MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 379 



while fruit is being matnred. There is no objection to growing small 

 fruits or some other crop requiring frequent cultivation between the 

 rows of cherry trees for a few years, provided the land is good and 

 contains enough plant food to keep the trees in vigorous condition. 



The sweet cherry is a coarse feeder and will thrive on less applied 

 ferlilizer than the other kinds. ( G. Harold Powell, Bulletin 35, Dela- 

 ware Experiment Station.) When the land is too rich, or too much 

 fertilizer is added, the energy of the tree is apt to be devoted too 

 largely to wood growth. An abundance of moisture is essential for 

 cherry trees during the bearing season, especially just before and dur- 

 ing the ripening process, consequently it is advisable with a bearing 

 orchard to plow early in spring and follow with light cultivations every 

 ten days, or whenever the rain becomes scarce. On the first or mid- 

 dle of July the condition of the soil can be greatly improved in its 

 water-holding capacity by turning under annual crops of crimson clover 

 or some other nitrogenous cover crop. In order to secure this crop, 

 sow at the last cultivation 10 or 12 pounds of crimson clover seed per 

 acre. It is very essential to retain the moisture in the soil in the 

 spring by early plowing and by quite frequent culture. If the trees 

 make too vigorous a growth, seed down one year to rye or buckwheat. 



The most profitable sour cherries are the Montmorency and Early 

 Richmond, and these varieties can be grown in nearly all the orchard 

 fruit regions of the United States. In the eastern states the following 

 sweet varieties have been grown with more or less success: Black 

 Tartarian, Robert's Red Heart, Napoleon, Windsor and Dikeman. For 

 this same region the following may be added for family use: Black 

 Eagle, Mezel, Gov. Wood, Coe's Transparent, Knight's Early Black, 

 Yellow Spanish and Louis Philippe. — Orange Judd Farmer. 



THE CARE OF PLUM ORCHARDS. 



Any good corn soil will do for a plum orchard in Iowa. Perhaps 

 the very best location is a gentle northern slope. Do not worry about 

 the soil being too rich, and before planting your trees have it plowed 

 deeply and harrow it very smooth. Set your trees in rows running 

 north and south, 16 to 20 feet apart between the rows, and 10 to 12 

 feet between the trees in the rows. Be careful to select different va- 

 rieties that bloom about the same time and mix them. This will give 

 more perfect fertilization and abundant annual crops. Plant only 

 varieties of the very largest and richest color, especially if you are 

 planting for maiket, for size and color will sell a fruit better thau 

 quality, although it is desirable if we can combine all these points in 



