple that
any one can understand its rules, there can be no reason why
mistakes should occur, nor is the manual labor so great as to
prevent even ladies from undertaking it. I offer my sugges-
tions to amateurs with a certain confidence, since I have tried
and rejected most of the systems which are, at this day^ con-
sidered excellent in France. One form was quite unsuitable
to the extreme dampness of our climate, which induces a too
luxuriant growth in the autumn ; while the want of propor-
tionate sun-heat renders it impossible to have well-ripened
wood, — and without this, what tree will ever bear ?
Another form, more adapted to meet these difficulties, was
far too complicated in its system of dis-budding, — which, by
the bye, is a plan requiring mucli caution in its adoption, and
is not very necessary at any time. It is true this last system
produced a fair crop of fruit, but it required too much atten-
tion to make it generally valuable. Proceeding, therefore,
on a new mode, which arose out of the cordon system itself,
I gradually adopted it, and after two years' trial of this new
combination, I do not hesitate to recommend it as the best
which exists at the present day. A large and important por-
tion of this system — the management of the spurs and the
growths on them — is very similar to that recommended by
Mr. Rivers, in the chapter on "Summer Pinching." Some
of the terms used in horticulture are so droll as to excite
wonder at their use, but it would cause confusion to endeavor
to introduce any new ones. But certainly " pinching spurs
in the summer" seems no particular recommendation in gar-
dening.
As was said before, cordon training has the immense
advantage of being simple. There is no elaborate tying-in
of summer shoots, as old as Shakspeare : " Tie up those
dangling apricocks ;" indeed few ties are required even in
the winter. The forerights are preserved, which are of much
value in increasing the amount of fruit. The spurs are com-
pactly and regularly distributed, and are thus more easily
sheltered from the weather, and more readily examined and
VAEIOUS CORDONS. 21
pruned. No long straggling shoots are ever seen. The sup-
ply of new wood of the proper bearing age, and the regular
distribution of the leaves, ensures a succession of crops.
The fruit is all produced close to the main stems. All parts of
the tree have a fair chance. The produce is doubled, since half
of the intervals between the branches is only required. Twelve
inches are sufficient for the parts where 18 or 24 inches were
formerly required. The trees are as readily detached from the
walls to clean them, as vines are from the wires, and from
their simple forms no injury can happen to any portion. The
trees are only lightly secured to the rods (which are safer,
after all, than galvanized wires), and it is easy to clear off
cobwebs and insects from the back of the trees, an advantage
of incalcvilable value, as the gardener well knows. All
these, and others, are the results of cordon training.
But one of the chief recommendations of the system is the
rapidity with which a high wall is clothed with productive
spurs. In four years a wall, twelve to fifteen feet high, can
be covered with fruit-bearing wood, all disposed in regular,
beautiful, and harmonious succession.
This will be obvious by a reference to the Frontispiece,
where the different years are indicated by their progress ; and
as a tree, planted at the angles shown, 7}mst grow fast, and
yet be fruitful, what can be desired, more ? What is shown
in the Frontispiece is a representation of one kind'of cordon,
and that the very best, — the " diagonal," — with three leaders
on each tree. The trees are planted in. the ground at thirty-
six inclies from their neighbors to right and left, there being
thus twelve inches of interval between each leader. In
France the single cordon,* with laterals of fourteen inches,
succeeds well, but it would fail in England. The double cor-
don is better adapted ; these two forms clothe a wall witli
[* The objections to the single cordon do not apply in our climate, which is
quite as dry and favorable for that system of training as in France, where Mr.
BrShaut admits it succeeds well. Hence, those cultivators who would like to try
the single cordon can do so, as we shall give in an appendix an engraving and
details of that method, though undoubtedly generally understood from the above
account. The single and double differ only in the number of shoots and plant-
ing the trees nearer together. — c. m. h.]
22 CORDON TRAINING.
amazing rapidity, and if suited for our climate would super-
sede all others. The triple cordon I have never seen but in
my own gardens ; with laterals in the old system it would not
advance fast enough, which is one important condition in its
use. A quadruple cordon would take so much time to com-
plete as to make it less desirable ; it might, however, suit very
moist localities better. With spurs, as now recommended,
the triple cordon unites most of the conditions required for
success. It covers the wall rapidly, and bears well and regu-
larly : nothing better can be said in its favor. Its form is
also so regularly beautiful, that even casual observers must
be struck with the harmony and grace of the whole tree. No
gentleman likes to have his valuable walls covered with trees
as unproductive as they are ungainly ; but any one who has
seen a well-managed cordon on the diagonal plan, will not
fail to give it the palm as to beauty.
By means of light guiding rods tlie young wood creeps as
straight as a walking stick, upwards, and on this depends
much of the handsome appearance of the trees. So that
were a wall of these trees drawn, each of them ascending
with mathematical regularity, it would not be exaggerated :
a moderate amount of skill and patience would easily effect
it. The various forms of cordon training remain to be no-
ticed. They are the diagonal, the best suited for a wall ; for
in-door or out-door culture it sliould always have three leaders.
The vertical, useful for trees trained against the pillars of the
orchard-house, where they bear admirably ; they also answer
well if planted in the borders. If for walls in the open air,
then the number of leaders should not be less than five, or
there would be danger of the trees producing too much wood.
The spiral : round wires for trees in pots, or round the pillars
of the orchard house, where they have a pretty effect. It
will also suit large pear standards in the open ground, or in
the borders of the house. Lastly, the horizontal — i. e. all
fan-shaped, (palmetto of the French,) or laterally developed
trees ; all standard trees in the open ground or within the
house, and planted in the borders.
THE DIAGONAL CORDON. 23
CHAP. VI.
CORDON TRAINING IN PEACH TREES. — THE DIAGONAL CORDON.
" If any cue tree lias occupied the attention of cultivators
more than another, it is surely the peach." So says the
editor of the Gardener's Chronicle ; and so many have done
so, that it may almost be asked if the matter be not exhaust-
ed. The article from which this is quoted proceeds to lay
down three conditions as necessary to success in peach cul-
ture, which is what we are now considering. The first indis-
pensable condition for success is, that the soil must be loell
drained; and secondly, that the wood must ripen thoroughly ;
and thirdly, that as the wood of the Jirst and third year pro-
duces no fruit, it must be looked for only on the wood of the
second year. I hope to be able to show satisfactorily that
these requisites can best be obtained by cordon training, com-
bhied with attention to other important particulars.
The peach, like the pear, is a standard of perfection among
fruit trees ; but each requires a widely different treatment.
The peach coming from a climate tropical in its summer
heats, drier at most seasons than ours, and yet subject to ex-
tremely severe frosts, when transplanted to England is placed
under very different conditions. These arise chiefly from the
want of sun-heat at the necessary period ; but above all, from
the excessive moisture of spring and autumn. As to our
frosts, these are not often injurious to the tree itself, but they
affect the blossoms when setting. Nevertheless, precautions
can be used in out-door culture which somewhat obviate this
disadvantage ; yet it is difficult to know how to ward off the
drenching autumnal rains, which ruin all hopes of ripe wood.
It is here that cultivation under glass is most valuable.
It is no woiKier, then, if the tree should have been written
about till the very name of peach becomes odious to readers
of horticultural subjects ; and it is not a matter of surprise,
if even the ancients blundered amusingly when they wrote
24 CORDON TRAINING.
about this exotic. Thus we find Columella making the fun-
niest mistakes ; and Pliny (the Rivers of his day) setting him
right, and re-establishing the fruit into popular favor. Never-
theless, even Pliny only knew of five varieties. By the 16th
century some forty kinds were known and described ; and, of
these, the oldest and that most carefully depicted is the
"Lucca peach," which is supposed, on good grounds, to be
the "Late Admirable" of the present day, and the " Peche
Royale " of the French. {Duhamel.} The " Late Admira-
ble " is not the same as " Bourdine " (which ripens later), as
others assert. But this only shows how little is really known
about the fruit common in the middle ages.
In the tropics the peach succeeds pretty well, that is, it
grows finely ; but there is little fruit on it. Vegetation is too
continual for the fruit-buds to form. This is curious enough,
as it is just the case, from excess of humidity, in our climate.
Between the 30th and 43rd degrees of latitude, the care be-
stowed on or required by the peach is almost nothing, and
beyond the 50th degree it declines to bear at all. Thus wrote
M. Noisette ; an excellent authority, — but, then, he knew
notliing of orchard-houses. How few Frenchmen of the pres-
ent day really believe in our successful culture of fruit at all,
I leave to continental travellers to declare. " They grow, it
is true," said one of the learned men at Angers to me, " they
grow, as my friend (quoting a well-known name) declared to
us as we walked the streets of London together, but they
never ripen." The eminent cultivator referred to had fre-
quently visited England, and knows all our best nursery gar-
dens too. Another, and certainly a clever authority, residing
at Brussels, considers our system of pear culture as " disas-
trous," and ascribes it to ignorance of common principles ;
the trees round London, though numerous, being quite "un-
productive."
The transition from this amusing prejudice en the part of
our continental friends, to the opinions of tlie Chinese respect-
ing peaches, is not so abrupt as may appear at first sight.
The ruddy and pointed peaches are considered, in China, to
FLOWER AND LEAF-BUDS. 25
be symbols of long life. They arc in consequence profusely
used as ornaments on their walls, and even on furniture.
Porcelain peaches are appropriate presents on the New Year.
The peach has also the valuable quality of being an antidote
against evil or low spirits ; but the brown peach, though beau-
tiful, is the cause of sin and death.
Probably some allusion is here meant to the wide-spread
tradition of Eve's offence; more especially, as one variety
called "Yu" renders the eater thereof immortal. So much
for oriental opinions. With respect to details in peach train-
ing, these have had the share of attention from many quar-
ters. But before entering into them, I must quote Lindley's
words respecting the formation of flower and of leaf-buds;
which are so explanative, and, I hope, agree so completely
with what follows, that it will be useful to record them here.
"Physiologists know that whatever tends to cause a rapid
diffusion of the sap and secretions of any plant, causes also
the formation of leaf-buds instead of flower-buds ; while an
accumulation of these fluids produces flower-buds. In a leaf-
bud the leaves are highly developed, and their axis has a ten-
dencij to elongate as soon as stimulated by heat and light. In
a flower-bud the leaves are in an imperfect state, (which is
called calyx, corolla, stamens and pistil) and the axis has no
tendency to elongate. Hence a flower-bud is a contracted
branch. It is, therefore, easy to be seen that so long as the
fluids of a tree circulate rapidly, and without interruption^
only leaf-buds (i. e. undeveloped branches) can be formed.
But if the motion of the fluids be languid, and the parts are
formed slowly, flower-buds, which are contracted by nature,
and have no disposition to elongate, only will appear."
For these reasons, most sound as they are, the Diagonal
Cordon, which is now to be described, appears the best adapt-
ed to unite the conditions of fertility with due attention to
the necessity of extension. In other words, this cordon
grows and bears well. As will be seen, the term "Diagonal"
means leaders — one or more, but generally tliree — trained
against walls at an angle of 65 degrees during the first year,
26 CORDON TRAINING.
and at an angle of 45 degrees during the succeeding years.
The reason why the trees are first planted at the angle of 65
degrees, is that otlierwise tlie shoots on the upper side would
grow faster than those on the lower, and that they would in-
juriously compete (by their vertical position), with the growth
of the leading extremities, the growth of which it is sought
by all means to encourage.
The position of 45 degrees, to which it is inclined as soon
as the leading shoot has obtained the proper pre-eminence
and strength, and is thus able to defend its rights — the posi-
tion of 45 degrees is the most favorable to obtain fruit and
wood above all inclinations at which any fruit tree can be
placed. Therefore, as soon as the leader is strong and vigor-
ous enough, the tree should be lowered to this angle, and, by
means of light guiding rods, be made to ascend, at this angle,
to the top of the wall. From being tied lightly, at qyqyj two
or three inches, to the rod, it must grow perfectly straight.
The trees are planted at intervals of 36 inches from stem
to stem along the wall, as seen in the Frontispiece, where
they are all at the angle of 45 degrees, even the tree only iu
the first year ; but this was unavoidable ; that is, the trees are
laid in at 3 feet from each other only. My own trees are
planted and trained at 30 inches of interval, but this is too
little — 36 inches are preferable. Each tree, in the engrav-
ing, is represented as having either three leaders fully
grown, or in the case of tlie tree of the first year, it has dot-
ted lines indicating the future position of the other two
leaders. In the tree of the second year, the second leader
has ascended half-way up, while the first leader is completed.
In the case of the tree of the third year, the first and second
leaders being completed, the third leader is now half-way up.
The two trees of the fourth year have all three leaders com-
plete, and the complementary tree which fills up the corner
is shown as having its leaders fully developed. The extreme
corner is completed as seen by extra short leaders, and in the
first year's tree the corresponding corner is indicated to be
filled in by an upright leader with short side branches, so as
THE TRIPLE SYSTEM. 2T
to coVer the whole space. This filling up of corners cannot
be done so well with trees on the common method.
Of course, in the first year, all the trees, if planted simul-
taneously, would all be alike, having one leader and blank
spaces for the two future ones, and in the second year the
whole wall would look like the tree of that year ; and so on.
But at one glance the different years can be seen and under-
stood. I must add, that if the trees shall be planted at 36
inches from each other, tlie intervals between the leaders will
of course be 12 inches, i. e. the shoots on each leader extend
6 inches either way. Forerights are also preserved (not rep-
resented, to avoid confusion) ; but this is a very important
part of the system, and adds much to the beauty of the whole,
making each leader like a green cable having blooming fruit
embedded in appropriate bowers of leaves; not buried, but
visible and well exposed to the sun's rays.
I do not remember seeing any trees trained exactly in this
fashion, and as to the combination of culture, under glass,
with the great advantages to be gained by this particular
Cordon, it is tliis which has chiefly induced me to publish the
results at all. By this excellent, but too little known method,
the most splendid crops can be grown, and it is not too much
to anticipate the time when every back wall of an orchard-
house, or of a forcing nectarine-house, will have its Diagonal
Cordon on three leaders; One will not do; two are only
rather better, but with three success is certain. More than
three would take too long a period to cover the wall, by ex-
tending the four years necessary with three leaders, to five
or six years, in which case little time is saved. Neither can
a Cordon on other principles than closely spurring-in be very
successful. At any rate it is far inferior in every way, and
unworthy of competing with the one now described, especially
in the quantity of fruit obtained.
I can cordially recommend this kind of Cordon to ama-
teurs, having had the greatest success with it of any. It will
not suit span-roofed houses, which have, of course, no back
walls.
28 COKDON TRAINING.
But lean-to houses are far warmer. Perhaps a unibn of
the two would be useful. Span-roofed houses are handsomer,
and, when very large, extremely beautiful. In this case other
kinds of Cordons are more suitable, such as vertical, with
pyramidal bases, which will be described presently.
Tlie formation of a Diagonal Cordon witli tliree leaders is
thus commenced. Straight, well-grown trees, one year old
from the graft, are selected. These trees are planted in the
open ground in October, November, or December, but the
earlier the better, and in the orchard-house, at any time dur-
ing the winter, except in frosty weather. They are laid at an
angle of 65 degrees against the wall, in either case at an in-
terval of 36 inches from one another. One third of the top
of each tree may be removed ; but tliere is no objection to
the whole row being cut to an equal height, unless in the
case of particular trees. A healthy front bud is chosen, in
every case, to cut down to; therefore when I said equalize
them, of course it is far better to regulate their height by the
bud you cut down to; because you must have a healthy
leaf-bud, and below it must be no blank spaces where there
can be no shoots.
If blank spaces occur, then reject that tree or it will cause
you trouble ; but if you choose to retain it, either because of
the sort, or because you fancy it, then cut down well to a
good bud, no matter how high or how low you meet it. It
must be in front, because the wound is thus far less difficult
to liide. This is of great importance in Cordon training. If
you must cut to a side bud, then you have no very straight
stem after all the care bestowed on the rest. Tliere must be
no unhealtliy wood near the leading bud. How often, by
neglecting this simple rule, has the trouble of years been
wasted I Cut, sloping upwards at a gentle angle, till you get
to about an eighth of an inch above the bud. The trees are
then well tied to the wall; the young laterals are brought
forward on either side neatly, and the back shoots are gener-
ally cut in to one or two buds ; for if you cut them off there
will be no reserve to supply accident. Sharply cut back these
COLOR OP WALLS. 29
slender laterals to two eyes or buds. At this stage these are
small, therefore be in no hurry to cut them off. Then the
forerights are to be similarly treated, i. e. cut back to two
buds, and the trees are ready. If the wall has wires or rails,
these must be at 12 inches of interval. Then a light guiding
rod is tied above the end of the leading branch in order to
direct the future young wood. Prepare and place this at the
winter arrangements. Water freely for some weeks. No
wall under 11 or 12 feet high is eligible for Cordon training.
If in the open ground it should have a good coping of one or
two feet to ward off the drenching rains.- If, as was said be-
fore, you do not immediately require the trees, or have not
yovir wall or house quite ready, tlien pot the trees till that
period, and no time is lost; at any rate, a reserve of some
half-dozen should always be kept thus potted in case of any
accident or otherwise.
Thus, if one of your trees become unsightly or deformed,
or refuse to progress, then remove it without delay, and place
one of your potted trees (the most vigorous) in its place.
This the amateur must particularly attend to in Cordon
training. Trees one year old are cheap, and so are pots, and
there is no excuse for not having a reserve ready trained on
the same system to supply vacant spaces.
With respect to the color of walls for orchard-houses
(lean-to's), white is preferable to black, though the latter has
certain advantages, but which are most attainable out of
doors : I mean with respect to radiation, but white is certainly
preferable for Cordon training, as so much of the wall is cov-
ered with leaves that no burning can take place. A coat of
lime-wash is invaluable on account of that " rubra cura" —
the red spider, which is the pest of peach-houses, and requires
to be kept down by regular syringing and ventilation. The
white color adds also very much to the appearance of a house,
and if a dash of rose or pink be added, the effect is consider-
ably heightened. Then with pillars of a clear blue, and rud-
dy gravel walks between the well-kept borders, the whole
may be as ornamental as any conservatory ; and there is no
30 CORDON TRAINING.
reason why a little gilding slionld not be shown on the cor-
nices, tfec, especially as the house should be devoted to chry-
santhemums in the autumn.
To return to the plantation of the row of young trees on
the Diagonal plan. A little watering as needed is the com-
pletion of the first year's work.
In the spring of the ensuing season, the two eyes or buds
to which the laterals have been cut will generally each pro-
duce a shoot. If we call these two shoots, on which the fu-
ture work will be done, the " right and the left shoot," and
the original first growth a "spur," it may tend to simplify the
matter. These two shoots are, then, the " second growth "
on these " spurs." As soon, therefore, as these second growths
have made six leaves — any small leaves at the bases which
have no buds in their axils, do not count — pinch down to two
leaves on the upper side of the tree, and to three leaves on
the lower side. The reason for this difference is found in the
more vertical position of the upper shoots, and therefore in
their greater tendency to elongate. As to the lower-side
shoots, they, from their position, will be only too inclined to
become covered with fruit-buds, and in their case we must
look for obtaining some leaf-buds also.
