40 THE KANSAS CHERRY. 



In selecting a site for an orchard, care should be had to get a piece 

 of deep loamy soil, free from stagnant moisture ; it should be well 

 drained, either naturally or otherwise. No fruit plants, unless it be 

 the grape or peach, will so quickly or efPectually protest againt the 

 presence of excessive moisture as the cherr)^ Deep plowing and 

 thorough after-preparation are very essential. Lay the rows twenty 

 feet apart and set the trees twenty feet apart in the row. My first ex- 

 perience was with trees set 10x15 feet, which I found to be entirely 

 too close; a later planting was made in setting 16|x20 feet, and this 

 also is too close for Early Richmond and Montmorency, but probably 

 sufficient for English Morello. Two-year-old trees are usually chosen. 

 But I am of the opinion that a closer and better acquaintance with 

 young trees would lead to a general planting of one-year-olds. It is 

 true that a little care and training would be transferred from the 

 nurseryman to the orchardist, but this will be compensated for by an 

 earlier establishment and fewer losses in transplanting. 



When planting one-year-old trees they should be trimmed to a 

 single stem, being careful to rub oif all superfluous shoots as they 

 appear, locating the head as desired, and cherry trees should be low- 

 headed. The pruning in after-years should consist of cutting out 

 such branches as interlock, and the successful orchardist will sooner 

 or later recognize the fact that the cherry tree will resent any unnec- 

 essary mutilation by a decline in vigor and early decay. Cultivation 

 should begin early in the spring, after planting. Such crops as straw- 

 berries and ra.spberries may be cultivated in the orchard for three or 

 four years. But where this is practiced the loss to the soil should be 

 repaired by applying suitable fertilizers. These should not be too rich 

 in nitrogen but have a large percentage of potash and phosphoric 

 acid. A much better crop for the orchard is soy-beans or cow-peas; 

 in every case it is necessary to keep plenty of fiber in the soil. After 

 the third or fourth year no other crop should be allowed in the or- 

 chard, and shallow and thorough cultivation should be commenced 

 early in the season and continued until the fruit is harvested, after 

 which a cover crop should be sowed. I am thoroughly convinced 

 that orchard cultivation should include a cover ero^D. Indeed, I find 

 that on slope lands it is impossible to cultivate orchards without the 

 aid of cover crops to prevent great losses by washing. 



All will concede that most if not all of our fruit plants should re- 

 ceive their cultivation in early spring, and that late tillage in most cases 

 means a late growth that will endanger the succeeding crop, if not the 

 life of the plant. Thus we find it convenient and necessary to sow 

 a cover crop. A variety of plants may be used for such crop, such as 

 cow-peas, oats, sorghum, millet, buckwheat and, if the soil is inclined 



