212 State Horticultural Society. 



surface to absorb moisture, the tree is very liable to die back partly, if 

 not entirely, during the winter. They should, however, be planted in 

 the spring as early as possible; that is as early as the ground is in fit 

 condition to plow, and if possible before the buds begin to swell. They 

 may be planted even after the buds begin to burst, but I have noticed 

 that the earliest planted trees are more liable to live and make the best 

 growth. 



The cherry mil grow on almost any kind of soil except a very wet 

 one, but does best in a good sandy clay loam with a gravelly subsoil. 

 This seems to furnish the necessary drainage and sustenance to produce 

 the hardiest tree and best fruit. Before planting the ground should be 

 deeply and thoroughly plowed and pulverized. The roots of the trees 

 where cut or broken in digging should be smoothly cut and the hole in 

 which the trees are planted should be large enough to admit the roots 

 without bending; if it were possible to plow that deep, the hole 

 should not be deeper than the ground is plowed, although I believe that 

 cherries should be planted deeper than apples or pears. The roots 

 should be puddled in soft mud before setting the tree in its place; the 

 tree should be planted deep enough "so that the bud or graft is at least 

 tv.'o inches below the top of the soil when the hole is filled. The hole 

 should Lv. filled around the tree with fine melloAv earth, carefully packed 

 and tramped around the roots until the-^- are well covered, and the earth 

 should then be piled a little above the top of the surrounding soil to 

 allow for settling, but the top two or three inches should not be packed. 

 Greater care is required in planting the cherry than any other variety 

 of fruit I have ever tried. 



As stated above, I prefer to do but little if any pruning of chej'ry 

 trees at time of planting ; in fact, I prefer to plant small trees that need 

 no pruning. In March of the next year after planting the trees should 

 be gone over and pruned to shape the head ; clip in the ends of the long 

 sho?»ts, keep the heads round, in the case of trees that grow like the 

 Richmond, or conical with trees of more upright growth, and if the 

 branches have not started thick enough to make a good head, cut back 

 heavy enough to make them thicker, the aim being to shape the head as 