To repeat: these second growths (i. e. the right and left
shoots) having reached 6 leaves or 4 inches, must be pinched
back — if on the upper side of the Diagonal leaders, to two
leaves, and if on the lower side thereof, to three leaves. In
a short time each of these leaves left will put forth another
stage of young shoots, springing from the axils of the leaves.
This is the "third growth." As soon as this " third growth"
on either side has reached three leaves, pinch back all to two
leaves. A " fourth growth " must be closely pinclied in to
one leaf, and if anything more grows, pinch it closely in also.
These third and fourth growths would be bearers of buds,
able, in ordinary seasons, to bear the next year, as well as the
buds on the second growth; but in practice, the object being
to keep the spurs and the growths on them luithin six inches^
these late growths must be held in tlie light of "feeders " to
FORMATION OF LEADERS. 81
the others, just as two eyes are left beyond a bunch of grapes
to draw the sap to the fruit. These successive growths in the
summer pinchings may exceed the six inches by an inch or
two in some cases, especially in forerights, while they may
only reach to five inches in other cases ; nevertheless, the
rule is to keep them as near as possible at this extension.
In the winter pruning they will be shortened in alternately^
as will be described.
At the risk of tedious repetition, I must refer again to the
Frontispiece.
The tree in the right-hand corner (marked 1st year) will
represent the appearance of the whole of tlie row of trees at
the end of the first year's training. This is the second year
of plantation.
The tree with its single leader A will have readied more or
less to half-way, or two-thirds of the wall, supposing this to
be 12 feet high. A certain portion of the tree (that of last
year to which it was cut back,) will now appear clothed with
wood. The spurs on either side of the leader A will each
have their two shoots pinched back successively to, say, 6
inches in all. The foreright spurs and shoots on them are
also to be treated by pinching them as if they were on the
upper side of the leader ; but they are not shown in this dia-
gram, to avoid confusion. At the base of the single leader
A, and at 12 inches from the surface, a strong shoot from one
of the spurs has been allowed to extend for 12 inches later-
ally, so as to be in readiness to form the second leader B
when required ; but if allowed to extend, and to be turned
up when it reaches the 12 inches (which it is destined to do),
so as to form the second leader B, then it would injuriously
affect the growth of the first leader A. From this rule no
deviation must be permitted, I have spoilt too many trees
from impatience, not to warn others against this error. Cut
this lateral back in winter to a healthy bud, and guide it by a
light rod perfectly at riglit angles to the leader A. The tree
which is now being described does not show this lateral, be-
cause it is in the corner, but the second year's tree will show
32 CORDON TRAINING.
what here is meant. The dotted Ihies indicate the position
of all future leaders, and thus E E explains how (in the case
of the corner tree only) a future vertical leader in the direc-
tion E E will ascend, and future diagonal leaders be developed
from this, the only vertical one, as marked F F.
Winter Pruning. — Let us suppose that when the leaves
drop off from the trees there will appear two shoots on each
spur, each shoot composed of the various growths of this
season. Now the fruit will only appear on the wood of the
second ijcar. In this case the fruit buds nearest to the spurs
themselves are on this wood, and the fruit will appear at the
base of the spurs, and only in some cases at their top. Of
course the trees are very young to bear, but they will do so
in many cases, and if this occur, then only one or two peaches
must be allowed to remain on each tree.
By the close spurring-in practised during the summer, and
the not having had recourse to the old and ridiculous method
of choosing long weak shoots for the bearing wood, the buds
at the base of the spurs will generally become fruitful. All
the fruit, if any, will appear on the bearing wood at the base.
The young tender laterals on the young extremity of the
leader, which has ascended some way upwards, must be
pinched down to two buds previously to this period.
The two shoots on each spur must now be shortened in.
One must be left long for fruit (if possible), and the other
must be cut short to furnish new wood to bear alternately.
The long shoot must be cut to any triple bud you can find
within the six inches prescribed. If you find no triple bud on
either shoot for bearing, then cut them both back alike to the
two leaf-buds nearest to the spur. But if, as is generally the
case, you find the triple bud desired, leave this shoot long,
and cut the other to two leaf-buds, to furnish two new bearing
wood shoots for the year after next. If you find a triple bud
to cut down to in the case of the shorter shoot, this is an ad-
ditional advantage, as it is fruitful, and you have a double
chance of peaches. But the whole system revolves on these
two shoots, which in time become three or four, — one of them
SECOND year's TRAINING. 33
being left long to bear, and the other being cut short to suc-
ceed it. In this way a succession of fruitful wood is sure to
be obtained, while on the old method, when once a shoot had
borne, it was slightly shortened in, and permitted to bear on
the new growth ; so that in time the fruit was produced so
far from the centre, that a severe pruning, most injurious to
the peach, was needed. The shoots on the spurs multiply in
time, and are cut back, or left long, as required. Every suc-
cessive pruning must have for its object to keep the bearing
wood close and compact, and allow on the long shoots left for
fruit just enough of leaves to nourish the fruit.
Two shoots for each spur are required. If any spur have
not the necessary two shoots on it, then it is a vast defect,
and must be remedied by pinching back judiciously at first,
and by endeavoring to encourage the single shoot to become
double ; of course the nearer to the spur the better. In this
case all our endeavors must be directed to obtain the two
shoots, quite irrespective of fruit, and at this winter's pruning,
if there be but that melancholy single shoot, then vigorously
cut in to two leaf-buds, — not the fruit-buds, — for if you do
the spur is ruined for ever. However, even then the whole
tree is not spoilt, for there are so many spurs, and so many
shoots, that a remedy can always be found. A practiced eye
will see the difference between a fruit and a leaf-bud almost
at once — certainly by midsummer ; while a mere beginner
would be puzzled to decide till the ensuing spring.
Second Yearns Training. — We come now to the tree in the
Frontispiece marked " second year." The first leader A will
rapidly ascend and reach the top of the wall, and the lateral
left to form the second leader B, having also shot out, is
turned up sharply, when it has reached twelve inches from its
starting place. It will, in the course of this year, reach to
about half-way towards the summit of the wall, as seen. As
soon as the first leader A has reached the top, pinch off the
end; this will strengthen the second leader. The second
leader will be shortened a little at the winter pruning, as the
case may be, always remembering to cut to a front bud.
3
34
CORDON TRAINING.
The pinching of the various growths on the tvro shoots goes
on thus this year. That on the longer shoot must be pinched
in more closely than that on the shorter one, because it would
extend too far otherwise. It may reacli to seven inches with-
out any confusion, and if a foreright, and in the orchard-
house, it will even be better so. Thus the new wood on the
long shoot may well be pinclied off to one leaf as soon as
three leaves are formed, and tlie next time also to one leaf, as
soon as two loaves are formed ; and so on.
But the shoot or slioots shortened to two buds will require
to be allowed to grow by a leaf more at a time. Thus, as
1. FRUIT-SPUR ON THE PEACH, SHOWING THE SUCCESSIVE GROWTHS,
AND ALTERNATE PRUNING.
soon as four leaves are formed, pinch back to two leaves, and
afterwards to one leaf. All this will be readily understood
after a season's practice. Of course those natural shoots
which make their terminal buds — and are called by the French
"rameaux a fruit bouquets," because they appear like a small
nosegay, — should not be touclied wherever they appear.
They will soon be known, and generally spring from the
bases of the spurs. See fig. 1, of fruit-spurs on the peach,
where it is seen springing from the base of the spur, and is
marked E. The present winter's pruning of these two shoots
FIGURE 1 EXPLAINED. 35
now requires notice. Taking figs. 1 and 2 of peach spurs, —
A indicates the original spur ; B the right shoot ; C the left
shoot ; D the right shoot which has developed another one,
and E the natural fruit-spur.
Fig. 1. — Here, on the spur A, the right shoot has grown
by successive starts (as seen by the divisions) upwards. The
little elbow above B is that part of the shoot which was left
beyond the last hud pinched down to, and often dries up rap-
idly. Two triple buds appear on the second growth, which
are to be carefully left. They will be found in fig. 2, as devel-
oped into two new shoots marked there B and D. But at
present the shoot is to be cut back to them, and failing them,
to two leaf-buds for wood shoots. Never cut, by any means,
to single flower-buds, because there should always be a leaf-
bud at the extremity of every part, no matter where or of
what strength. In a triple bud the central one is a leaf-bud,
and the other two flower-buds, and thus it unites every neces-
sary qualification.
The left shoot in fig. 1 is also seen. The second growth
has, or may not have, its two triple buds ; most likely it will,
because that is the place to look for them, and pinching-in
helps much to this important end. Then, higher up, appear
the third and fourth growths, the former having a neat little
lateral, which is far more likely to be fruitful than a powerful
shoot. These latter shoots, called "gourmands" by the
French, were the bane of the old systems, and do what you
would, if on the upper side they always would come. In
vain they were cut back; in vain they were twisted and
pinched off; the least neglect produced a vigorous shoot, like
a leading branch, just where it should not be. Of course the
sap rushed with tenfold violence into these enticing corners,
and of course the gardener did not see it, and then, by the
winter, the rest of the branch was languid and feeble, and
the tree spoilt. But in this system all this is rendered nuga-
tory ; there is little or no danger of this occurring. • Instead
of this giant, we see a neat little fruitful shoot, which,
crowned with an appropriate bud, is very like a natural fruit
spur.
36 CORDON TRAINING.
Leave these alone, and cut down close to them, as seen in
FIG. 1. The branch is then, with its short right shoot, ready
for wood-bearing or not, as the case requires, and its long left
shoot cvit for fruit, havnig a chance thereof at the two triple
buds on the second growth^ and on the neat little lateral be-
fore so commended. As the nearer wood is the ripest, if the
fruit appear on the triple buds below, so much the better ; at
any rate there are plenty of chances, because this little lat-
eral, though born, say in August, will probably be quite ripe
— at any rate it will be in the orchard-house.
2. FRUIT-SPURS^ ON THE PEACH — ALTERNATE PRUHING.
SECOND APPEARANCE.
In FIG. 2 we have the same spur A, and on it the same
second growth B and C, only B has developed into two long
shoots, and these have been successively treated as recom-
mended. In the winter the new development D is cut back
to two new buds, generally triple, and its fellow left long for
fruit, of which there must be a great chance somewhere or
other. You can hardly fail now. The left shoot C has borne
a peach or nectarine, where the triangle near C indicates its
place. After bearing it is cut back, so as to secure new wood.
In succeeding years, by the time the wall is covered, say in
four years, all the leaders should have their spurs crowded
PRODUCE OP SOME CORDONS. 37
with these long and short shoots, two, three, and four to each ;
and as I said before, remembering to have a lesif-bud at every
extremity, and to keep half short for wood, and half long for
fruit, how can any one fail to have fruitful trees ? This is all
the care required for the spurs and growths on them, remem-
bering that if the long shoots in summer, from their very-
length, grow to seven or eight inches long, they have always
the corresponding short shoots on the opposite leaders ; and
as these may not extend beyond some five inches, one will fit
into the other. At any rate it is of no matter, for after this
experience a man must be dull indeed who could not manage
to get his wood compact and short somewhere. There is no
danger of not having superabundant shoots of all kinds, and
you can cut them clean out of the spur whenever you like ;
besides, they may have grown into two shoots, as many do,
immediately from the leader itself, and then you have abun-
dance of room. Let my readers be assured of all this, and
practice it fearlessly : " cut boldly and fear not." As Mr.
Rivers says of potted trees, " Any one can manage them ;"
and I daresay any lady could manage a Diagonal Cordon
easily and successfully after reading these instructions.
As to the getting the tliird leader to grow, it is now easily
seen ; and when the three leaders are fully grown, all that is
required is to allow a foot or two of the extremities, as in
vines, to grow upwards, and then to bend them downwards
gradually, and cut them off in the autumn. This exhausts
the superfluous sap, and keeps the upper shoots fruitful.
Nevertheless, I must beg to say that it is the lower shoots that
are likely to languish first, and therefore they must not be
too rigorously pinched in, but rather favored, and rested from
time to time. The finest fruit will be near the top, which
proves the abundance of the sap and juices at that part.
A Belle Beauce peach in my own orchard-house bore thirty-
two fine peaches on the leaders A and B, but of course the
top of A was not very ripe, and half of B was quite youthful.
Eeine des Vergers, which bore early in August, had twenty
splendid peaches, all on the lower part of A, it being in the
38 CORDON TRAINING.
second year. Galande had twenty-eight on a similar part, in
spite of tlie backward season, and the nectarines Early New-
ington and Hardwicke Seedling (a delicious nectarine), were
also very fruitful on this leader A. Malta, Chancellor, Sour-
dine, and Pucellc de Malines were magnificent, though very
young trees. I like Malta by far the best : Noisette calls it
his favorite. Leroy, Eivers, and many others speak highly of
it ; and, being not too vigorous, let me seriously recommend
it. It is a September peach, and the one that hangs so well '
on a tree : no mean quality.
Nectarines, however, and clingstones (Pavie peaches),
which come late, and will find their day of triumph in Eng-
land before long^ are best suited for the back wall, because
they are the most valuable. So prolific is this plan, that I
"would not recommend the mid-season peaches for it ; you can
havedhem in the pots. A very early peach, but not the little
nutmeg peaches, should be placed in a warm corner, and
trained in this way. Acton Scott is scarcely good enough.
Early York or Crawford is better, or some of the new Ameri-
can varieties, which before long will be our very best early
peaches.
Stanwick nectarines crack, but they have done tolerably
well with me this unlucky year. They are really splendid,
though they generally require forcing.
I only repeat, to end this chapter : keep to the wood of the
second year ; and as every shoot which has borne fruit will
not again bear, it is well to cut off the shoot which has given
fruit as soon as it has done so. This is better for the prac-
ticed hand to do than for a mere beginner, and should not be
done in the early stages of cultivation.
CHAP. YII.
SPIRAL CORDONS.
The training these is essentially the same as that of Diag-
onal Cordons, because they also have an upper or vigorous
VERTICAL CORDONS. 39
side, and a lower or weak side. If planted in the borders of
the orchard-hoiise, and trained round wires, they have an ad-
mirable appearance. Twelve inches of interval is also required
between the ascending stems, and not less than two trees
should be planted to train on the same wires. These Spiral
Cordons bear remarkably well, and for pot culture are unri-
valled. The sun and air have free access to the open centre ;
the leaders are kept down, and the spurs on them, with due
respect to the outrageous verticals, are easily managed. They
should, in the case of pots, be pinched in more closely, as it
is difficult then to allow a clear twelve inches of interval. The
outgrowing shoots are, of course, not included in this difficulty.
Wires are best to train round. When the leaders are fully
covered, and your space well filled in, then lower the leaders,
and twist them freely round the wires. If in pots, place them
close to the glass, but not so as to shade others behind them.
If for pear trees, in the open ground, very handsome speci-
mens may be obtained, and really fruitful, only the centre
must be kept well open. They are very easy to syringe in
the orchard-house, as access is easy to the interior parts. I
do not think that trees difficult to fruit would do, as some
parts are rather in the shade. The free-growing varieties
should be selected in preference.
CHAP. VIII.
VERTICAL CORDONS.
Select a straight tree, as before, well furnished with later-
als ; remove one third of the top, and cut in the laterals to
two buds. Should any weakness appear in the lower laterals,
cut down to one half of the whole length, because the lowest
stage must be the longest, and it must be encouraged. Plant
in a pot, or in the open ground, or border, as before. In the
ensuing summer the two buds on each lateral will develop ;
40 CORDON TRAINING.
these must all be pinched as soon as six leaves long, to three
leaves, then to two leaves, and then to one leaf ; but in the
lowest stages it is necessary to allow one leaf more at each
pinching, until that part has a predominance over the rest ;
in other words, until it has a pyramidal form. Therefore,
the lowest spurs all round should be well encouraged, and if
disposed to become fruitful, then left as long as possible — i. e.
hardly pinched at all, and the whole tree kept to the pyrami-
dal form altogether. If the lowest shoots grow freely so
much the better ; merely pinch them back, according to their
vigor, and if laterals grow on these, pinch these to two buds
each. The object in view is to obtain a fruitful pyramid in a
vertical position, and the pinching is only to obtain this ; but
as the top grows very freely, it must also be kept under, and
occasionally pinched back, according to the vigor of the tree.
In this case the amateur will soon know how to proceed. If
the Vertical Cordon, however, be destined as a reserve for
banks in the Diagonal Cordons (and this must be kept in
view), then pinch all the shoots pretty equally; but if the
lower ones are inclined to become single shoots, then this
must not be allowed to be. Endeavor to have these reserve
trees regularly supplied with spurs, and two shoots on each ;
and if a tree obstinately refuse to come to this shapCj it had
better be rejected as time and patience wasted.
The vertical pyramids must not exceed the diameter of the
pot they are to fill (generally a thirteen-inch pot), at their
base.
If you plant the Vertical Cordon against pillars in the
orchard-house, it need not be pyramidal of course, and this
is another use for the potted vertical cordons to supply.
Against pillars, with their ends trained up to the rafters or
sideways, my own trees are splendid, and they are an amusing
variety because you may develop a second stem before and
another behind each pillar, and the fruit on the part near the
glass will be very fine. These trees will require removal,
probably annually, as they grow, to check undue luxuriance.
A few ties are all that is required, and they are easy to syringe
HORIZONTAL CORDONS. 41
and take care of in every way. No strong-growing variety
should be planted either in pots or against pillars in the bor-
ders. Out of doors Vertical Cordons require very high walls ;
they are then useful, but unless they have a large number of
upright leaders they are apt to grow too freely ; and for
peaches, there is really no necessity for adopting this form in
out-door culture.*
CHAP. IX.
HORIZONTAL CORDONS.
Under this head, for practical purposes in Cordon training,
may be ranged all fan-shaped or " palmetto" trees on walls ;
all standard out of doors ; and bush trees in pots. Every
one knows how to commence the training of these, — how
twelve inches are to be left above the soil, and how fan-shaped
trees are to be thence carried out. In the case of wall trees,
light rods should always guide the young branches, and these
should never be brought toward the horizontal line, till well
established, otherwise, adieu to the symmetry of the tree, —
the lowest stage being too short. But if these trees are
trained horizontally, then let the branches be depressed year
by year from an angle of 75 to 65 degrees, then 45, and
lastly to about 30 degrees. Any approach to the perfect hor-
izontal line is useless, except in the case of two small branches
developed from the lowest stage to fill up the lower corners.
