THE KANSAS CHERRY. 29 



The cherry can be grown successfully on any clay soil with a well- 

 drained subsoil, and if mixed with gravel or shale is all the better. 

 For a family supply it may be planted in the yard or lawn, in which 

 case the ground should be worked around the trees as much as three 

 or four feet the first two seasons after planting to keep down the 

 growth of grass and weeds. This method is much ^jreferred to mulch- 

 ing, as mulching adds humus, which stimulates growth faster than it 

 can ripen its wood. 



For a commercial purpose, the location should be selected with two 

 points in view — first, that the entire plat is well drained; second, that 

 the soil is not too full of humus, with a north and east exposure, and 

 a west and north protection. In the absence of natural protection, 

 plant evergreens or some spreading native forest-trees. Plow deep 

 and harrow smooth. Mark off accurately, so as to place the trees 

 twenty feet apart each way. If the surface of the land be level, plow 

 with a back land for each row. Dig holes wide and deep enough to 

 receive the roots without twisting or bending. Have the trees trenched 

 handy, taking out a few, protecting the roots as taken out. Cut back 

 all mutilated roots to sound live wood with a sharp knife; incline the 

 stalk ten to fifteen degrees to the southwest. Set deep enough to 

 bring the budded junction two to three inches under the level of the 

 ground. Fill in with well-palverized soil, sprinkling on and through 

 the roots. If the dirt is pitched in, a shovelful at a time, it will clog 

 on top of the roots, leaving space underneath without any. Pack or 

 settle the dirt as filled in until the roots are well covered, when the 

 packing should be done with the foot, giving weight and force until 

 satisfied that there are no air spaces left. Finish the filling with loose 

 dirt on top without tramping ; this will prevent the soil from baking 

 and cracking. After the planting go over the entire tree cutting off 

 broken limbs, but no other cutting should be done. If possible, be- 

 fore a rain, the cultivator should be run through the orchard, loosen- 

 ing up the ground that has necessarily been tramped and packed in 

 planting. 



If the ground is fertile the orchard may be planted to corn, pota- 

 toes or any hoed or cultivated crop for first two seasons, and if over- 

 fertile crops should be grown up to the fourth season, when the 

 ground can be sown to clover or left to grow in weeds. In either case 

 the clover or weeds should be mowed from middle to last of June and 

 again from middle to last of August, and in both cases left on the 

 ground. No pruning is required, except to cut out dead or broken 

 limbs, and the best time to do this is at the moment you find the limb 

 dead or broken. 



If planted twenty feet each way it takes 110 trees to the acre. The 

 average yield of a cherry tree at five years old is nine gallons; which. 



