Souk Cherries. 479 



so desires. A variety of plants may be used for this cover. 

 The best is probably crimson clover, particularly if the orchard 

 needs more nitrogen or growth ; and if American grown seed is 

 sown by the middle of Augnst in a well prepared soil, the cover 

 will probably pass the winter safely. Other jDlants which may 

 be used for cover are rye, winter wheat, vetch, held pea, sowed 

 corn, millet and buckwheat. Of these, only the two first will 

 live through the winter and grow in the spring. In using cover 

 crops which survive the winter, it is very important that they be 

 turned nnderjtist as soon as the ground is dry enough in spring. 

 As soon as the plant begins to grow it evaporates moisture and dries 

 out the soil ; and it is more important, as a rule, to save this moisture 

 than it is to secure the extra herbage which would result from delay. 

 This is especially true with the sour cherry, which matures its 

 product so early in the season, and which profits so much by a liberal 

 and constant supply of soil moisture. Plowing can also be begun 

 earlier on land which has a sowed crop upon it, because of the 

 drying action of the crop. The fertilizers which give best results 

 with other orchard fruits, may be expected to yield equally good 

 returns with the cherry. (See Bulletin 72.) 



It is an almost universal fault to plant cherry trees too close 

 together. The Montmorency should not be planted closer than 18 

 feet each way, in orchard blocks, although it is often set as close as 

 12 feet. The English Morello is a more bushy grower and may, 

 perhaps, be set as close as 16 feet with success ; but I believe that 

 •even this variety should stand 18 feet apart. The sour cherry 

 orchards in western New York are yet so young that the evil effects 

 of close planting have not yet been made apparent, I find, however, 

 that nearly every shrewd orchardist who has had experience with 

 these fruits is convinced that the general planting is too close. 



Cherries are usually set when two years old from the bud. The 

 Bour varieties are propagated both upon Mazzard and Mahaleb 

 stocks, chietly the latter, but the comparative merits of the two are 

 not determined. The tops are started about three or four feet high, 

 and the subsequent pruning is very like that given the plum . If 

 the young trees make a very strong growth and tend to become top- 

 heavy, heading-in may be practiced ; but this operation is not con- 

 sidered to be necessary after the trees begin to bear. Cherry trees 

 require less attention to pruning than apple trees and peach trees do. 