The Cordon system is equally applicable here, — i. e. that part
of it which relates to the management of the spurs and shoots.
[* The Vertical and Spiral modes of training trees are admirably adapted to
pot culture, and amateurs who are growing fruit trees in this way will be well
repaid for their labor, in the superior beauty of vertical or spiral trees, compared
with the ordinary bush or no system plan. A little extra care is necessary in
the commencement, but their after treatment requires little more attention than
when grown without system. — c. m. h.]
42 COBDON TRAINING.
As we are now treating of peach trees, of course the upper
shoots must be trained like those on the upper sides of the
Diagonal leaders, and the lower shoots like those on the lower
side of these leaders. The branches to be shortened by one-
third yearly, and when older, by one-fourth, and finally by
one-sixth of their length ; the main stem encouraged fairly
to grow. An interval of twelve inches is sufficient between
each stage of branches, while, in old methods, eighteen or
twenty were needed for the enormous slioots to bear their
solitary peach. Of course tlie crop in fruit ought to be
doubled, and would be but for fear of sacrificing the tree.
But how long time it takes to reach the top of a ten or
twelve-foot wall we all know well enough, and when there,
the tree is beginning to decay. A system valueless for such
splendid fruit. For pear trees, which last longer, it will do
well enough, but the Diagonal Cordon is far superior, even
for peaches under the glass of a forcing peach-house. If then
it be desired to reduce peach trees, trained on some queer
old method, to the newer plans, the shoots must be pinched
in, and cut off by degrees till the spur with two shoots thereon
is reached. Then .some strong shoots should be selected to
fill up the blanks between the branches, and laid in to the
wall, being very slightly shortened in the winter. Their lat-
erals should be pinclied in to two buds, and with care, the
tree will become reorganized in two seasons, withuul injuring
the crop; because that shoot which is to bear the fruit can be
left to bear it, being only pinched off at two leaves beyond
the fruit, and cut back behind the fruit immediately after it is
gathered. The other non-bearing shoots may be closely
pinched in and cut back, as required. There is not very
much difficulty in doing this. After a severe blight this July,
I cut off the miserable ends, and refreshed the trees, and
brought them well into shape,
As to the treatment of peaches and nectarines in pots, it is
easy enough. Treat the spurs and shoots like the Diagonal,
only rather more closely pinched in, as there is less room. On
the bush tree (like a currant bush), all the branches, say eight
IN APRICOT TREES. 43
or nine, are full of these spurs, and the treatment of them is
easy. At the lowest parts, the short, natural fruit-shoots gen-
erally obviate any trouble in this way, which is convenient,
because there the branches are, necessarily, near to each other.
Of course the upper spurs of bush trees require closer pinch-
ing-in than the spurs on the lower sides, and two shoots on
each spur are required.
CHAP. X.
CORDON TRAINING IN APRICOT TREES.
The apricot is a magnificent fruit. It probably came from
America. Thence it passed into Greece and Italy, and so on
to our ungenial climate, and is pretty generally cultivated,
capricious as it is in bearing. The apricot does not force very
well ; it dislikes a confined atmosphere, and succeeds best in
breezy situations, with abundance of sun. Indoors it requires
great attention in the blooming season, and careful watering
at all times, or it is liable, either from this cause or from defi-
cient ventilation, to drop its fruit after setting. De Jonghe
considers this to arise from not being grown on its own stock,
and this may be the case. Tlie more sun and air apricots
have the darker will the fruit be, and the better the flavor.
Of all in cultivation, I find the Kaisha the best. Some new
varieties, as yet unknown, from Lombardy, promise extremely
well.
Diagonal Cordon training is well adapted to produce fine
fruit on the apricot. The triple system, with the same inter-
vals between the leaders, is the best suited for this tree. If
grown out of doors on espaliers, thick straw palliasses behind
the espaliers are necessary until the fruit be half grown, and
then removed to give free circulation. But at best, in Eng-
land, the tree bears only at long intervals. The spring frosts
ruin the tender blossoms. It is far best cultivated under
44 CORDON TRAINING.
glass, except a few hardy varieties — the names of which are
given in the list of trees at the end, — which are useful for
preserves, but not very enticing in flavor.
The shoots on the leaders should be pinched to four inches
as soon as they are six inches in length, and the successive
growths on them pinched to one inch more, as soon as they
become two inches long. In winter pruning cut back in order
to develop the buds at the base of each shoot, and as these
are numerous, and more easily developed than in the case of
the peach, there is no difficulty whatever in replacing a shoot
as soon as worn out, or unsightly from pruning. The appear-
3. FORMATION OF FRUIT-SPURS ON THE APRICOT. FIRST WINTER S PRUNING.
ance of an apricot shoot at the first winter pruning is like
that at FIG. 3. In this figure the shoot is shortened in by one-
third ; the fruit-buds are seen about half-way up the sides,
and the latent buds appear at the bases.
The second growths in fig. 4, which will eventually grow
out from these buds, having the appearance as seen in this
last figure, must be left to bear if on the middle of the spur,
but the one or two near the base will be full of leaf buds,
and must be shortened to two buds to form a succession of
shoots. About one-third of the whole shoot is removed at
this winter pruning ; and the whole length is easily kept with-
PRUNING OF APRICOTS.
45
in the six inches allowed, because these short laterals will
form much of the bearing wood. Remember, however, to
shorten some of these, in order to have fruit as near the base
as possible.
In FIG. 4, the next winter pruning would be just over the
two lowest laterals at A, as the upper shoot would then have
become much elongated, and be fruitful. This has in its turn
to be shortened, while the lower would have pushed out in
one or two places, and so on. One long shoot and one short
one, as in the peach, is also an excellent plan, but is not shown
4. "^FORMATION OF FRUIT-SPURS ON THE APRICOT, SECOND WINTER'S PRUNING.
here to avoid confusion. Do not prune the apricot all at once,
as it is a tree liable to gum, and take care the ties are not
growing into the bark for the same reason, nor induce pleth-
oric growth by over-feeding the tree.
Horizontal trees are easily grown in this way. Develop two
very long branches, stretching at an angle of forty-five degrees
on either side. When fully grown, lower them to the hori-
zontal position, and the shoots already allowed to extend from
the upper sides only, being now vertical, will, in one season
more, ascend to a great height ; they will make, at the same
46 CORDON TRAINING.
time, laterals, which must be pinclied in rather closely at
first. Pyramidal apricots in pots look very pretty. They are
easily grown by continual close summer pinching-in to five
or six leaves. The leader, if kept under by several shorten-
ings in, will produce fresh shoots along it. Tliese pyramidal
apricots are much recommended by the great authority of
Mr. Rivers, and they certainly can be placed very near to
each other, say about two feet. If planted in borders they
require annual lifting and re-planting, and, of course, not so
much water. Apricot trees, trained spirally as half standards,
are very pretty and prolific. In some cases tliis is necessary,
in order to set the fruit near the glass.
CHAP. XI.
CORDON TRAINING IN PLUMS AND CHERRY TREES.
There were plums in the gardens of Charlemagne. The
Heine Claude recalls the memory of the first wife of
Francis I. ; while the Damascus plum came back to Europe
among the Crusaders' baggage. Since tliese periods this
pleasant fruit has daily increased in favor. Nevertheless it is
not cultivated so much as it deserves to be. Plums are in
season for nearly five months, and are invaluable for kitchen
use.
Everyone knows this ; but that which everyone does not
know is the amazing variety which exists in the present day,
and among them are some extremely valuable plums.
Amongst them are the Early Prolific (Rivers), the Jefferson,
now, however, becoming appreciated, and rivalling the Green
Gage (Reine Claude of the French), besides a number of
others to be found in the lists of the day. These plums can
be kept for some time in muslin bags, and they thus become
shrivelled, but luscious in flavor. It is easy, therefore, to
TRUNING OF PLUMS. 47
have plums for about five months on the table in some form
or other.
As to cultivation in orchard-houses they do admirably, but
had better be placed out of doors about June or July, so as
to improve their flavor, except in cold climates far north. I
recommend the Early Prolific as far superior to the Early
Yellow, a French sort, which is early, but a shy bearer ; then
the Gages ; then Jefferson ; Reine Claude de Bavay, a stand-
ard of perfection ; the Quetche ; Coe's Late Red ; and Hu-
ling's Superb, for orchard-houses. But every one can choose,
and hardly go wrong, where the variety is so very great and
really good.
5. FORMATION OF SPURS ON THE PLUM. FIRST WINTER S PRUNING.
The plum, however, is a coarse feeder, and apt to be very
vigorous — too vigorous for fruitful purposes. It must, there-
fore, be kept in hand. The choice, and not too luxuriant
sorts, will suit the Diagonal Cordon ; while, for the Horizon-
tal, where there is plenty of room for lateral expansion,
select the more vigorous kinds. The plum, contrary to the
apricot, improves in flavor from a wall. The treatment of
the leaders is as directed for the others, with intervals of
twelve inches between them in every case.
In FIG. 5 is seen the young shoot of the plum at the win-
ter's pruning. The top must be shortened in, as in the apri-
cot, by about one-third, keeping it to four inches long. The
48 COEDON TRAINING.
pinching-in during the summer is as in the apricot. As soon
as six inches long pinch back to four ; the next growth (as
seen in fig. 5) pinch to one inch. Pinch the others closely
in, as also seen. In the first winter cut back to four inches.
During the ensuing summer endeavor to suppress, on the
shoot, the too vigorous triple buds, selecting the feeble buds
for the work in hand. Never neglect these plum spurs, or
they will develop into rank luxuriance, and become unfruitful
for several seasons.
If, therefore, a tree be perceived with luxuriant growth on
it everywhere, and the extremities waving defiantly in the
breeze to the height of some three feet over the wall, which
is not unusual, then look for no fruit on any of those parts
6. FORMATION OF FRUITFUL SPURS ON THE PLUM. SECOND WINTER'S PRUNING.
for two years. In fact, they must be cut out, for the spur
would become fearfully thick at the base, and compete with
the branches for the sap. Then, if cut out, how very trying
to the tree is this excision, and what ugly places appear on
the branches. Keep, then, those vigorous triple buds sup-
pressed, and work with the weak ones.
Rightly managed, the spur will in a season or two look
like that at fig. 6. This shoot will be shortened to within
six inches, i. e. the spur will be four in length, and the later-
als about two more. In fig. 6 this is seen. The little lateral
PRUNING OF CHERRIES. 49
at the top is, say, two inches beyond its parent, and has some
neat flower-buds on it. Merely shorten it so as to keep it
compact. The next lateral is treated on the same principles,
Avhile that below on the left hand is shortened in order to be-
come a future spur, because the buds at that part are natur-
ally leaf-buds, and inclined to extend if cut back to, according
to the principles laid down in the beginning, of concentrating
the sap into one or two buds. On the other side, the right
hand, is seen a group of buds which will be fruitful the next
season, and must not be touched, just as in the case of the
peach. After the laterals at the top have borne, and the
shoot, cut back near the base, has made some other ramifica-
tions, then will be time to remove the top and its laterals at
A, to let these new shoots take their place, leaving the lowest
group of buds alone. Others will also spring up, possibly
nearer the base, and so on. There is no difficulty whatever,
and it is very easy to keep these spurs within five inches, or
even four. Of course, if for a Diagonal Cordon plant, as
also apricots, it should be at 36 inches from stem to stem, as
in peaches. Above all, avoid all ill-drained soils.
THE CHERRY.
This delicious little fruit, probably the gift of Lucullus
to the Italians, requires very free ventilation if kept under
glass, and only a few varieties are worthy of this care, except
in places where birds abound. The very earliest is the Belle
d'Orleans, and, as such, is suitable for orchard-houses. The
Duke tribe are splendid, and the New Royal is highly spoken
of. I have not seen it. Some late kinds are useful to keep,
if there is space for them in the house, and they can be kept
in muslin bags. The treatment of the spurs is like plums,
and very easy, because the groups of round flower-buds soon
form at the base, and by pinching freely in can be kept fruit-
ful. It is a capital plan to break the shoots instead of cutting-
them; and as cherry shoots grow very freely, they must not
be overlooked : if so, then it is best to break them partially
Uirough, and let the broken ends shrivel up before cutting
4
50 CORDON TRAINING.
them off. If grown as bushes in the house, spur them in
more closely^ and shorten the branches freely. A damp situ-
ation is quite unsuitable for a good cherry tree, and they re-
quire calcareous matter in the soil. As to Morcllo cherries,
it is a waste of time and labor to grow them on north walls —
better leave them to the birds; while if placed in a fair posi-
tion, this sort will rival many of the others.
I find cherries do remarkably well as Diagonal Cordons,
and they do not, as I feared, grow too strongly to be treated
in this way.
I have a high south wall of these cherries intermingled
with good plums, and they look very promising, all on the
Diagonal plan. Some of my best are the Duchess of Palluau,
a new and splendid variety, as a fan-shaped Cordon, and an
Early Black, extremely well grown, because the branches,
with the addition of a guiding rod, will grow as straight as
pipe sticks, and look magnificent. Pyramidal bushes in pots
are very handsome. As soon as four leaves appear on the
shoots, pinch in to three, and favor the development of the
Jjase, but not so as to exceed the diameter of the pot.
CHAP. XII.
CORDON TRAINING IN PEAR TREES.
This most valuable fruit is a general favorite, and requires
a somewhat peculiar treatment, because it differs from the
preceding, especially from the peach, in this important par-
ticular, that as soon as a fruitful spur is formed, there is no
necessity to renew it, — it will last as long as the tree, with
due care. No alternation of bearing wood is here needed, as
in the peach, and therefore it is the basis of a quite different
treatment, which is also applicable to the apple".
The pear, however, resembles the peach and nectarine in
this respect : that it is equally suited for the various forms of
DIAGONAL CORDON. PEARS. 51
Cordon training, and thrives best on the Diagonal plan. In
fact, there is really no other way of managing it, and the
forms in use are based on the same principles, only misunder-
stood; and this is tlie reason that pear trees bear well in
many localities, although our continental neighbors will not
believe it. The pear so naturally follows the system described
here, tliat it leads the pruner into it, do what he will.
Many objections, too, having little real force in the case of
the peach, have none whatever in the case of the pear.
It is a curious fact, that though the pear is confessedly a
most valuable fruit, and one so generally cultivated, its real
history is the least clearly ascertained. There is a quaint
tradition that the Sabines planted the Rousselet pear, on what
occasion is not said. The loss of their wives and daughters
would hardly be a suitable time for pear planting, unless it
was intended to console lost fair ones by reminiscences of
home, and "perry ; " for this ancient beverage is clearly al-
luded to by Pliny, who calls it " excellent." From the
Sabines we ascend through the dark ages, unillumined by
horticulture, to that period when St. Martin, the good bishop
of Tours, had the honor of having a pear named the " Bon
Chr(5tien," as a reward for his virtues. This is about all that
is really known about the history of this fruit.
The pear accommodates itself to almost any shape, and
thus to describe and to practise Cordon training is equal-
ly simple. Choose for a Diagonal Cordon, young and straight
trees, of equal vigor, one year old from the graft, and, in Novem-
ber or later, lay them in against the wall, just as in peaches, at
the same intervals, — and also, the first year, at 60 or 70 de-
grees of inclination. But do not, as in the case of peaches,
cut off the laterals to two buds at planting, as the pear re-
quires all its foliage for the first year. Merely take off one
quarter of the extremities of the laterals. During the ensu-
ing summer encourage the growth of the leader, and pinch
in a little of the new wood on the laterals to equalize their
vigor. In October cut these laterals in to two buds, and re-
duce the length of the leader by one-third, above a healthy
front bud.
52
CORDON TRAINING.
The next summer, these two buds, on each lateral, or spur
now, will develop themselves. As soon as these new shoots
have reached six inches in length, pinch them back to four
inches, or about eight or nine leaves. The next growths
pinch back to one inch more, and so on. Any short shoots
near the base which spring out, or any that make their termi-
nal buds under four inches in length, must not be touched,
as they are becoming fruitful of themselves from being near
the leaders, which shows how natural this system is. Pinch
so as to leave as much of wood above the last bud left as you
7. FORMATION OF FRUITFUL SPURS ON THE PEAR. COMMENCEMENT.
can, because this exhausts the sap, in drying it up, and the
buds below have a greater chance of being left dormant, that
is, not "stimulated to elongate," as Lindley says. The
young shoots must not be allowed to grow till they are, say,
ten inches long, instead of six inches. If they have been
thus unwisely neglected, then it is too late to pinch in. If
you did, some of the buds at the end would break out into
short laterals, just what is undesirable. If, however, they
have reached to ten or twelve inches unperceivcd, then bend
SPURS ON THE PEAR. ♦ 53
tliem backwards, and twist them into a knot. This checks
further growth, and they can be cut back in the winter. If
they are very vigorous shoots, from the tree being of a pow-
erfully growing kind, or from the shoots themselves being in
a vertical (a most dangerous) position, then the evil is much
greater.
You must partially break them through, about half way,
and in addition pinch off the ends of the rampant shoots, and
let them hang thus, and shrivel up, till the winter pruning ;
and even then, probably, a season will be lost before fruit ap-
». FORMATION OF FRUITFUL SPURS ON THE PEAR. COMPLETION.
pears at that spot. In the case of Diagonal Cordon training
against walls, all forerights must also be preserved. The
leader will soon reach eight or ten feet, and can, in the win-
ter pruning, be lowered to 45 degrees, there to remain in fu-
ture. As in peaches, a strong lateral shoot having been
reserved to form the second leader, which is also, of course,
twelve inches distant, it will be shortened-in a little, and so
ready to be bent upwards as the second leader next summer.
In fact, the principles for forming a Diagonal Cordon, with
triple leaders, are similar to those in the peach, with the
marked exception of the treatment of the spurs. In the win-
ter pruning of these spurs, and the two shoots on each, which
54 CORDON TRAINING.
having been several times pinched in, look like fig. 7, they
must now be broken, not cut at four inches. The original
spurs add an inch or so to the total length, but it will always
be easy to keep the shoots and spurs under six inches. Some
of the shoots may have less than the three buds shown, which
is of no consequence, for one fruitful bud is enough on each
shoot. At the completion of the pruning (see fig. 8), when
in winter, the ends are finally to be cut off, — not broken now,
as in FIG. 7, where the object is different. When the ends
are finally cut off, as seen, then nothing remains to be done,
for the buds will have that appearance of protuberance and
roundness that they can no longer be mistaken. They are to
remain, therefore, on the shoots, one, two, or tlu-ee, but never
more.
The three leaders will shortly be completed, and the wall
look remarkably well. An immense saving of time is gained
in this way. There are other irregular forms to be met witli
ambng the spurs, but they cannot be entered into in so brief
a work as this is. I will therefore only add, that as soon as
a pear has been produced on a shoot, cut oif the pulpy part
to which it held ; but only cut off the extremity, otherwise
the latent buds, for other seasons, will be destroyed.
