510 



AMYGDALACEiE. V. Ceuasus. 



should commence in May or June, in order to regulate the shoots wall-trees or espaliers defended with large nets in due time. 

 of the same year. Disbud the superfluous or foreright shoots, Old fishing nets may also be spread over the branches of dwarf 

 or if they have been suffered to spring, pinch or cut them off standards. To protect other standard trees let scare-crows and 



""'~~' -»- clap-boards be put up." 



Gathering the fruit. Use the hand, taking hold of the fruit- 

 stalk in gathering from the wall, and the cherry gatherer, in 



gathering from the distant branches of high standards. 



with such as are disorderly. Retain a competent supply of the 



best well placed side and terminal shoots, to remain for selection 



at the winter pruning. Nail or lay in the reserve close to the 



wall at their full length, and so train them all summer. The _ „ „ 



winter pruning may be performed at the fall of the leaf, or at any Insects and diseases^ &c. Wall cherry trees are often infested 



time in moderate weather till February or March. It comprises with the red-spider, but standards are generally not much in- 



a regulation both of the old and young wood. Carefully pre- jured by insects. Nasmithsays, " our cherry trees both in the 



serve the sound and productive branches and bearers in their open air, and on the natural walls, particularly the tops of young 



full expansion, and reduce or remove such only as are irregular shoots, are much attacked with a small black insect, provincially 



in growth, too crowded, unfruitful, decayed, or cankery. Any called the black beetle. The remedy I have found most effec- 



branches extending out of bounds prune into some good lateral tual for their destruction is a mixture of pitch with one-sixteenth 



part of powdered orpiment, one-sixteenth part of sulphur, dis- 

 solved over a slow fire in an earthen pipkin, until they be well 

 incorporated ; when cold, divide it into small pieces about the 



shoot or fruit-bud. According to the time the bearers have 

 already lasted, look to some promising shoots for successors to 

 those which may first wear out. To fill immediate vacancies 



retain select shoots of the last year and the year before, with size of a hen's egg^ and burn it under the trees with damp straw 



uniformly a leader to the advancing branch where there is room, directing the smoke as much as possible where the insects are 



and with lateral shoots in any open or unproductive space nearer most numerous. In an hour afterwards, if the state of the fruit 



the origin of the branches, to be trained as bearers between the will admit, give the trees a good washing with a garden engine, 



main branches. Some cut superfluous fruit-shoots clean away ; which generally clears off the half dead beetles, and prevents the 



others leave a sprinkling of short stubs cut very short if fore- spreading of the red-spider." Caled. hort. mem. 2. p. 90. 



right. The new laterals and terminals are to be trained in at 

 full length as far as room will permit. They will come into 



Of the culture of the cherry -house. 



bearing the first and second year. In pruning cherry trees in Though the cherry be a native of Britain no fruit is more difR- 



general be careful to preserve the small clustering fruit spurs, cult to force. M'Phail observes, " no tree forced for obtaining 

 except where on wall trees any old spurs project considerably, and 

 assume a rugged disorderly appearance ; cut such clean out 



smoothly. 



Morello 



fruit early is more liable to fail of a good crop than the cherry; 

 the blossoms are apt to fall off before the fruit is set, and the 

 fruit will keep falling off before and after they are as large as 

 peas 



This is occasioned by a kind of stagnation of air about 



principally on the shoots of last year, the fruit proceeding imme- them, which affects the tender blossoms and young shoots 

 diately from the eyes of the shoots, and bears but casually, and Soil. M*Phail says, '* take light, sandy, rich, mellow earth, 



in a small degree, on close spurs formed on the two year old 

 wood, and hardly ever on wood of the third year. Therefore 

 both in the summer and winter pruning leave a supply of last 30 mches deep ; The bottom, if not naturally mild and dry, to 



and make a border of it the whole width of the house, and 4 feet 

 deep." According to Nicol, *^ the border should be from 24 to 



be drained and paved. The soil should be a sandy loam or light 

 hale garden earth, made moderately rich with stable-yard dung 

 well reduced, or with other light compost. If a small portion of 

 lime, or a moderate quantity of marl, were mixed with it so much 

 the better. The soil for cherries to be forced in pots or tubs 



young wood train the present bearers 6 inches apart; lay in be- should be considerably richer than the above." Torbron (Hort. 



tween each of these one young shoot for bearing next year, which 



will make the promiscuous distance 3 inches." Underwood 



year's shoots on all the branches, from the origin to the extre- 

 mity of the tree, for next year's bearers, cutting out past bearers 

 to make room. It is plain that the Morello ought to have no 

 stubs left with a view to spurs, and all foreright shoots ought to 

 be disbudded while young. To leave a convenient space for 



(Caled. hort. mem. 1. p. 427.) has often observed, when the 



trans. 4. p. 116.) uses fresh virgin soil and rotten dung. 



Choice of sorts. MThail, Nicol, and all gardeners^agree m 

 giving the preference to the May~duke. Nicol says. *' none ol 



branches of cherry trees are laid in too near to one another, or the other kinds set so well, except the Morello^ which I do not 



are crossed by branches of the same kind, or by plum-tree hesitate to 

 branches, as is sometimes the case, that although there be abun- the fruit whe 



say well deserves a place ; it is a good ^^^^y^!* .^ j 

 3n forced acouires sunerior size and flavour, ^iico , 



dance of blossom, yet there is no crop even in good seasons. 

 On examining the blossoms produced on such crowded shoots he 



acquires superior 

 kal. p. 295. 



Choice of plants. M'Phail takes standards of different heights 



found that iri 50 flowers there were not above two styles, of in a bearing state; Nicol clean, healthy, young plants, that have 



course no fruit could be expected. By not laying in the branches 

 so close, and by removing all superfluous summer shoots, more 

 light and air was admitted, and he had in consequence plentiful 

 crops. 



Renovating old or decayed trees. Proceed as in the renovat- 

 ing the plum, see p. 504. 



Growing cherry trees in orchards. Near large towns cherries 

 might be cultivated in orchards to a certain extent. In Kent 

 and Hertfordshire are the cherry orchards which afford the chief 

 supply for the London market. The sorts are chiefly the caroon. 



been one or two years in training against a wall ; Torbron trees 

 8 or 10 years from the bud, and selected of such various heights 

 as best suits the size of the house. 



Choice of situation. M'Phail and Torbron plant m rows, 

 beginning with the tallest in the back side, reserving the shortes 

 for the front, letting them slope to the south gradually, some- 

 what in the form in which plants are set in the green-house. 

 "- - ^ Nicol has a 



(Gard. remem. 146. and Hort. trans. 4. p. 116.) 



d a border 



Holman*s duhe^ 

 well iu orchards. 



May-duJc€y and the Mo 



trellis against the back wall for wall-trained trees, and a ^^" - 

 in front in which he plants dwarf standards. The dw^^ 



m Iront m which he plants dwarf standards. in^ *^\ 

 against the back trellis he plants 8 or 10 feet apart. Kuie^^ 

 that have been 3 or 4 years trained, and are well furnished wi 



fruit-spurs, may be planted between the dwarfs. ^^^^^^.^ 

 ^ ^ - . „ probably yield a few fruit the first season, and will hardly taU 



are fretiuently attacked by birds, it is advisable to have choice produce plentifully in that following. In the border may w 



1 ' 



^^gf 



