Culture of the Cherry 



1831 



If land is too moist or too rich, the trees will grow rapidly and the wood 

 will not mature. Winter injury will result, and within a few years the 

 trunks will crack, thus admitting fungus spores so that decay and the 

 final destruction of the tree will rapidly follow. In general, the sour 

 cherry prefers a lighter soil than does the sweet cherry, while sour varieties 

 require more moisture in order to develop the best fruit. The soil for 

 both types should be retentive of moisture, and moisture is regulated to a 

 large extent by the amount of humus in the soil. The moisture-holding 

 capacity of the soil can be increased by the addition of vegetable matter, 

 in the form either of cover-crops or of barnyard manure. 



Fig. 124. — Montmorency cherry trees growing by the roadside 



Planting 



The cherry should seldom be planted as a filler for any other orchard 

 tree because it requires different cultural treatment. Unlike other orchard 

 fruits, it matures its crop early in summer and requires the remainder 

 of the season for the proper development of fruit spurs and the maturing 

 of wood. When the cherry is planted with such fruits as the apple or 

 the pear, it is forced to maintain active growth for a longer period than 

 is desirable and is frequently unable to mature its wood before winter. 



The time of year for planting cherries depends on several factors. 

 If the locality is subject to severe winter weather, it is best to delay 

 planting until spring. If well-matured trees cannot be obtained in fall, 