CHAP. XIII.
HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL, AND SPIRAL CORDONS IN PEAR TREES.
In all of these, the spurs are managed exactly as before
described. The Vertical Cordon may have the shape de-
scribed in the Miniature Fruit Garden, page 17 ; i. e. it may
have five leaders trained upwards. Trees on this mode bear
very well. It is recommended by Mr. Rivers. The distances
and spurs may be as described in the Diagonal Cordon. A
great variety of fruits is obtainable in this way, — no small
advantag-e.
PRUNING OP PEAR TREES. 55
Spiral Cordons are treated in the same way as to spurs and
distances. Three trees together may thus be grown (each on
a single Cordon), if so wished, because the length of the
spiral neutralizes the otherwise too great growth. Or one
tree with three leaders may be trained thus. Most handsome
and prolific trees they will be, and very amusing to watcli.
They are also very suitable for small gardens, as standards.
Indeed, there is no better form in this case.
Standard pear trees require some peculiar variations in
their treatment. The shoots which are nearest to the main
stem, and on the branches, will be generally weak, and should
not be interfered with, as they are almost sure to become
fruitful in time. The next on the branch, higher vj), if under
four inches in length, should also not be interfered witli ; but
those on the highest portions of the branches will always
grow freely, because the sap flows thither vigorously.
Tliat mode, which is the same in principle, of bending the
branches towards each other, is also a good way of checking
a vigorous tree ; but with a weak-growing tree it is useless.
Moreover, the ends of the branches thus bent should be let
loose in time, or they will dry up, and the vertical spurs must
be closely watched.
Horizontal, or fan-shaped pear trees, are trained on these
same principles. The lowest stage of branches must not be
lowered too soon, as before said.
These must be pinched to four buds, and the further
growths each to one bud more. In the winter they must be
broken at three buds. The very strong shoots should be only
partially broken through, instead of pinching them off, and
broken otf quite at the winter pruning. The horizontal
shoots are more fruit-bearing than the vertical. These last
are annoying, and grow fast ; of course there are no spurs
with two shoots on them, as in wall cordons, but each spur is
a single one.
The maximum of inclination of any brancli from the main
stem is seventy degrees. As the tree grows, shorten the lead-
ers each winter, and the leading side branches by one-third,
56 CORDON TRAINING.
then by one-fourtli, and finally, by one-sixth of their length ;
so that the tree should grow in a pyramidal form, and the
lower stages be always longer than those above them. This
golden rule is too often neglected ; but the tree should not
be allowed to become pillar-like by letting the leaders be too
long, or by dwarfing the lowest stage of branches.
The following brief notes on training Pyramid standards
were made by me at Angers: —
1st year of planting. Plant in November, and trim oif
one-quarter of the side branches only.
2d year of planting, 1st of training. Leave twelve inches
of stem ; select six buds for branches and one for a leader.
Cut the branches close in to the stem, but not too near. The
tree now looks like a walking-stick.
3d year of plantation, 2d of training. The first stage of
six branches will develop itself, and allowing an interval of
twelve inches, six more buds for the second stage of branches
must be chosen, and one to continue the leader. Incise semi-
circularly over the three lowest eyes to check the sap, and
develop them. Pinch in, and break in winter the laterals on
the first or lowest stage of branches, now pretty long ; keep
them much longer than the second stage.
4th year of plantation, 3d of training. Allow twelve
inches more of interval for a third stage. The 2d stage will
now progress ; continue the leader vigorously upwards.
Pinch laterals on the 1st and 2d stage to four buds, and
break in winter to three buds. One half of the new wood
on lowest stage must now be cut off.
5th year of plantation, 4th of training. Another interval;
another stage. One-sixth only of the new wood on lowest
stage should now be cut off. Regulate the upper stages from
this one, and, tapering upwards, ascend to thirty feet by six
feet at the base. Manure no deeper than tln-ee inches, — i. e.
old litter lightly forked in, — and do not disturb the upper
soil more than is needed for weeding, <fec. Mulch in July,
after the ground has become heated, but never before. Graft
pears in August.
THE TREATMENT OF INSECTS. 57
As to apples, the treatment is similar to that recommended
for pears. Bushes are the best form, with branches connected
with their neighbt^rs. These bushes should be at intervals of
four feet.
CHAP. XIV.
REMARKS ON TREES IN POTS.
The Cordon system, in its various forms, is admirably adapt-
ed for potted trees.* My own trees in pots have succeeded
admirably, and there really seems no other way of treating
them. The only real difficulty I have ever experienced in
Orchard-house culture, has been to keep away the red spider.f
Tlie green aphis, when neglected in the spring, has sometimes
destroyed the fruit of whole trees, with the ends of the young
shoots. But as this did not form a part of the Cordon system
it produced confusion in every part. But there is a remedy.
The green fly is easily destroyed by mixing two ounces of
tobacco in a quart of boiling water, and when cool, gently
brushing the leaves upvmrds with a soft brush dipped in the
infusion. The blue aphis on the plum, and the dreadful
black on the cherry, are to be similarly welcomed. The
brown aphis feeds on the young shoots of peaches in early
* See pages 54, 55, and 56, Orchard-House ; by Mr. Kivers.
[t We are a little surprised at this confession of Mr. Erehaut. That the red
spider is a pest to the cultivator, we must frankly admit; and in ignorant hands
difficult to eradicate. But after all, it is no great terror to a skilful man. It is
quite as easily got rid of as the graen fly, and of the two insects the latter, on
some plants, is the most troublesome. One single fumigation with sulphur, care-
fully done, will destroy every red spider, or a dose of whale oil soap will effect-
ually clean the plants. The proportions of the soap mixture are one pound of
soap to six gallons of water, using hot water to dissolve the soap, and diluting with
cool water. The sulphur should be fumed on a warm flue, not burned, and six
pounds may be used in this way, in an ordinary-sized house, without any injury
to the plants. As to destroying the red spider by syringing with water, there is
no such thing ; it will keep them in check, but nothing more. We have known
many gardeners to insist upon this, but we never saw them accomplish any-
thing.— C. 31. H.]
58 CORDON TRAINING.
winter, and must be dealt with in like manner. But all
these fade into insignificance when compared to the pest of
the house, the red spii'er, This dangerous foe requires early
attention, A small magnifying glass will discover it, like a
grain of red sand, slowly walking over the under side of the
leaves. But, after a little sad practice, one glance at the yel-
low spots on the upper surface of the leaf is enough. This
disaster arises generally from confined and heated air, and
insufficient syringing. Indeed I found that near the ventila-
tors,— I mean those at the top, where the air is rarified by its
ascent, — and at tlie very lowest parts of the stems, wliere it
was difficvdt to apply the syringe, and behind even a slight
pillar, three inclies in thickness, which screened a few leaves
from the sliower of water, — in these three places alone, did
the red spider first come, and was so rigidily syringed down
that he made little further progress. But the Gishurst com-
pound is an excellent cure, and not dear to purchase, say two
ounces per gallon of rain loater. Syringe the afflicted parts
well ; or, I should say, vnder them, because it is often by
syringing above the leaves in a graceful manner that the only
efficient way of watering the under portions, luhere the insects
are, is neglected. With these precautions, and avoiding this
sprinkling when the sun is on the leaves, (so as not to burn
them into holes,) the amateur may be at peace.
I always followed Mr. Rivers's directions in planting pretty
closely, and wish now to add, that it is of much importance
to pot early, even just as the leaves are falling, because the
trees are less checked. In October and November, then, let
the bush or pyramid trees, &c., be potted very firmly with
plenty of drainage and calcareous matter, good loam and
very old manure. The whole should be firmly beaten into
the pots, and some loose manure suffered to lie on the sur-
face. Then give a good watering or two, and let them rest
without water, unless the roots shrivel during the winter
months. The orcliard-house is then supposed to be gay with
chrysanthemums for which it is extremely well adapted.
Hange the trees neatly side by side at the lower end of the
APPROACH OF SPRING. 59
house, and by elevating a row or two of the flowers, they may
hardly be seen. Ventilate in fine weather, but shut up iu
frosty and windy days. As to the trees which have borne
during the past year, the amateur will know how to man-
age them ; that is, the roots which have penetrated through
the five holes — the best number — at the bottom of each pot,
must be cut off, and five or six inches deep of the old soil
being neatly picked out of the pots, to about four inches
of tlie edges, fresh good loam and manure must be added.
By no means let the trees be taken out of the pots, as ig-
norant gardeners will be sure to advise. Soak once or twice
with water, and place the trees with the others to rest. In
cold localities the house must be well shut up when the
weather is severe ; and should the temperature sink below
zero, then some dry hay among the pots or round them, and
over their surfaces, will be very useful.
As February comes, place the trees three feet apart from
stem to stem in their places. A house of thirty feet will hold
at least thirty fine trees. I have many more, but these are
pyramidal or slender Cordons, and take far less room than
the bush trees. Therefore the amateur must be guided by
circumstances, as he can always remove superfluous trees in
July out of doors to make room for the rest.* Some of the
fruit-bearing bushes may also be placed close to a warm wall,
between the wall trees, to ripen their fruits, which they will
do a week or two later than if kept in-doors. I found the
[* In our warmer climate, and brilliant sun, the trees may be removed to the
open air the 10th of June, where peaches more particularly will only acquire any
flavor. A peach grown in an orchard-house, unless the sashes are wholly re-
moved in June, is worthless, only to look at ; flavor it has little or none. Per-
haps plums and nectarines had better remain in until all danger of the curculio
is over, when they should be exposed to the open air, choosing, as Mr. Brehaut
advises, a sheltered place where the wind will not shake the trees or bruise the
fruit. Every tree left in the house is done at the sacrifice of quality, though the
beauty and size of the fruit may be enhanced. In September, when high winds
often occur, it may be well to remove pears back to the house to prevent the loss
of the fruit.
Though most American cultivators know the character of the climate of Great
Britain, it may be well to remind them of the great difl'erence, by a brief state-
ment of the temperature of July, as compared with our own. The data are
60 CORDON TEAINING.
fruit smaller in size, but generally finer in color. By March
all pruning must be over as before directed, and watering,
except in severe frosts, begin. Ventilate in mild or sunny
weather, but let the house be closed up in windy weather, or
at night. Changes of temperature or high winds are now
fatal to the blossoms, and the trees look most beautiful. A
handsome orchard-house of great length will look extremely
like a well-filled conservatory at this period ; the various-col-
ored blossoms making a gay and cheerful appearance, all the
more precious because of the coldness of the out-door weather.
But on sunny days, with the ventilation then needed, the air
will soon be heated by some 10 degrees, and be refreshing to
the invalid, resembling that of a southern climate.
Having spent many winters in the south, I can answer for
the resemblance in the dry and fragrant temperature ; per-
haps the less we talk about the latter quality in the south the
better, except among the orange and lemon trees. I can im-
agine nothing more refreshing than for a studious man to
have a long walk like this opening out of his study. Every
time he raises his eyes he is delighted with the lovely view,
and when, unable to resist the temptation, he arises and
strolls through his young trees, all so familiar to him, how
can he refrain from being thankful for such precious gifts !
A house 100 feet long will furnish him, in its two paths and
extremities, with 250 feet of space for exercise, unexposed to
the weather, and from which he cannot but return to his
labors much strengthened and revived. These young trees
are highly suggestive. In tlieir growth, in their production,
in their rest, and in their decay, they are all potent images of
our own harassing career, and of its final close.
taken from a table kept at the London Horticultural Society's Garden at Cliis-
wick : —
The night temperature varies from 36° to 52°, and the day temperature from
66° to 80", rarely more than 72°.
In our climate the night temperature varies from 50° to 75°, and the day tem-
perature from 70° to 100°.
In fact many of the nights of July are as cool as with us in April, when a fire
is required in our early graperies. — c. M. H.]
"first swell." 61
"When the young trees are in bloom they require much
care — they should be well watered,* or the fruit will not set,
and a gentle shaking will tend to facilitate this important op-
eration. A rather high and constant temperature is also now
very necessary. When, about the end of April, the fruit be-
gins to "make its first swell," (as gardeners say), begin to
syringe but gently, and under the leaves only, and do not
neglect to water the trees, especially in warm weather. Yen-
tilation is now of great importance, and, in May, all these
cares are doubly needed. Worsted netting will diminish
drauglits, and keep out sooty particles, so that orchard-houses,
by this simple precaution, succeed admirably in large towns.
The summer pinching-in of tlie young slioots on the spurs
will now have fairly commenced, and the amateur be in full
career, as this is an important period.
Syringing early, say before 8 o'clock, — and late, after 6
o'clock in the evening, when there is little sun to hurt, —
must now be carefully attended to, under penalty of insects'
tyranny. Trees three years old require two or three quarts
of water at a time, and I find it far better (as indeed it is in
the case with flowers), to soak them occasionallij than to
sprinkle the surface daily. Trees seven or eight years old
require one gallon of water at a time, — thus a good garden
engine is very useful and saves time. Trees in the borders
of course require less water, but they should be soaked when
it is done.
By the time June comes, the fruit will be getting large,
and syringing be required vigorously. There is now no dan-
ger of shaking down the young fruits. Some plums can be
put out of doors, and some apricots also, but not unless so
needed from want of room. Every care must be given to
ventilate the house bij night and by day, or the worst conse-
quences will follow. The potted trees should be lifted up
once this month, and once in July, to check the luxuriance
of the roots getting into the borders. Plenty of watering and
syringing in July, and fresh compost placed on the surface of
* No syringing is here meant.
62 CORDON TRAINING.
the pots, to be washed in by the daily waterings. July or
August is the best time for removing trees for fruiting in the
open air, as the season is most propitious for them ; and after
having been prepared by the two previous breakings-off of the
roots, (when lifted, as before directed), they suffer no check,
and the fruit is of a suitable size for being completely ripened.
Some trees can be placed near a west wall to retard them by
a fortnight, so as to have a succession of fruits. When the
windy autumn comes, care must be taken not to let the ripe
fruits be shaken off by gusts of wind. Ventilators to leeward
are then invaluable. When October and November return,
the potting of new trees (to increase the stock or as a re-
serve), and the renewing of the top soil of the older trees,
takes place. This is a busy time, and should be carefully at-
tended to. Unless watched, servants will not take sufficient
care, either in syringing, ventilation, or potting, the three
most important duties of the orchard-house.
This is, in fact, the only real drawback to the success of
the matter. No one can fail if he attend to these particulars,
but wherever you read of failures it is caused by some preju-
diced domestic or inattentive master. I find 13-inch pots the
most useful size ; but trees, in 18-inch pots, are extremely
enticing to cultivate. Of course the rows nearest to the low-
er portions of the house must be bush trees, with open cen-
tres ; then should come handsome spiral Cordons of all kinds,
and, in the higher rows, pyramidal apricots or peaches; and,
if a lean-to. Diagonal Cordons on the wall.
Trees in pots bear very well ; the branches should not be
pinched back too abruptly, but allowed to elongate much
farther than they will ultimately be cut down to in the win-
ter. If the ends are too closely pinched in, then the lateral
shoots will grow too fast ; and if these too be also shortened,
the tree may be unduly dwarfed. Neither, on the other
hand, should a rank luxuriant growth be encouraged, by
allowing too great length in fast-growing sorts, or by stimu-
lating the roots by excess of water, and too large supplies of
manure, because these trees will not readily bear under these
HOW TO SUPPLY BLANK SPACES IN CORDONS. 63
conditions, and if once they get into the habit of thns extend-
ing, it is surprising how ditlticult it is to keep them under in
pots.
But witli ordinary skill, and the attention required to the
common things of life, there need be no apprehension enter-
tained of failure in pot ciiltivation of fruit trees. There is an
annual crop of feeding roots from above, and one from be-
low, and if unpruned, these last would descend into the bor-
der, and thence draw too potent nourishment. Lifting the
trees in June and in July prevents all this. If the trees be
in borders, then annual removal (which is less severe, what-
ever may be said, than biennial,) has the same effect. The
roots are kept compact, and a healthy development of spongi-
oles induced close to the root stem.
criAP. XV.
HOW TO SUPPLY BLANK SPACES IN CORDONS.
It will occasionally happen that, in spite of every care,
blank spaces will appear on the leaders of the various kinds of
Cordons. These occasion the only disfigurement possible in
the whole system, unless in the case of severe blight out of
doors, which calamity is common to all kinds of training,
and, therefore, requires a remedy, which is, fortunately, sim-
ple and efficacious. Wherever, then, a whole spur has died
off, or been destroyed by accident, one of the shoots of the
spur immediately below this spot should be allowed to grow
to twelve or fifteen inches in length. It will do so by mid-
summer, or at least by the beginning of August, during
which period is the proper time for applying it to fill up the
vacant space.
It is done thus. See that this shoot fit flatly and neatly to
the spot on which it is desirable it should ultimately grow,
64 CORDON TRAINING.
and having marked lightly the boundaries of the proposed ex-
cisions and incisions, which are to be If inches in length,
both on the shoot and on tlie leader : the succeeding process
resembles budding roses. For a cut la inches long being
made lengthwise through the bark of the leader, two more
transverse cuts are next made through the bark, one at either
end of the first cut. Take care not to cut too deeply, and do
not lacerate any part, or the place where the descending
fibres of the new roots are to be will be ruined. Carefully
then lift up the bark and make it thus ready, as in budding
roses, to receive the new shoot under tlie bark. This shoot,
having been marked where it is to meet the opened bark,
must be now operated upon. A slice is to be scooped out of
it, cleanly and neatly, If inches long, and the shoot must
then be neatly slipped into the orifice, and \inder the bark of
the leader.
I must not omit liere to state that a bud must have been
managed to be left in the side of this shoot, which is just op-
posite to the sliced-out part, so that when it has been slipped
into its place under the bark, this bud shall appear protrud-
ing, exactly as in budding roses. Proceed then with white
worsted to bind carefully round all the parts operated on,
leaving' out the bud, and bind the shoot into the leader. By
this means you will exclude all the air. If neatly done it will
surely succeed. All which I did last year succeeded, and
were so firmly united tliat they bore fruit, but did not ripen it.
In the ensuing spring, the ligatures being removed, the
shoot will be found united, inarched in fact, into the leader.
Then divide the shoot, just behind and under where it is
growing into the leader, leaving it there as a new spur, while
the remaining portion, still attached to the lower spur, is bent
back to its former position, and cut back to two buds, as re-
quired. Thus there is a new spur gained, without loss to
that from which it was supplied. In this way all blank spaces
• are readily filled up. Should, however, any one be desirous
of budding to fill up this blank, then let a triple bud be
selected; but it is, at best, a hazardous experiment, except
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 65
on very young wood, while tlic plan recommended is far safer
and quite as easily executed. This method is much in use
in France, and called there " greffe par approche herbac<^e."
A neat illustration can be seen in M. Dubreuil's work, at
page 7, ed. 1857.
