394 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tree will thrive in nearly all good soils, but a dryer soil than for most 

 other fruits is found preferable ; a sandy or gravely loam is best. In 

 wet places or on water-soaked subsoils it does not flourish and soon 

 perishes. 



Raising cherries on a large scale for shipping purposes has been 

 either overlooked or not considered of sufficient importance from a 

 pecuniary standpoint, to induce our farmers to plant large orchards- 

 I know of only two such orchards in Maury county, those owned by 

 Mr. Rainey and myself. I would recommend for Middle Tennessee the 

 following kinds, named in the order of ripening: 1, Early Richmond; 

 2, Montmorency Ordinare ; 3, Royal Duke ; 4, Hortense ; 5, Large 

 English Morello. For orchards, I would recommend planting 20 feet 

 apart in the rows, and rows 20 feet apart. This would give 108 trees 

 to the acre. 



Cherry trees frequently do well planted in fence corners, but like 

 other fruit trees, do better when cultivated. Beyond trimming the 

 small, tender branches of the tree while young, to form a perimidical 

 head, the cherry tree should not be pruned, especially the large limbs^ 

 as they rarely heal. Sometimes the cherry crops are much lessened 

 by long and heavy rains, at the period of the bursting of the anthers, 

 washing down the pollen and preventing the fertilization of the 

 " stigma" and germ. Before closing this subject, I desire to call your 

 attention to the erroneous impression that prevails among many. That 

 in order to get a certain kind of cherry, they obtain a sprout from the 

 parent tree. This will invariably result in disappointment, as cherries 

 are always grafted upon the Mahaleb or Mazzard stock, hence sprouts 

 from an early Richmond, May Duke, Morello or some other kind would 

 result in a Mazzard or Mahaleb, a small, sour cherry not fit for the 

 table." 



The Ideal Strawberry. 



The "ideal strawberry" is often mentioned when horticulturists 

 get together, and there is a tolerably unanimous expression of the con- 

 clusion that this much-desired fruit has not yet made its advent. What 

 qualities must a strawberry ( plant and fruit ) have to entitle it to this 

 distinction ? 



The plant must be a vigorous grower, with a thick, stocky leaf, 

 and it must be a free producer of runners. It must be perfect flow- 

 ered — we must not be compelled to plant others with it to insure its 

 fruitfulness. It must be productive, fully as much so as the most pro- 



