THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 75 



There are records of the Choke Cherry, Pmniis virginiana,^ and of the 

 Rum, or wild Black Cherry, Prunus serotina, having been used as stocks 

 but these long-bunch, or racemose, cherries are so distantly related to the 

 short -bunch, or fascicled, orchard cherries that it would seem that their use 

 would be desirable only under great stress. 



In Japan a horticultural variety of Prunus pseudacerasus is used 

 as a stock. Of this cherry for this purpose, Professor Yugo Hoshino of 

 the Tohoku Imperial University at Sapporo, Japan, writes as follows: 



" You wish to know about the cherry stocks used in this country. 

 It is very rare to use our common wild cherry as a stock for European 

 cherries. In Hokkaido (Yozo Island), we commonly use the seedlings of 

 European Sweet and Sour Cherries as stocks. But in the northern part 

 of Japan proper (Main Island), it is a common practice to graft European 

 cherries on a special kind of our cherry. This cherry has particular char- 

 acters which fit it for propagation; namely, it roots very easily either from 

 cuttings or by layering (mound). Its botanical position is not certain, 

 but it is probable that it is a cultural variety of Pseudocerasus, especially 

 bred for stock purposes. It is grown by nurserymen only and called Dai- 

 Sakura. {Dai means stock: Sakura means cherry.) It has a somewhat 

 dwarfing influence on cions and hastens their fruiting age." 



This stock ought to be tried in America if, indeed, it is not already 

 tmder cvdtivation from introductions made by the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



These are but a few of many cherries that have been or might be 

 tried as stocks for orchard varieties. There are many species of cherries 

 more closely related to the cultivated edible sorts than the Mahaleb. 

 Many of the cherries from Asia, not now known to growers, will eventually 

 find their way to America; a few have already been introduced by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture; some of them can undoubtedly 

 be used as stocks and from them we may hope to find a better stock than 

 either the Mazzard or Mahaleb. 



Cherries are now grown almost wholly as budded trees but they can 

 be more or less readily root-grafted, depending upon the variety. Under 

 some circumstances it might be profitable to propagate them by grafting. 

 Usually it is necessary to use a whole root and to graft at the crown of 

 the stock. Budd recommends this practice for Iowa, using Mazzard stock 



• Prunus virginiana was used as a stock in Oregon in 1850 as there were no other stocks available. 

 The union was very good but the stock was condemned because of suckering. Seth Lewelling N. W. 

 Horticulturist Nov. 1887. 