CHAP. XVI.
OBJECTIONS TO CORDON TRAINING ANSWERED.
The first objection to Cordon training seems to be its ap-
parently artificial form, by which the tree, being closely
spurred in during the summer, is more rapidly exhausted
and its duration diminished. You hear people after passing
by the Cordon trees with "faint praise grudgingly given,"
even to visible results, come at last to some other specimen,
trained on obsolete systems, and exclaim, " Ah ! this looks
like a tree." A sigh of relief at their torture being now
over, proves the sincerity of their present words. How often
has it been my fate to hear such observations, not from prej-
udiced and ignorant men, but from otherwise well-informed
people. I really think that in this, as in many other cases
by the bye, that the fairer half of the creation has shown a
higher discernment. It is truly astonishing how soon intel-
ligent ladies will surpass us in horticultural pursuits ; and,
no doubt, the day is at hand when the soi-disant lords of the
creation will surrender the management of their orchard-
houses to the more enterprising management, certainly to the
more patient investigation of causes and results — of their
help-mates. They at least have generally taken on trust
what they did not immediately apprehend ; and at the end of
the seaso!*! been able to rejoice in their decision.
But in the case immediately referred to, all experience, as
yet, proves that no exhaustion of the trees, nor shortening of
their lives, takes place. And if it did, the remedy is so obvi-
5
66 CORDON TRAINING.
ous and so cheap as to make this objection futile ; for as long
as half-a-dozen trees in pots can supply a reserve, nothing
further need in reality be urged. Still it must be added,
that if excessive production be the cause of the destruction
of the trees after a certain number of years, then this is by
no means an unpleasant occurrence, for the fact is, that they
at present bear very little in proportion to the time and labor
devoted to them. But how long it will take to exhaust the
trees is not confidently stated by any one ; and for this excel-
lent reason, that no trees have as yet been exhausted after
fifteen years' trial, nor are any cases likely to occur for a
longer time.
When we consider the "fast habits" of the present day, it
would seem strange if trees did not partake of the general
rapidity of circulation; and no doubt a "fast nectarine" has
good cause to look back at its "slow but not sure" rivals toil-
ing painfully up the walls.
In the case, too, of horizontal Cordons and standard pear
trees this objection does not apply, for these are the slowest
portions of the system, and by no means the most productive.
Put the next objection is of a widely different character.
Now it is argued that the sap of the tree, far from exhausting
the whole, will, by being kept within undue bounds, act with
such vigor on the shoots, that they must become elongated
or wood shoots, and bear no fruit, especially in our moist
climates.
To this it is answered, that in the dry atmosphere of the
orchard-house no such result need be apprehended ; while in
the case of trees in the open ground against walls, the growth
of the leaders depends mainly on the powers of the roots, and
these are greatly checked in their lateral expansion by the
nearness of their neighbors. At the most, thirty-six inches
is but a limited space for roots of trees to expand laterally.
Again, root pruning, or annual lifting, is quite as easy of ap-
plication to any cordon tree as it is to other trees; nay, easier,
for many reasons.
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 67
Besides, any gardener knows, that by allowing a foot or
two of the leaders to grow beyond the wall, and thus exhaust
the superabundant sap by gradually bending these down-
wards, and shortening them in the autumn, these things
greatly tend to keep the balance of growth preserved. The
borders of any trees should be well drained ; the trees should
not be stimulated with too rich materials, and any protection
to ward off the heavy autumnal rains by a broad coping
(such as the old monks always had on their walls) at the sum-
mit, and some planks sloping over the border, — these last be-
ing also of a good slope. With such precautions, indispensa-
ble under any system whatever, there is no ground for such
fears.
It is also for this reason chiefly, that triple Cordons are
recommended by me, having tried the single ones previously.
These last succeed well in France ; and if any one will reflect
that a Diagonal Cordon tree, with three leaders, will, on a
fair wall, cover about sixty square feet, why should it be less
likely to bear than another tree nine feet in extension by
seven in height, which contains sixty-three square feet only ?
In the latter case everyone knows that a tree of this kind
can, and will produce some five dozen peaches yearly ; but in
the case of my own Diagonal Cordons (under glass, it is
true), they produced at the rate of 150 or more peaches on
the same space. As to pear trees on this plan, I am con-
vinced that they will succeed admirably, all conditions for
success being duly observed. I have none whatever under
glass, because the climate of Guernsey, where I reside, does
not require this ; but neither does it in any part of England,
except far north. Out of doors I have this year some fine
specimens of fruit, although many of my pear trees are much
younger than the peach trees.
68 CORDON TRAINING.
CHAP. XVII.
REMARKS ON THE DIMENSIONS, ETC., SUITABLE FOR ORCHARD-
HOUSES.
Although a number of tliese interesting structures are now
in full work, and are becoming more known daily, as may be
seen from the number of inquiries made respecting my own,
and those of others, perhaps a few remarks on their dimen-
sions and form may not be out of place. A lean-to orchard-
house, thirty feet long, should be thirteen feet wide. If the
back wall be twelve feet high, that is ample ; and the front
should be about four or five feet high, but not more. Shutters
from twelve to fifteen inches in width all along the front,
which is conveniently made of half-inch boards, and about
half of the same quantity of ventilation at the back, are
required. Glass ventilators, swinging on pivots, instead of
wooden ones, are more expensive, but where this is of no
consequence, much preferable. Such a house need not cost
thirty pounds.
A lean-to house, 100 feet long or more, with walls fifteen
feet high, and eighteen or twenty feet wide, would be mag-
nificent, and have a double walk — one near the wall trees,
and one near the front row. In the smaller lean-to, which is
only thirteen feet wide, one walk only is permissible, and that
may be where you please ; but near the wall trees is best, as
it gives more head-room, and enables you to attend to the
wall trees better. To do this, a small ladder six feet high,
and exactly twelve inches in breadth, (in order to slip between
the spurs,) is requisite.
A small span-roofed house should be fourteen feet wide,
five feet high at the sides, and nine feet high to the ridge.
One centre walk leads between two rows of potted trees on
either hand, the smaller trees, of course, nearest to tlie sides.
A house thirty feet by fourteen costs about thirty pounds.
Larger houses are twenty feet wide, sides about five feet high,
height to the ridge about ten feet; the paths, two in number,
DIMENSIONS OP HOUSES. 69
must be two and a half feet wide. The trees are placed on
raised beds, bricked in : these beds, at the sides, should be
four feet wide and fifteen inches high ; but in the central bed,
(there are three beds in all,) somewhat higher and one-third
broader. Here can be grown fine pyramidal apricots and
plums ; pears of choice kinds, and cherries, <fec.
One of Mr. Rivers's last and best is 100 feet long by 24,
and twelve feet high in the centre by five and a quarter feet
at the sides. It is glazed at either end, and the roof is sup-
ported by seven light iron pillars, the rafters being light.
There is a central border, and two paths, but none of the
borders are raised, which I prefer.
These large houses should stand endwise N. B. and S. W. ;
for if placed N. W. and S. E. some parts are in shade. Nothing
can well be finer than these large span-roofed houses ; they
are most ornamental and productive.*
CHAP. XYIII.
NAMES OF SOME VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR IN-DOOR AND
OUT-DOOR CULTURE.
In the orchard-house, the Red Masculine (Abricot precoce)
is a small round-shaped apricot, pale, and musky in flavor.
It ripens about the beginning of July, or even earlier in hot
seasons. The Large Early (Gros precoce d'Esperen) follows
it. It is larger, but not richer in flavor. I have some new
varieties from Lombardy, one in particular, large and very
early, is far superior to either of these. Then comes the
[* These are very suitable dimensions for orchard-houses. In our climate, we
should, as a rule, recommend span-roofs, as they are more easily ventilated,
and are not so hot as lean-to houses. As we have so much more sunlight than
they have in Great Britain, a position running anywhere between north and
south and east and west will do, according to the convenience or position of the
garden or grounds. — c. m. h.]
70 ' CORDON TRAINING.
valuable Kaislia, the Syrian importation, which is a most
valuable variety — small, but well flavored — sugary, and it is
also prolific. Then the Moorpark, a week later, takes you
into the middle of August. The Apricot peach closes the
list of really useful sorts, though you may add many more,
as Beaug^, a capital late variety of the Apricot peach ; and
if an early sort be required, there are the Musch or the Viard
to choose between.
Peaches for the Orchard-house. — Here the variety is large,
but in reality only a certain number need be cultivated.
In countries where the peach bears tolerably out of doors,
then the very early and the very late sorts should be selected,
although, as was truly said to me the other day, " If you
have magnificent Royal George peaches out of doors, you may
have the same sort a fortnight earlier in the house, and so the
whole crop will not ripen at one time."
Now, this is a real advantage, as every peach-grower knows,
for I have literally found them fall by scores from my trees
during the night, and been obliged to let them perish, they
were so bruised and so common. Nets, in this case, should
be spread 18 inches above the ground to catch them.
But this is ridiculous cultivation, and similar to that in
the west of Canada, where, in the peach orchards, the pigs
devour the greater part of the fruit beneath the standard
trees. So, our object should rather be— " not so much, but
better."
In the orchard-house, then, the first fruit is the Eed Nut-
meg, (Avant Peche rouge,) which is a singularly small peach,
ripe in July. Then the Early York, an American novelty, is
highly spoken of — Mr. Rivers considers it excellent. Then
the Acton Scott, an intermarriage between Noblesse and Red
Nutmeg. Such are the absurd names given to these fruits.
But Acton Scott is useful for early exhibitions ; and though
a pale, medium-sized peach, will probably yet hold its ground.
The Petite Mignonne comes next, a capital varietj, and to
connoisseurs, the best early peach. It is rare, however, and
is succeeded by the Old Grosse Mignonne, which every one
PEACHES RECOMMENDED. 71
speaks so much of ; but I cannot say much for it, as it is
every one's duty to speak the truth ; and then the mid-season
peaches. Noblesse is a well-known kind to the visitors of
Covent Garden. Choose the Sulhampstead variety of this,
it being by far the best, and the hardiest for the open wall,
and also forces well. Then the Reine des Vergers, a very
good peach (mine ripened early in August this year) ; then
Royal George and Red Magdalen — two old friends found in
every old garden.
After these come the Malta, that excellent peach. Noisette.
no mean judge calls it " his favorite ; " and mine this year,
even the smallest, were nine inches in circumference. Be-
sides, the Malta peach will hang on the tree without falling,
an excellent quality in any fruit. It will also be the best to
send to your friends at a distance, because it bears carriage
the best of any.
Then you may have the Chancellor peach ; Rivers and
Leroy of Angers call it " excellent," though MacEwen calls
it " ugly." It is a long, almond-shaped peach — rather bitter,
but otherwise curious, and good. Mine this year were very
fine. Then Barrington ; then Bourdine, all September
peaches, but in the orchard-house rather earlier ; then Wal-
burton Admirable, that noble kind, and Desse Tardive — a
most beautiful, yellow-colored, large variety. . I have Belle-
garde, (Noire de Montreuil,) which the French rave about.
It is excellent, but not first-rate under glass, nor Belle Bauce.
Belle de Vitry ripened in September. It is a staple of the
Montreuil gardens for the Paris market with Bellegarde, —
and I prefer it, — but the tree is very vigorous, and may ex-
ceed your powers to keep it under. Mr. Rivers does not
notice it in his catalogue, and you can do without it. Then
there are the Pavie or clingstone peaches ; of which I can
only say, that they who make trial of them will discover
something worth their labor. My own this year are very
fine ; but I cannot retard them as I hoped. Pavie de Ton-
neux, " fruit magnifiqae," (as Leroy says,) ripens a montli
earlier than was desirable ; but is a noble peach.
72 CORDON TRAINING.
Many others the amateur will see in catalogues, and will,
in time, choose for himself. For the present, I content my-
self with stating what I have found very good. I must not
omit, however, Pourpree Hative. If you can get it true it
is of a most vinous flavor, and Admirable Jaune, a capital
peach — yellow — -and common at Angers in September. I
have three trees of this kind, one full of fruit, but not yet
gathered. Also Monstrueuse de Doue was very fine indeed
from the wall. Tardive d'Bspagne, a late pointed peach, is
as yet far from ripe, and I have great hopes it will not ripen
till late in October. All my desires have been to prolong the
peach season. I found the orchard-house hastens them too
much, and a late peach, truly good, is yet a variety to be
desired everywhere. One that should be ripe in November,
say by the fifth, and yet require no sugar to eat with it, has
not yet been found.*
Nectarines for the Orchard-house. — Here I enter into the
best part of the subject, according to my own ideas, — a ripe
nectarine being, as I think, the finest of all fruits, and far
superior to a peach. As to growing nectarines in the open
air, it is simply ridiculous, and only answers in extraordinary
reasons. In the house, Fairchild's Early is a small but early
variety ; then Hunt's Tawny, a distinct, yellow nectarine, of
not too much flavor, but excellent nevertheless. Then follows
rapidly in August, Elruge, (^Q^il-roiige?) a very old sort, as
<3ld as Charles II. 's time. It is most useful for exhibiting,
as any list proves, and capital for forcing ; but only of
^nedium size.
yiolette Hative is a very superior variety, excellent for ex-
hibitiony only medium size, but prolific and good. Pitmaston
too is well known. These three are first-rate. Hardwick
[* The American cultivator need not be guided by Mr. Brehaut's advice in the
selection of varieties, as our American sorts are, with a few exceptions, better
than the English and Trench peaches. The Early York has proved with
Mr. Rivers one of the best, and such sorts as Early and Late Crawford, Bergen's
Yellow, George IV., Coolidge's Favorite, White Ball, and many others, are not
,only magnificent in size and appearance, but appear better adapted to pot culture
thm roanj of the old English and French peaches.— c. m. h.]
NECTARINES, PLUMS, AND PEARS RECOMMENDED. 73
Seedling, hardy, firm flesh, a great favorite of mine ; then
the Murrey, medium size, immense stone, very racy flavor ;
the Due du Telliers, a large prolific kind, very good indeed.
The Downton, large and showy, but not so aromatic as the
Murrey. The Late Melting, a good late sort for exhibitors.
The White is also earlier than some of these, and the New-
ington race are all good. The Red Roman is immense, but
difficult to soften, and the Stanwick is the best of all. It,
however, cracks very much ; nevertheless it is very sweet,
and the kernel has really no bitter taste, as reported. Mine
this year are very fine and numerous, and I think with care
they might be grown without fire heat ; otherwise this is the
chief of nectarines in every way. It is of Syrian extraction ;
and comes, I think, from our consul there.
Plums for the Orchard-house. — The Early Favorite (Rivers)
ripens the earliest, about the middle of July. Then the St.
Etienne about the beginning of August — a sweet yellow plum.
Then Denniston's Superb, darker in color, very prolific, and
very good. Then the Green Gage for the end of August;
the delicious American Jefferson ; the Reine Claude de Bavay,
a splendid plum ; Coe's Golden Drop, first-rate for pots ; the
old Quetsche ; the Late Orleans, and Huling's Superb. All
these are very good for pot culture, and can be depended on.
Pears for the Orchard-house. — In this case each person
must select according to his individual taste. Some kinds
are really better, as the Brown Beurre, the Josephine de
Malines, the Beurr^ Clairgeau, the Bergamotte d'Esperen,
the Winter Nelis, the Louise Bonne, and the Van Mons L^on
Leclerc. All these are decidedly good pears. The Winter
Nelis and Josephine are the best^ according to Mr. Rivers.*
The summer pears hardly require protection ; but if in cold
localities far north it is wished to have one or two in-doors,
then choose the Doyam e u'Ete and the Jargonelle.
[* Again Mr. Brehaut's advice is of little value to American cultivators. To
cultivate Bergamotte d'Esperen and Jargonelle, or even Van Mons Leon le
Clerc and Josephine de Malines, would be to make a very poor selection, when
such pears as Marie Louise, Sheldon, Beurre Hardy, Glout Morceau, Brandy-
wine, and other equally fine sorts, are to be had. — c. m. h.]
74 CORDON TRAINING.
Apples. — The Newtown Pippin and Northern Spy are the
best, and others are readily discovered if required.
It must not be forgotten by the amateur, that at least one
half of the trees for his orchard-house should be purchased
in a bearing state, because by this plan he will have fruit at
once, and also have models of what his training the others
should be.
For out-door culture, the best peaches are Noblesse, Royal
George, Grosse Mignonne, Bellegarde, Red Magdalen ; and,
of late sorts, Bourdine and Chancellor. The jElruge, Violette
Hative, and Pitmaston orange are the best for out-door cul-
ture ; of the nectarines. Apricots. — The Moorpark in favor-
able localities, but it is a very shy bearer ; the Roman, the
Hermskirke, a nice large variety ; and the hardy Breda,
which comes in August, and can be recommended. Alberge
de Montgamet is small, early and hardy. The Royal apricot
is also a valuable kind.
CHAP. XIX.
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.
This last chapter shall be soon written. By this time,
doubtless, the amateur is more than satiated with peremptory
precepts. But they were unavoidable. The only alternative
was to introduce endless physiological discussions, which it
would not have been difficult to do, but which would not have
simplified anything. On the other hand, without a few gen-
eral principles on which sound training is best conducted,
every observation would necessarily have had to be taken on
trust. The consolation is, that this defect is common to all
books on fruit culture. " The explanations of horticultural
operations," says Lindley, " are simple, and free from ob-
scurity; provided they are not encumbered with speculations.
REPOSE OF PLANTS. 75
Chemical illustrations, unless of the simplest kind, or refer-
ences to the agency of electricity, have little obvious applica-
tion to practical purposes."
The object of a brief work like this, is not to elucidate the
laws of vegetable life in all their minute and, it must be freely
confessed, obscure details, but to narrate to those already
acquainted with the art of horticulture, some experiences,
with which they have not had the leisure to become familiar.
Certainly there were many most interesting natural phenom-
ena which were very tempting to enter into : respecting
temperature, for example, a vital point in these matters ; or
moisture of soils ; on the periods required by plants for rest,
which is a very important subject, and one which that acute
observer, Mr. Knight, has so well explained.
Certainly, few people appreciate the necessity of diurnal
repose for plants, as well as their long rest during the winter
months, and thus the pernicious custom of keeping up high
temperatures during the night in forcing houses is still too
much in favor. This vicious custom exhausts the trees, with-
out promoting their growth or aiding the ripening process,
and as it bears so directly on the subject treated of here, I
cannot refrain from quoting as follows : " As early in the
spring as I wanted the blossoms of my peach trees to unfold,
my house was made warm during the middle of the day ;
but, towards night, it was suffered to cool, and the trees well
syringed at as nearly the temperature of the natural exhala-
tions as I could."*
Under this treatment Mr. Knight's trees flourished, and
the blossoms were extremely large, this being a most im-
portant matter, as the size of the blossom much regulates the
size of the fruit.
[* Truly does Mr. Brehaut call it a " vicious " custom to maintain a high night
temperature. Nothing, we have long been convinced, is so injurious to any
plants or fruits cultivated under glass, as a high night temperature. The plants
must have repose ; and to be kept under constant excitement, night and day, is
sure to weaken and eventually ruin them. Except when the weather is very
unfavorable, ventilation should be freely given at night as well as during the
day. — c. M. H.J
76 CORDON TRAINING.
Then the subject of soils is quite endless. It, however,
deserves a volume to itself, it is so important.
For example, in sandy districts which are so very soon
heated, the sand seldom dries deeper than ten or twelve
inches, while sea-salt becomes damp at night. On the other
hand, clay heats very slowly, besides being too compact for
the spongioles to penetrate, and retaining water. It has,
therefore, every bad quality. Sand, however, dries up too
rapidly to be suitable by itself. A mean between these ex-
treme cases is, therefore, of general use, with the addition of
peat. These exercise separate and counteracting influences.
The loam consolidates ; the sand lightens ; and the peat
unites. This is, therefore, a perfect mixture. •
Nevertheless, that loam which has the most calcareous
matter is far the best, for calcareous earth enters largely into
the organization of plants. It also, according to Davy, de-
pends on the action of the lime and vegetable matter together.
Manures act, either by stimulating, by absorbing the moisture,
or by supplying food, i. e., carbon and nitrogen. Carbonic
acid, at least, forms an essential part of the substances of
plants. It is, however, proper to apply manure when the
plants are rapidly growing, and to those parts which can
absorb it, and not, as a great many do, at the stems of the
trees.
The fall of rain furnishes the observer with many most
interesting phenomena for remark, and thus horticulture
leads the inquirer into many paths he would otherwise never
have trod. Less rain will certainly fall on the top of the
house than falls on the surface of the ground. The average
of downpour of a day and night is one inch of water ; but
in the west of England it is one third more, and in the lake
districts double the quantity. It is also remarkable how a
high temperature with a southwest wind will absorb the
vapors, and cause a delicious temperature, most healthy for
men as well as for plants. But the climate of England is
certainly very moist, and every precaution must be taken to
carry away the superfluous waters from the borders.
VENTILATION. 77
Ventilation is an inexhaustible subject, and one of much
moment to the horticulturist. In the orchard-house, how-
ever, it is much simplified, though I see that Mr. Rivers
recommends fewer top ventilators than were of use at first,
and certainly cold currents of air, especially if charged with
excessive moisture, cannot be suitable to peach culture. Pre-
cautions must therefore be taken to guard against these, as
also against strong winds acting directly on the ripened fruit.
Ventilation is chiefly necessary to carry off noxious vapors,
and it is inconceivable how soon these are generated. A
minute quantity of sulphurous acid will cause every leaf in
the house to drop in a day. In forcing-houses ventilation
in the spring is rather injurious than beneficial. When the
air is charged with moisture it is more suitable for plants in
a growing state than when they are ready to rest. " The
skilful balancing of the temperature and moisture of the air,
and a just adaptation of them to the various seasons of growth,
constitutes tlie most complicated part of a gardener's art." —
Lindley^s Theory of Horticulture.
Enough, however, has been said on these subjects, and
perhaps by this time the reader is reduced to that condition
in which Horace, anxious to prepare for his supper party,
querulously tells his servant, " Persicos odi, puer, apparatus,"
which, as the botanical name of the peach is " Persica,"
may be thus rendered : " Gardener, I am sick of your peach
training."
The principal suggestions are — summer pinching reduced
to a method, and perfected in the winter pruning of peaches
on the alternate system ; and the placing the trees diagonally
at short intervals. I have not dwelt much on the obvious
advantage of being able in this way to occupy a valuable wall
with a succession of fruits, precious to the cultivator as this
must be, because it seemed to me that the being able to
shorten the period in which the wall space could be covered
with fruitful wood, completely overshadowed other considera-
tions, for in horticulture, as in other matters, the gain of a
year is of inestimable value.
78 COEDON TRAINING.
I only wish, therefore, to say that no apprehension need be
entertained of the shoots on the leaders becoming too long to
manage, (an apprehension, by-the-by, not without its cause,
for Mr. Rivers writes to me on this subject, that he finds these
very shoots " always fighting to get away from the tree,") but
by merely allowing a few leaves to grow beyond the long
bearing shoot, (as in the vine,) and by cutting it back to two
buds directly after bearing, the shoots can be kept compact,
fruitful, and close to the main stem.
In all these cases, the reader will readily have discerned
that my favorite is the Diagonal Cordon, but with the ex-
ception of the growth on the lower sides of this form being
weaker than those on the upper, the management of the spurs
and shoots is the same in all cases.
I have had much pleasure in writing this book, but at the
close I feel that others will profit by my hints, and that I
must exert myself if I wish to keep pace with them in the
friendly race.
SUPPLEMENT
TO
MR. BREHAUT'S
TREATISE ON FRUIT TREES
IN THE
ORCHARD-HOUSE AND OPEN AIR;
REMARKS ON THE CULTIVATION AND PRUNING OF THE PEACH
TREE, IN POTS;
ON CORDON TRAINING OF THE PEAR;
THE BEST VARIETIES OF FRUITS FOR POT CULTURE;
AND
GENERAL HINTS REGARDING ORCHARD-HOUSES ADAPTED TO THE
CLIMATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
BY C. M. HOVEY;
BDITOB OF THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE.
SUPPLEMENT.
INTRODUCTORY.
Orchard-houses, as will have been seen by the remarks of
Mr. Brehaut, as well as by the treatise of Mr. Rivers, and
other writers upon the subject, are, in fact, a real necessity
in the climate of Great Britain, where the peach can only
be successfully raised on walls or espaliers in sheltered gar-
dens, or in houses erected especially for that purpose ; and
where even the finer pears cannot be depended upon for an
annual crop, so variable and uncertain is the weather in the
spring of the year, often accompanied with severe late frosts,
which injure or destroy the blossoms ; and when they escape
these, the want of solar heat prevents the fruit from attain-
ing that perfection which it acquires in a warmer atmosphere,
and under clearer skies. Hence orchard-houses are a boon
to English cultivators, and it is not surprising that so much
interest has been taken in th& subject, or that such a large
number have been introduced into English gardens, since
they were first advocated by Mr. Rivers.
But in the climate of the United States the same causes do
not exist. Every fruit, unless we except the fig, fl.ourishes in
the open air, and ripens its crop in perfection even in our
more northern sections of the country ; the peach, it is tru.e,
is subject to injury from the great alternations of heat and
cold, during our long and severe winters, but even this is
only occasional, say two years out of five, while in the Mid-
dle and Southern States it is about as certain as the pear.
Orchard-house culture is, therefore, not a necessity with us,
6
82 CORDON TRAINING.
but rather a luxury — a delightful species of culture — employ-
ing the leisure hours of the amateur fruit grower, and sup-
plying the wealthy with superior fruit a little in advance of
the natural season.
Such being the case, we cannot expect to see orchard-houses
spring up as indispensable appendages to every garden, but
only introduced where fruit culture becomes a pleasant rec-
reation, when trees are valued for their ornamental aspect,
or as a means of supplying the table with the most beautiful
and tempting specimens. Viewed from either point, with the
abundance of wealth, and general love of superior fruits
yearly becoming more extended, orchard-houses must be re-
garded as a great source of extending and increasing our
enjoyment of rural pursuits.
The peach, the nectarine, the apricot and the fig, may per-
haps, be made exceptions in the northern sections of the
country where the former occasionally suffer from the inten-
sity of the winter, and produce no fruit, and where the latter
is too tender to resist our frosts. For these fruits orchard-
houses are peculiarly adapted ; under the judicious treat-
ment so well detailed by Mr. Brehaut, whether in pots or
trained as cordons on the walls, they produce an annual
crop with as much certainty as the apple in the open air. To
all who esteem these fruits — and the number must be small
who do not — they can be obtained in abundance by a process
at once simple, economical and sure.
But even with the hardier fruits, which as we have said are
known to flourish in perfection in the open garden, there is
no reason why tliey should not be cultivated and successfully
raised in pots, without stopping to make the common enquiry
whether it " will pay." Tliis utilitarian phrase, should not
be admitted into the vocabulary of the amateur cultivator.
In fact a genuine love of horticulture is not barred from the
enjoyment of its taste by any such ideas. The question is,
will these objects contribute to our gratification ? If so, that
is sufficient. That fine specimens of trees in pots loaded
with fruit must be attractive both from their beauty and their
CORDON TRAINING. ' 83
value, there can be no doubt ; and it is upon tins basis that
we must look to see orchard-houses constructed and stocked
with a fine collection of all the best varieties of all kinds of
fruits.
Such is our view of orchard-house culture in our climate,
and believing that the increasing taste for horticultural pur-
suits will be intensified by extending the sphere for its
gratification, we proceed to add, to what Mr. Brehaut has so
well said, some general hints applicable to our climate.
CORDON TRAINING.
So much has been said upon cordon training by Mr. Bre-
haut, that it may appear superfluous to add more ; yet as this
method has not been, to our knowledge, adopted by. our cul-
tivators, though practised several years by the French, we
deem a few remarks of importance, as we are sure this sys-
tem of training, when once its advantages are understood, will
be tried in the orchard-house, upon the back walls of vineries
and cold graperies where trees are introduced, and in the
open air.
For the pear we believe it will be adopted by amateurs who
wish to possess symmetrically pruned trees, without great la-
bor, and a variety of superior fruits in a limited space ; and
for the peach, on the new plan of protection invented by Dr.
Weed of Iowa, to raise this fruit by means of a covering of
wooden sluitters during the winter, it will be just the mode
of planting and pruning to obtain the best results.
The different kinds of cordon training are noticed by Mr.
Brehaut, and he has given his reasons for preferring the
diagonal cordon with three leaders ; at the same time he
remarks that " in France the single cordon with laterals of
fourteen inches succeeds well," though as he states " it
would not do well in England." With the reasons he has given,
and what we know of the climate of Great Britain, we can
84 CORDON TRAINING.
well understand this. But our climate is unlike that of
Great Britain, and even more favorable to the peach than
that of France, where this fruit is never seen in the perfec-
tion it attains here as an orchard fruit. The single cordon
therefore answers every purpose and may be adopted with the
certainty of perfect success ; its advantages being that the
wall or espalier is covered with bearing wood in a very short
time (three or four years) and all the available space filled
long before it would be by either the double or treble cordon.
M. Dubreuil, the originator of this method of training, and
who has practised it exclusively since 1843, has given a de-
tailed account of it in the Revue Horticole, in which he
sums up its advantages over all other systems of training.
The principal of these are, its simplicity, being easily man-
aged by the amateur or less skilful gardener, and the saving
of from six to ten years in covering the entire espalier with
the branches.
The only difference in appearance or in practice between
the treble cordon, as delineated by Mr. Brehaut in the Fron-
tispiece, and the single cordon of M. Dubreuil, is, that each
cordon proceeds from its own root, the trees being planted
just fourteen inches from one another. The management of
the laterals is the same. The somewhat difiicult process of
bringing up the diagonal cordon being dispensed with. .
In our climate we would therefore recommend the single
cordon in preference to that of Mr. Brehaut.
The pear particularly may be subjected to the same system
of training, and for the information of amateur fruit growers,
who may wish to try it, we copy from the Magazine of Hor-
ticulture (Vol. XXV., p. 451,) a translation of M. Du-
breuil's communication, upon the subject, remarking that
we have a plantation of pears already growing, in which the
plan will be fully tried, and which so far have succeeded ad-
mirably ; we have no doubt of its superiority over all the old
systems of fan, or horizontal training. The method will be
fully understood after a perusal of M. Dubreuil's description
with the aid of our engraving (fig. 9.)
CORDON TRAINING.
85
" We know that the forms most generally employed for es-
palier pear trees are such that it is necessary, for a wall of
eight feet in height, to wait sixteen or eighteen years be-
fore the trees entirely cover the surface which is intended for
each tree, that is, of fifty or sixty square feet. It is too
long to wait for the maximum product of the trees, for during
this time the interest upon the cost of the land and the con-
struction of the wall, as well as the expense of keeping the
same in order, is so great that the crop affords a very in-
suflScient remuneration.
86 CORDON TRAINING.
" We have described in the third edition of our Traite d^ Ar-
boriculture, under the name of " Cordon obHque double," a
mode of training, which, adopted against a wall of at least
eight feet high, answers completely for espaliers of pears,
apples, plums, cherries, and apricots, in the short space of six
or seven years. That which we now advise (fig. 9) and
which is only to be applied to these kinds, is called the Cordon
oblique simple, and was first adopted by us for the pear in
1843 ; it gives a still more prompt result, since we can attain
the same object at the end of the third or fourth year. The
following is the mode of planting an espalier for pears : —
" Choose trees one year from the graft, healthy and vigorous,
worked upon the quince for strong-growing varieties, and
upon the pear for the others. Plant them along the wall, at
a distance from each other of about eighteen inches only.
Incline them in planting at an angle of G0°, and cut off one
third of the whole length of the stem to favor the development
of the terminal bud, and pinch off, during summer, all the
lateral shoots, in order to transform them into fruit spurs.
The following year, at the winter pruning, cut off a third of
the whole length of the new growth, and give the same atten-
tion to the lateral branches as before, in order to make fruit
buds. During summer the new shoots should be subjected
to the same operations as the preceding. Repeat them each
year, until the time when the stem has reached two thirds of
the space which separates it from the top of the wall ; then
incline the stem at an angle of 45° at the winter pruning, and
continue its length till it reaches the top. This object will be
attained towards the end of the fourth year, and the espalier
will be completed. It will be necessary that the first and last
tree should be trained in the form in our figure, so that no
vacant space will be left upon the espalier.
" We can thus obtain by this new mode of training, towards
the fifth year, the greatest product, which with the old style
we could not do until the sixteenth or eighteenth year. It
is proper further to notice the simplicity of this form of train-
ing, which renders its execution easy even for amateurs, or
CORDON TRAINING. 87
gardeners wlio have but little experience, and also the con-
venience of having a great number of different varieties in a
small space ; in sliort, the promptitude with which we can
fill the place made vacant by the accidental death of a tree.
It may be feared, it is true, that the space left between each
tree (eighteen inches) may be insufficient for the proper de-
velopment of the roots ; but this objection falls of itself, if
we think of the little extension of the stem, and the space
which tlie roots have to spread before the wall. If one fears,
to the contrary, that the stem is too much confined and en-
dangers the formation of flower buds by an excess of vigor,
it is sufficient to examine the fertility of the numerous es-
paliers of peaches, trained in our form of the cordon oblique
simple, to dispel these fears. One single objection : it is this,
that we can only conveniently establish this mode of train-
ing against an espalier nine feet high, lower walls not per-
mitting the stems to acquire a sufficient length, and their
excess of vigor injures them at the expense of the fruit.
" Let us say in closing, that the mode of training in oblique
lines, planting the trees eighteen inches apart, can be ap-
plied with the same advantage to apples, plums, cherries, and
apricots, as espaliers, provided that the supports of the last
may be at least eight feet high.
" The trellis adopted for this mode is made by nailing three
horizontal bands against strong posts, one at the top, one at
the bottom and one in the middle ; upon these are nailed the
trellises, which are eighteen inches apart, and fastened at an
angle of 45*^ : each tree is trained to a single trellis to which
it is tied."
"We cannot too strongly urge upon amateurs a trial of cor-
don training. The large and choice pears, such as Duchesse
d'Angoulenie, Eeurre Clairgeau, Beurre Diel, and others, of
similar size and character, may be grown to great perfection ;
and the means afforded of protection from high winds, often
so disastrous to the hopes of the cultivator, just as the fruit
is ripening, alone entitle it to our consideration, to say
CORDON TRAINING.
nothing of the ornamental character of a long range of sym-
metrically trained trees, regularly covered from top to bottom
with the largest and finest fruitg.
PEACHES IN POTS.
The peach is an uncertain fruit in our climate, more par-
ticularly in the eastern and northeastern States, where a crop
is only obtained about three years out of five, the trees suffer-
ing from the severity of the winter, and even when safe from
this cause the buds are often injured or destroyed by late
spring frosts. Those who wish to have an annual crop must
have recourse to artificial means to effect this ; but as these
have generally been expensive and beyond the reach of all
but the wealthy, the production of this delicious fruit has
been restricted and enjoyed only by the few, except when out
door crops are abundant and good. To bring this fruit within
the reach of nearly all is the especial object of orchard-houses,
so called, which can be cheaply constructed, easily managed,
and a crop assured. That this can be done, notwithstanding
the failures in many instances, there is no doubt, and it is
our purpose to aid in removing any obstacles, if such there
be, which prevent the accomplishment of successful results.
The true way of obtaining the best peaches, is the system
of pot cultivation, for though the back wall in lean-to houses
may be covered with trees on the Cordon plan, all the remain-
ing available space, either in an orcliard or grapery, should
be reserved for pots. All stationary trees lead to greater
care in ventilation and managing the house in winter, in
pruning, &c. If the trees are wintered in a good cellar, as
we think they should be, all the care, labor, and uncertainty
is avoided. The house may be closed in autumn and receive
no further attention until the trees are removed to it again
in March or April. This was our mode of practice twenty-
PEACHES m POTS. 89
five years ago, and H. W. Sargent, Esq., of Fiskhill, who
has devoted much time to orchard-house culture, recom-
mends it.
D. W. Coit, Esq., of Hartford, a successful cultivator,
winters his trees in a shed with a ground floor. The shed is
kept closed in severe weather, and the trees set close together,
all the pots being bedded in leaves beyond the reach of frost.
Even zero weather did not injure them, and he did not lose a
single tree in three years.
If, however, there are no means of wintering a number of
trees, some ready mode of warming the house, when the tem-
perature falls to zero, should be introduced, just sufficient to
keep it above that point, and if the house is shaded by an out-
side covering of straw mats, or cornstalks, as has been prac-
tised by H. H. Hunnewell, Esq., of Wellesley, the trees and
buds are perfectly safe, and the crop certain. With the aid
of a cool cellar, the trees may be introduced successively into
the grapery, or even the greenhouse, where there is room
and plenty of light and air, and an abundance of fruit
obtained. Still it is for the orchard-house principally, that we
intend to confine our remarks.
Mr. Brehaut having passed over the pot culture of trees
rather summarily, we now supply such information as will
make up for his deficiency. Our different climate would also
lead us to depart somewhat from his directions.
For the purpose of being better understood we shall treat
of them in three sections, viz. : the treatment tlie first year,
the treatment the second year, and general a*emarks on
pruning.
First Year. — Peach trees for pots should be only one year
old, and only of moderate size, rejecting large overgrown
specimens ; it is a common error that large trees will produce
fruit sooner. They should be potted not later than May if
possible. For this purpose have a quantity of ten to thirteen
inch pots ready, and a good compost made of sound turfy
loam and leaf mould, with a small portion of sand or old
lime rubbish. Each pot should have three or four holes for
90 CORDON TRAINING.
drainage, and two or three inches of the coarsest part of the
compost thrown in first.
Head in the trees to ten or twelve inches, leaving a straight
stem with five to seven good huds ; prune off the larger roots
if they interfere with the potting. Then place in the pot and
fill up with tlie compost, making it very firm with a potting
stick ; fill witliin an inch of the rim of the pot. Set them
away in a half shady place for a few days till they begin to
break freely, when they may be removed to an open sunny
situation, plunging the pots partly in the soil ; water sparingly
for a few days. As the shoots continue to grow, if the five
or seven eyes all break, they will need no other care than
pinching in any laterals to two eyes ; but if less than five
shoots break, the tops should be pinched off when 6 or 8
inches long (early in June) which will induce them to throw
out more shoots, and form a handsome head upon which the
future beauty of the tree depends. Thus the tree will com-
plete its growth, with due attention to watering, by the autumn,
and set its flower buds for next year. Lift the pots occasion-
ally to prevent the growth of any roots through the holes in
the bottom.
On the subject of pruning, which is in truth the important
part of peach tree culture, it is difficult to lay down definite
rules. Care should be taken that there are not too many
main branches the first year, and as by pinching the tops of
the shoots as above directed others spring out, generally
three to each, there would be fifteen, but only one should be
allowed to grow on to extend each branch, and the otliers
pinched off at the second or third bud, in order to form
lateral fruit bearing spurs.
As soon as the wood begins to ripen and the leaves fall,
the pots should be removed to a warm situation, where they
can stand on boards or a dry sandy soil, which materially
benefits the roots, by keeping them warm and dry. When
frosts are severe enough to freeze the earth hard, remove the
trees to their winter quarters, whether in the cellar, the shed,
or the orchard-house. This completes the labor for the first
year.
PEACHES IN POTS. 91
Second Year. — If the trees have been well treated, they
will have set many more fruit buds than will be wanted.
Prune the trees before they begin to grow, by cutting back
just half of the shoots to a good bud — a leaf bud — which can
readily be known by their small size and pointed form. If
there are no single buds at the right place, cut to a triple bud
which contains two flower buds, with a leaf bud in the centre.
If there are nine shoots, four may be cut down to within five
buds of the base, and the others shortened in to about fifteen
inches in length ; the short branches will supply wood for
next year, when the old bearing wood should be cut back to
bring up young shoots in their place — always bearing in mind
that tlie peach never bears on the old wood — and that all such
is useless. If the cutting back is neglected, the trees will be
tall and lank with only leaves and fruit on the ends — which
may answer for the careless cultivator, but which form poor
looking specimens.
Scrape away the top soil down to the fresh lively roots,
and top dress with a good rich compost. This will support
the trees for a time. Give all due attention to airing and
watering, and especially the destruction of the red spider, so
troublesome to the peach, and by the 10th of June the fruit
will be of good size, and the weather so warm the trees may
be removed to the open air, selecting a sheltered spot. Here
they will perfect their fruit, which will be better flavored than
any raised in the orchard-house, unless the sashes are wholly
removed. Apply a mulching of cow or horse manure, the
fertilizing qualities of which will be carried down to the roots
in watering, and give increased size to the fruit. Pinch off
the laterals from time to time, and so select the shoots as to
have a supply of young wood for next year. When the fruit
begins to color, water less bountifully than before, and discon
tinue all syringing ; by the middle of July, if the trees are
started in March, the fruit will be ripe.
After the fruit is gathered give attention to the growth and
ripening of the wood, and when cold weather arrives remove
to the shed or cellar as before. This, in brief, is the course
92 CORDON TRAINING.
of culture the first and second year. We might add many
minute directions which would extend our volume farther
than it is intended, which is merely supplying a few deficien-
cies of Mr. Brehaut. The enthusiastic cultivator will dis-
cover them in his efforts to success.
The third and successive years require little more attention
than the second. If it is desirable to secure the best results,
the trees may be shifted the third year from the 13 into 18
inch pots, removing a little from the bottom of the ball,
slightly loosening the sides, and removing the surface as
before down to the fresh roots. Pot firmly and prune as
before. It is our opinion that trees more than five years old
are unprofitable and had better be thrown away, having a
fresh lot to take their places. No doubt, as Mr. Rivers says,
they can be kept in good bearing condition many years, as we
ourselves have had them from seven to nine years ; but tak-
ing into consideration the pruning and the ultimate beauty
and vigor of the trees, the tendency to become bare at the
base, a supply of fresh specimens will afford the best results.
Pruning. — All or nearly all subsequent success depends
upon the care in pruning. We have given the general mode
of doing this, but the French cultivators have changed their
views in regard to pruning the peach, and as we think justly,
by which means severe cutting back annually is unnecessary,
and more compact and bushy specimens obtained. We have
not ourselves practiced this system, but for the information of
all who wish to try it, we copy the following account of it,
with engravings illustrating the same, by M. Dubreuil, who
has tried it and found it to be superior to the old mode of
pruning for espalier trees, and we doubt not for trees in pots
also. By the aid of the illustrations it will be fully understood.
In order to understand fully the system as explained by
M. Dubreuil, it may be necessary to state what is in fact gen-
erally known, that the peach tree bears its fruit on the shoots
of the preceding summer ; these, when growing vigorously,
throw out laterals, which are termed summer laterals, because
they are produced from the buds of recent formation on
PEACHES IN POTS.
93
the young summer shoots, and not from the old wood of the
preceding year. Sometimes, according to the condition or
\;igor of the tree, no such laterals are produced, unless the
growing shoot is stopped, or cut in, which induces the freshly
formed buds to break into shoots, instead of remaining as
buds till another year. These the French term bourgeons
anticipes laterals, to distinguish them from the regular shoots,
that is, those which grew from the buds of the preceding
year.
According to the new system it appears, that of the shoots
which push from mature buds those situated on the front and
sides of the branches only are
retained ; those behind are dis-
budded as soon as they are 2|
inches long. At the same time
the others are pinched so as to
preserve only the two lower
well-developed leaves, as at a a,
(fig. 10.) The weak leaves, b
B B, are not taken into account.
This pinching has the effect of
causing the young buds, situ-
ated in the axils of the two
leaves, to burst into shoots a a, (fig. 11), and when these
shoots are 2 inches long, they also are cut off above the first
leaf from their origin.
The secondary laterals
which push from the first
ones are likewise pinched
to one leaf from their
bases, as at A A, (fig. 12.)
Those shoots which push
afresh from vigorous
parts are • entirely re-
10. FIRST PINCHING OF THE BUDS
OF THE PEACH.
SECOND PINCHING OF THE BUDS OF
THE PEACH.
moved.
These operations cause
the production of buds which at the winter pruning have the
94
CORDON TRAINING.
appearance represented by fig. 13 ; they are then cut at a a,
A A, so as to leave only the flower buds nearest the base.
12.
THIRD PINCHING OF THE BUDS OF THE PEACH.
When numerous laterals push, on tlie leading shoots, c,
(fig. 14), those situated behind are entirely removed. The
others ought to be pinched as soon as the second pair of leaves
have the buds in their axils sufficiently advanced. If the op-
eration is deferred too long, the shoot lengtliens and a spur
13. FRUIT SPURS OF THE
PEACH RESULTING FROM THIS
MODE OF SHORT PIKCHING.
14. YOUNG SHOOTS (BOURGEONS ANTICI-
PES) OF THE PEACH, JUST AT THE
PROPER TIME TO PINCH.
is produced, which at the winter pruning is like that repre-
sented by FIG. 15. If the operation is performed too early,
PEACHES IN POTS.
95
before the buds have commenced to form, tlie shoot withers,
as in FIG. 16.
But when the pinching is performed at the proper time the
shoot ceases to lengthen, and the lower pair of leaves remains
near the base. At the winter
pruning the shoots have the ap-
pearance represented by fig. 17.
It sometimes happens that, in
spite of pinching, the laterals con-
tinue to lengthen. In this case
a cut is made with the point of the
knife on one side of the base, as
at A, (fig. 14), about half an inch
in length. This cut stops the
growth, and a few days after, the
lateral is pinched, and the eyes
, are formed in the axils of the two
13. SPUR OF THE PEACH (ANTI-
cipe) resulting from the buds lower leaves, as at d, fig. 18.
(ANTiciPE) PINCHED TOO LATE. ^j^ ^|jq latcrals liaviug been
pinched for the first time, on several of them one or two
generations of young shoots will be produced. These are
16. SPUR (aNTICIPE) of the PEACH,
DRIED UP. RESULTING FROM
PINCHING TOO LATE.
17. SPUR (aNTICIPK) OF THE PEACH
RESULTING FROM PINCHING THE BUDS
(aNTICIPE) at the PROPER TIME.
pinched above the leaf nearest to their base, as already ex-
plained, and this operation will give rise to shoots as repre-
sented in FIGS. 17 and 19. At the winter pruning they are
cut as at B, (fig. 17.)
96
CORDON TRAINING.
Sometimes the spur resulting from these repeated pinchings
becomes entirely composed of blossom buds, as represented
(fig. 19.) If left they so completely weaken the spur that it
is apt to die. To prevent this all the flower buds are cut off,
and an incision made as at a, (fig. 20.)
Finally, close pinching is not practised during the first year
after the tree is planted.
Such appears to be the plan now advocated by M. Dubreuil
under the name of pincement court, which we prefer to call
13. LITTLK SPUR (aNTICIPE) OF THE
PEACH, RF.SULTING FEOM PINCHING
THE BUDS (ant.) AND THE INCISION.
19. SPUR (ant.) of the peach
BEARING FLOWER BUDS ONLY.
spur pruning. That the method has been unsuccessful in
several places he admits, but he thinks that this has been ow-
ing to want of skill in the operator. His own experience tells
him that it possesses the following advantages : —
20. SPUR (ant.) of THF peach, as in fig. 19, DEPRIVED OF THE
FLOWER BUDS AND SUBMITTED TO THE INCISION.
1st. Economy of labor resulting from the summer tying
or nailing of the shoots, and the winter tying or nailing of
the main branches.
2d. Economy in the construction of the trellis. Those in-
tended for other kinds of fruits answering every purpose, as
the tying or nailing is applied only to the main branches of
the tree.
PEACHES IN POTS. 97
8d. The winter and summer pruning given to this kind of
treatment are very simple, and are more readily understood
by the gardener.
4tli. The fruit spurs projecting from the front of the old
wood are sheltered from the sun by the foliage.
6th. The fruit spurs upon the bearing branches being very
short, the latter can be kept much closer, as it is sufficient to
have only a space of a foot, (30 centimetres), which will
allow double the number, and, consequently, double the
quantity of fruit upon the same espalier or wall.
These various advantages do not result from the influence
of any exceptional circumstances. Our instruction in various
parts of the country allows us to prove this in different cli-
mates and under the most varied circumstances : in the envi-
rons of Paris, in the Seine-et-Marne, the Seine-Inferieure,
L'Eure, L'Orne, le Puy-de-Dome, I'Ain, la Haute Garonne,
les Basses Pyrenees, la Cote d'Or, la Haute Saone, le Rhone,
&c.
Let us place the two following inconveniences by the side
of these advantages : —
1st. The necessity of preserving the usual space between
the main branches of the tree, under the old form, with the
loss of time in covering tlie espalier or wall.
. 2d. Much greater care in attending to the summer shoots
(bourgeons anticipes) during their development.
It is evident that these inconveniences are more than com-
pensated for by the preceding advantages. Hence we should
not hesitate in adopting the new mode of pruning, particu-
larly for the peach, submitted to the oblique or horizontal
mode of training, (cordon oblique or vertical.^ Experience
has already shown the utility of some modifications appertain-
ing to the first mode of training adopted by M. Grin.
7
98 CORDON TRAINING.
BEST FRUITS FOR ORCHARD-HOUSES.
Mr. Br^haut has given a very full list of the best varieties
of fruits which he has found adapted to orchard-house culture,
and which, no doubt, can be relied upon in the climate of
England, and some of them here. But we have native varie-
ties of some of tliem which are much better, and can be
recommended as superior for orchard-houses.
Peaches. — Until very recently Englisli cultivators have
refused to recognize any very great merits in our American
peaches, and wc believe only two varieties have attained to
any very extensive cultivation, viz., the Royal Kensington
and George IV., both American, but renamed by English
pomologists. Even George IV., the Pomological Magazine,
where it is described, says that it is an American variety of
considerable importance, not so much for its good quality as
a hardy kind, as for being a forcing variety of great merit.
But Mr, Rivers, who appears to have a due appreciation of
many of our American fruits, and introduced many of them
into his large collection, was struck with the " earliness and
goodness" of the Early York, and used it as the parent to
produce new seedlings, of which his Victoria is one of the
progeny.
To whatever it may be attributed there is no doubt of the
superiority of our American peaches, for forcing or orchard-
house culture, being vigorous growers, and setting their fruit
with great certainty. And as to quality, though there is no
dispute about tlie excellence of the Grosse Mignonn^, Noblesse,
and some otiiers, it is hard to surpass in quality the Coolidge's
Favorite, or Early York, or in beauty, the Early and Late
Crawford.
For tlie orchard-liouse tlie best peaches are the following : —
Early York, (true,) with serrate leaves, not very large,
l)ut very early, beautiful and delicious, the first good peach
to ripen.
BEST FRUITS FOR ORCHARD-HOUSES. 99
Early Crawford is a splendid peach, coming immediately
after the Early York. A large, yellow fleshed fruit, often
measuring twelve inches in circumference, with a deep yellow
skin, and superb crimson cheek.
George IV. ripens about the same time, is of medium size,
and of great excellence.
Coolidge's Favorite. Similar to George lY. A most
beautiful and delicious peach, ripening at the same time;
exceedingly tender skinned, and not setting quite so abun-
dantly, yet valuable.
Bergen's Yellow is another variety, similar to the Early
Crawford, but with a deeper crimson hue in the sun ; large
and excellent.
Late Crawford. This is another noble peach, larger
even than Early Crawford, but not quite so deep colored and
beautiful, and with a more woolly skin. It is, however, a
fine forcer, and late, closing up the season, which begins
with the Early York.
These six, for small collections, will, perhaps, be sufficient ;
but, where they are larger, the following may be added : —
Cambridge Belle. A delicate and beautiful white peach,
with pale blush cheek.
Royal George. Something like George IV. ; a fine peach.
Grosse Mignonne. Very fine ; succeeds the last. *
Old Mixon Free. A very large and late variety, of great
excellence.
Late Admirable. Large, late, and good.
Stump the World. Ripening with the Early Crawford,
and similar to it.
These will give a dozen of the very best peaches for the
orchard-house. Amateurs, who like to try varieties, will find
many other sorts in the Catalogues, worthy of trial.
Nectarines. — Nectarines are not very extensively raised,
and our own opinion is somewhat different from Mr. Bre-
haut's. For their beauty nothing can excel them, but as
regards their quality, until the introduction of the Stanwick,
we could not speak in high praise, compared with the. best
100 CORDON TRAINING.
peaches. To set off a dish of fruit on the table they are,
however, indispensable, and a few trees should always find a
place in the orchard-house. They cannot be grown to any
perfection in the open air.
Hunt's Tawney. This is an excellent nectarine, rich and
dark colored, ripening in good season.
Elruge. This old variety is still one of the best, forcing
well, handsome, and of good size ; it is a valuable nectarine.
ViOLETTE Hative is, as Mr. Brehaut states, a superior
variety, handsome, prolific and good.
White. Remarkable for its clear waxen skin, good size,
and good quality ; as a variety it is very desirable.
Boston, or Lewis. Remarkable for its superb appearance,
though not equal in excellence to some of the others. It is
of very large size.
Stanwick. This noble variety appears to do better in our
climate than in Great Britain, where it often cracks. With
Mr. Hun ne well of Wellesley, plants in pots have jearly borne
and ripened several dozen fruits each, which were very largo
and beautiful. It is one of the latest in ripening.
Plums. — Since plum trees have been so subject to the black
knot, and the fruit to tlie curculio, their cultivation in pots is
becoming an object of interest ; for, without much labor and
expense, ft is almost impossible to secure any fruit in the
open air. The trees do not come into bearing early, but the
certainty of a crop of fine fruit will repay all the care and
attention. The following are excellent sorts : —
Green Gage. For its excellence unsurpassed, but its
beauty much inferior to others. It has a dwarf stocky habit,
admirably suited to pot culture, and bears profusely.
Jaune Hative. This is a small but very early plum, ripen-
ing in the open air, three weeks before the Green Gage ; its
great merit is its earliness.
Jefferson. One of our most beautiful native plums, with
a deep yellow skin, and slightly tinted crimson cheek ; rich
and delicious.
Bradshaw. a very large, long, purple plum, with a rich
BEST FRUITS FOR ORCHARD-HOUSES. 101
blue bloom, and of great excellence ; matures before tbe
Green Gage.
Coe's Golden Drop. A superb variety, very large, late,
beautiful, and delicious ; admirably suited to pot culture.
Reine Claude de Bavay. A late variety of the Green
Gage family ; not attractive in appearance, being of a dull
green, but large, late, and excellent.
No doubt many other of our American varieties, of which
Mr. Br^haut enumerates Denniston's Superb, will prove val-
uable, but they have not yet, to our knowledge, been tried.
We would enumerate the General Hand, Ives's Seedling,
Imperial Green Gage, Smith's Orleans, and Lawrence, as
worthy of trial.
Pears. — For pot culture all the trees should be upon the
quince ; and if such varieties are wanted as do not grow well
on that stock they should be double worked. On the pear
it is difficult to get them to fruit early. Of course it is desir-
able to grow only the large fruits, provided they are good, of
which, fortunately, we have plenty. Not that a small fruit is
not worthy of attention, but because they are partly for orna-
mental purposes, and the large fruits set off the trees to great
advantage. Some of the most desirable are the Bartlett,
Beurr^ Clairgeau, Ducliesse, Louise Bonne, and Urbaniste, for
autumn; and the Beurre Diol, Winter Nelis, Glout Morceau,
and Easter Beurre, for early and late winter. The Beurre
Clairgeau is very handsome when grown on trees in pots, and
also of unusual excellence ; we have seen them weighing a
pound, or more. The Easter Beurr6, so difficult to get in
perfection, produces fine specimens in the orchard-liouse.
Apples. — Proljably few American cultivators will consider
the apple worthy of a very prominent position in the orchard-
house. Yet, we cannot consider one complete without
them; we do not, indeed, know of a more ornamental object
than a Red Astrachan, full of its brilliant red fruits. Con-
sidered simply for the fruit, tliey would not be feo important ;
but, to set off a collection of fifty or a hundred trees, a few
of the most beautiful apples are indispensable ; we name a
few of the best: — Red Astrachan, Primate, the Bough, Grav-
102 CORDON TRAINING.
enstein, Hawthornden, Melon, Northern Spy, Washington,
and Fameuse.
Figs. — The fig is a delicious fruit, and may be easily grown
in the orchard-house, if the plants are wintered in the cellar.
We have had heavy crops on trees so treated, ripening all
summer. The treatment is very much the same as for the
peach. Young plants potted in 13-inch pots in April, and
plunged out in the open ground, will make fine specimens
by the autumn. The figs will begin to appear by September,
and the trees should then be sheltered from severe frosts, and
placed in a light dry cellar in October. In the following
April they should be taken into the orchard-house, when the
fruit will soon begin to swell and ripen ; another crop will
ripen in the autumn. The best figs for pot culture are the
following : —
Early Violet, White Marseilles, Brown Turkey, White
Ischia, St. Michael, and Brunswick.
Apricots. — Cultivators who wish to try the apricot, a very
pretty and excellent fruit, may select the following: —
Royal, Moor Park, Peach, St. Amboise, Muscat, and Red
Muscatine.
Grapes. The grape does very well in pots, and very fine
crops may be raised with due attention to culture. They
must be wintered in the cellar or in a cold pit, where the
shoots can be covered with earth or leaves. Such as succeed
best are the following : —
Black Hamburgh, Muscat St. Laurent, Chasselas of Fon-
tainebleau, Muscat de Sarbelle, Chasselas Vibert, Black
Prince, Chaptal, and White Frontignan.
Strawberries. — These may be successfully raised in the
orchard-house and the fruit obtained nearly one month before
it ripens in the open air. Pot good strong runners in July
and prepare them in the usual manner for ordinary forcing.
On the approach of winter, place the pots in the house and
cover them with leaves to prevent freezing ; in April uncover
and give them a good position near the glass.
The best sorts for pots are Triumph de Gaud, Keens' Seed-
ling, and Boston Pine,
GENERAL REMARKS. 103
GENERAL REMARKS.
Orchard-houses aro so useful for many purposes of garden-
ing, that we think they will soon become necessary appen-
dages to every complete garden. In our severe northern
climate, where winter holds undisputed sway for nearly six
months, it is very pleasant to have some comfortable place of
resort, both in the late autumn and early spring months,
when the out-door weather is chilly, rough, and disagreeable.
The orchard-house, when well constructed and of good pro-
portions, supplies this want. In autumn it may be partially
filled with late flowering plants ; such as chrysanthemums,
roses, &c., thus keeping up a display until severe weather sets
in. And in the spring much can be done in bringing forward
vegetables and bedding plants, without interfering at all with
the main objects of such a structure. When the trees can be
wintered in a shed or cellar, a real winter garden may be
produced by the introduction of the rare and not wiiolly
hardy evergreens, in pots, which however will not suffer in
such a place if tlie roots are protected with dry leaves ; and
when the fruit trees are introduced they can be removed to
ornament the lawn or flower garden in summer. Viewed in
all these aspects the orchard-house cannot fail to be a valuable
addition to every garden.
The construction of orchard-houses has taken a wide
range. The first efforts of Mr. Rivers were mere hedges on
the sides, to break the wind, with glass roofs and boarded
ends. This style was soon found to be altogether too breezy
for tlie safety and certainty of the crop, and boards were sub-
stituted for the hedges. Their dimensions were yet small, and
the next advance was to make them larger; this resulted in
the introduction of tlie span roof, and from the original long,
low, narrow structures, by gradual steps, the result of expe-
rience and sound practical deductions, Mr. Rivers has erected
more lofty and commodious houses, 100 feet long and twenty-
four feet wide.
104 CORDON TRAINING.
Liko other houses for artificial culture, there is there-
fore no rule as regards the dimensions of orchard-houses.
They may be small or large, cheap or expensive, according
to the wants and means of cultivators. But to secure the
best results they should be rather lofty and wide ; experience
liaving shown that very low houses, containing only a small
volume of air, heat up quickly, but cool down quite as rap-
idly. Hence, orcliard-houses, especially those without fire-
heat, should be wide and high, that the temperature may be
more equal. The volume of air contained in a large house,
warmed by taking advantage of closing it early in the latter
part of the day, requiring a longer time to cool down ; thus
maintaining a night temperature considerably higher than a
low and narrow house. It is from the experience acquired
by Mr. Rivers in working these structures that he has grad-
ually increased their size, until they have attained the dimen-
sions above named ; and his advice is now to build them in
something like the following proportions : — For a large house,
100 feet long by 24 feet wide, and 10 or 12 feet high in the
centre. For one of moderate dimensions, 50 feet long by 20
feet wide, and 10 feet high in the centre ; and smaller, 30
feet long by 16 feet wide, all span roofed.
The interior arrangements may be a level floor, on which
the plants are arranged in rows, with two walks, if the house
is wide, or the walk may run through the centre, and be
sunk one or two feet, the mode in which the orchard-houses
erected on the Paxton patent are mostly constructed. The
orchard-house of G. G. Hubljard, Esq., of Cambridge, is a
lean-to house, about 110 feet long and 16 feet wide ; the
trees being arranged in a bed, which occupies all the space
except a walk three feet wide around it. This has answered
well, and the trees have borne good crops.
For the information of all amateurs who would be glad to
know the detail of dimensions of the best orchard-houses,
we give the views of Mr. Rivers, whose experience is exten-
sive and reliable : —
" My large houses are 20 feet wide, the sides 4| feet high,
GENERAL REMARKS. 105
and 9| feet in height to the ridge; the paths are 2^ feet
wide ; the back beds at the sides arc 4 feet wide and 15
inches high ; the central bed 7 feet wide and 18 inches high ;
these dimensions may of course be varied at the pleasure of
the builder. I give mine exactly as they are. The posts to
support the side plates are of oak, 6 inches by 4 ; they are
2J feet in the ground, and placed 4 feet apart ; on these are
nailed deal boards, three-quarters of an incli thick, tlie upper
part of which, on one side, one foot in width, is on hinges, to
form shutters for ventilation ; the rafters are 4^ inches by IJ,
and placed twenty inches apart."
This house, as will be seen, has two walks, and three beds
on which to place the pots; there is no top ventilation, which
Mr. Rivers says lie has found unnecessary. When there is no
fire heat, the rafters are fixed, and the glass 20 inches wide
by fifteen long. Yet Mr. Rivers considers this the most eco-
nomical method of building large span-roofed houses.
The dimensions of another large house he gives as follows :
"The sides are brick walls, 2 feet 6 inches high; on these,
sashes 2 feet 6 inches by 3 are fixed, with pivots so as to
admit a large quantity of air; width twenty feet; length
ninety feet; height (in centre) ten feet." This he calls a
noble specimen of a nobleman's orchard house.
For all general purposes, however, a simple span-roofed
house, with level ground floor, answers every object ; the
raised brick beds being, in our opinion, in our climate, of
no great advantage to the trees, especially if they are to be,
as we should advise, removed to the open air to mature their
crop. If, however, the pots are to bo plunged in tlie earth, a
brick edging would certainly add to the neatness and beauty
of the house.
But whether the style be a lean-to or a span-roof, ample
ventilation in our climate must be secured. The sides
should be provided with shutters or sashes, that may be
opened when required, and top ventilation must also be am-
ple. In spring, and during the time the trees are swelling
their fruit, side air should rarely be given, as most of the ven-
106 CORDON TRAINING.
tilation should come from the top ; but in autumn and win-
ter an abundant circulation of air will be necessary, to keep
the house at a low and even temperature. The houses should
be constructed as liglit as possible, consistent with proper
strength ; and whether the rafters be fixed and the glass
glazed upon them, or the house is fitted with movable saslies,
is immaterial, provided always, that the ventilation is ample.
A house on Mr. Rivers's princij)le, without top ventilation,
would certainly be unsuited to our climate, where the hot
sun soon raises the temperature to an injurious degree,
without air. We, however, much prefer sashes ; because
they can be readily taken entirely off in summer, and the
trees allowed to have the benefit of our bright sun and clear
air just where they are grown, if there is no other convenient
space to remove them to, such exposure being absolutely
necessary to obtain rich and delicious-flavored fruit.
Next to ventilation, drainage should be considered ; a dry
warrp situation is always to be preferred, but if from any
cause there is reason to apprehend too much moisture, then
underground drains sliould conduct all tlie water to a good
outlet. Neither trees nor plants should stand in a cold,
damp soil, and as this can always be prevented, drainage
should be attended to in the construction of the house.
A supply of pure rain water should be secured if possible,
as it is far preferable to spring or well water ; if good gutters
are constructed, and the water conducted into a large tank or
cistern, it will not only prevent tlie water from saturating and
cooling the soil in and around the house, but give an abun-
dant supply of water at all times. A manure tank will also
prove highly beneficial in the growth of fine fruit ; for,
although temporary means may be adopted to furnish a small
supply, where there are many trees a large and commodious
tank will prove a valuable accessory to the orchard-house.
An enthusiastic and industrious cultivator will not, perhaps,
need to be reminded of all these hints ; but will achieve suc-
cess without the aid of so many directions. The mass of
those, however, who may attempt orchard-house culture, will
MONTHLY OPERATIONS. 107
find that they will put them upon the right track, and if they
fail with the aid of all the necessary details, it will be because
they do not understand the practical knowledge which it is
almost impossible to acquire from books, but which experience
alone teaches, often too dearly, if valuable information is
ignored.
Our object is to increase and extend the love of our people
for the best fruits, especially when it can be done at so little
expense ; and we know of no means by which more can be
secured than with the aid of a smaller or larger orchard-
house, or, as Mr. Rivers has termed the larger class, a Fruit
Conservatory.
MONTHLY OPERATIONS
IN THE ORCHARD-HOUSE FOR THE YEAR.
January. At this season, provided the trees are protected
according to the directions for December, it will only be
necessary to keep as even a temperature as possible, and
guard against very sudden changes and severe frost. In
clear sunny weather give an abundance of air during the
middle of the day, and if warm, until night. In very severe
weather, with the temperature below zero, if the house is
provided with shutters, as we think it should be, these may
be put on, which will keep out many degrees of frost. Thick
straw mats may also be used to guard against intense cold
as well as bright sunshine.
February. The same directions will apply to this month,
which is often the coldest of the year.
March. This is the trying season, as the sun has now
reached such an altitude it will soon warm up the house in
fine weather. It will now be safe to leave the house open
from morning till night, until the middle of the month,
when the trees will begin to show signs of growing. When
108 CORDON TRAINING.
this is perceived, the house should be closed earlier in
the afternoon. It will now be time to remove the cov-
ering from the pots, that the earth may receive the benefit
of warmer air. Commence now to prune the trees, as already
directed (page 91) ; after this is done, scrape away the sur-
face soil with a sharp-pointed stick or iron down to tlie fresh
lively roots, and top dress with a good compost of leaf-mould,
old decayed manure, and sound loam. If the weather is
favorable, give a good watering, through a fine rose water-pot
to settle the soil. Air now abundantly from 9 o'clock till 4
o'clock, covering with the shutters at night if any danger of
frost.
April. Early in the month the trees will be in flower, and
attention will now be required that the trees receive no
check. Ventilate freely during the day, closing early if
frosty, to retain the day heat, and put on the shutters if cold,
as it occasionally is, up to the middle of the month. But
with ordinary care there is not much danger of injury to the
blossoms. As soon as the fruit is well set and beginning to
swell, syringing may be commenced and continued in fine
weather. Always use water of the temperature of the house,
and syringe only in the morning until the nights are warm,
when it may be repeated at evening. Give the trees proper
waterings at the root, and the fruit will soon show the advan-
tage of good treatment. If the green fly appears, as it
generally does, the house must have a good fumigation with
tobacco.
May. Continue the same treatment as in April, but give
more attention to ventilation ; as the season advances the
heat will increase, and an abundance of air should be ad-
mitted. Be careful, however, not to open the front venti-
lators in dry windy days, and at no time during this month
only for an hour or two in still warm weather, otherwise mil-
dew will be likely to result. The trees will now require a
greater abundance of water and a free use of the syringe, to
keep away the red spider. If the green fly is again trouble-
some fumigate once more.
MONTHLY OPERATIONS. 109
June. If all has gone on well, the trees will have swollen
their fruit to a good size, and a portion or the whole of the
trees may be removed to a sheltered place in the open air
about the 10th of the month. By removing only half of
the trees there will be a better circulation of air around
those remaining, and both the fruit and foliage will receive
much benefit. Besides a much greater number of trees may
be put into the house if it is the intention to remove a por-
tion to the open air in June. Up to this time the young
shoots will not have advanced sufficiently to require the
space they must have later in the season.
Select a sheltered spot and remove the trees, placing them
at 5 or 6 feet apart, half plunging them in the soil. Now
cover the earth in the pots with half-decayed cow or horse ma-
nure, and water freely every evening and in very dry weather,
morning and evening. Syringe well every night.
Commence now to thin out the fruit, and begin thp pinch-
ing of the shoots, as directed on a preceding page, whether
upon the old system or the new one of M. Dubreuil. Upon
this summer pinching will depend the future shape and char-
acter of the tree.
If any red spiders make their appearance, they should at
once be looked after. The readiest way we have found to
get rid of them is to syringe the trees lightly, tipping them
on one side so that the under side of the leaves may be wet.
Then take sulphur and thoroughly dust every leaf; allow the
sulphur to remain three or four days, when a complete
syringing will wash it all off and with it the red spiders.
July. All the trees, both in and out of the house, will
need plenty of water, and occasionally liquid manure, until
the fruit is nearly grown. Then the syringing should be dis-
pensed with, and the waterings less frequent. By the last of
the month the early sorts will begin to color. Attend to the
pinching of all vigorous shoots.
August. As the fruit begins to ripen it is sometimes
attacked by bees ; when this is the case a thin gauze netting
will keep them ofif. Ventilate the house freely night and
110 CORDON TRAINING.
day. By the middle of the montli the Early York will be
ripe, succeeded by George IV. and Early Crawford. Con-
tinue the pinching to the end of the month.
September. Every tree, as soon as the fruit is gathered,
should be removed to the open air, to ensure the ripening of
the wood. Late kinds of peaches or pears may be retained
until the fruit is ripe. Give proper waterings, but not in
such liberal quantities as last month.
October, If any trees remain in the house, ventilate free-
ly in all good weather ; and as soon as the fruit is gathered
the sashes may remain open night and day, except in rainy
weather. Towards the last of the month, if tlie nights are
frosty, the trees removed to the open air may be brought in,
and by placing them close together there will be abundant
room.
November. Sudden changes often occur this month, and
though ventilation should be abundant, when there is danger
of cool frosty nights the sashes should be closed early, to re-
tain the sun-heat. Water very sparingly, just sufficient to
keep the earth moist.
December. All should now be got ready for winter. In
our climate this is quite unlike the winter treatment as de-
tailed by Mr. Brehaut. Our zero weather is unknown in the
island of Jersey. Place the trees as near together as possible,
filling in the spaces between the pots with dry leaves. Then
cover the whole with leaves or hay to the depth of six or
more inches, so as to keep out all frost. Thus prepared they
will stand until the return of fine weather in March. Keep
the house open in fine weather, but close up when rainy,
snowy, or very cold.
If these directions are attended to, the trees can be kept
without injury in the house ; but where there is a dry warm
shed, or cool dry cellar, they may be quite as safely wintered
without the trouble and care of ventilating for three months
of the winter.
REPOTTING ORCHARD-HOUSE TREES. Ill
REPOTTING ORCHARD-HOUSE TREES.
Since a portion of tlie preceding remarks were written,
there has been considerable discnssion in regard to orchard-
house culture in the Englisli periodicals; some being greatly
in favor of the method, and others opposed to it, each giving
their views for and against it; but the predominant feeling
has been that it is a sure and certain plan of raising many of
the finest fruits.
This general discussion has also been followed by detailed
methods of treatment, and the failure of some cultivators has
induced others who have been successful to make known the
process by which they have accomplished such results. One of
the most interesting of these has been the remarks on repot-
ting. We have not ourselves recommended but one shift
from 13 to 18-inch pots, for a course of five years, though
some orchard-house cultivators recommend it annually ; but
we do not think it advisable, and we quote the remarks of an
experienced man, who has been highly successful, as showing
that frequent repotting is ratlier injurious than beneficial :
" Having had ten years' practice in the management and
cultivation of orchard-house trees in pots, I tender my expe-
rience in reference thereto. In 1854 I commenced the culti-
vation of fruit trees in pots, more especially that of peaches
and nectarines, and my labor has been crowned with success.
I have scarcely, during the whole period, repotted a tree of
tJiose with which I first started, unless I have observed the
drainage defective ; in that case I have shaken the stagnant
soil from the roots, and returned the tree to the original or a
pot of the same size. I allow the pots to stand on a bed of
soil, into which the roots are allowed to descend ; the pots
are not moved until the fruit is ripe. During the time the
fruit is swelling, the trees receive liquid manure occasionally,
and after the wood is pretty well ripened they are placed out
of doors until the approach of winter ; the old soil is then
gently stirred on the surface and a little fresh applied. I
112 CORDON TRAINING.
have exhibited peach and nectarine trees in pots at Brighton
for several seasons, and have always been a siiccessfnl com-
petitor. Many of my trees are in as fine liealtli as can be
desired, and none are in a bad condition."
INSECTS.
A few words in regard to insects and our remarks are
brought to a close. Mr. Brehaut has alluded to the green-fly,
and more particularly the red-spider, as the pests of the or-
chard-house cultivator, and tobacco is the old remedy for the
first, and a sure one if used in season.
The red-spider is often very troublesome, and often hard to
destroy ; but if the right means are used their ravages can be
soon checked. The oil soap mixture will do it, if the trees
are well syringed, but as objections are made to its odor, sul-
phur will be equally effectual. Our plan has been to fumi-
gate with sulphur, being very careful not to let it melt and
burn, as it is then sure to take off the foliage. Another safe
method is to thoroughly syringe the trees on the under side
of the leaves, by turning each pot on its side ; then, while wet,
they should be thoroughly dusted with sulphur. The house
should then be kept as warm as possible without danger, for
a day or two, when another good syringiiig with clean water
will take off all tlie sulphur and red spiders too. This mode
is safe, and thorough if well done, and in the hands of inex-
perienced amateurs will not lead to any loss of the crop.
The other insect most troublesome is the peach borer; these
should be looked after attentively, and if this is done there is
little chance of their doing much damage. Every few days
the trunk should be looked over, and if washed with whale-
oil soap it will be all the better for the tree. If they do attack
any of the specimens, which can soon be observed, they should
be killed by inserting a wire in the hole, or cutting them out
carefully.
Eternal vigilance is the price of success, and the cultivator
who does not start with this motto will be likely to fail.
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