CHERRIES IN POTS 383 



The trees remain here all the summer, are watered carefully 

 every morning when the weather is bright and dry, and 

 syringed with pure water if the greenfly is troublesome. 

 In July, when the trees are well rooted, a top-dressing of 

 stable-manure and kiln-dust in equal parts is given the 

 trees. A few days before the top-dressing is used it is 

 spread out in thin layers somewhere outdoors, and soaked 

 several times with liquid manure. It is applied to the soil 

 in the pots, in layers two inches thick near the rims, but 

 thinner near the stems of the trees. This top-dressing 

 greatly improves and strengthens the trees for the coming 

 year. 



"After growing in pots one summer, trees are fit to be 

 sold the following autumn or spring. From Rivers' nur- 

 sery three or four hundred potted cherry trees are sold 

 yearly, the number increasing constantly. Old cherry trees 

 that have been cultivated in pots for years are kept during 

 winter in one of the orchard -houses. When spring comes 

 and their buds begin to start, the pots are plunged up to 

 the rim in the ground in the cherry-house. 



"The pyramidal form is best and most used for potted 

 cherry trees. Pruning is not often necessary the first year 

 after potting, for the strength of the tree goes to form short 

 fruit-branches; but after the trees are well rooted, strong 

 shoots are sent out in summer. Summer pruning consists 

 mainly in pinching back these strong shoots to six or seven 

 leaves each. If after this first stopping they grow out 

 again, they are again pinched-back. On the leading 

 branches, side -shoots that are not needed to fill empty 

 spaces or make new leaders, are stopped at the third leaf. 

 The sour cherries, which form young buds better on the 

 side-shoots, might be pruned less. Much winter pruning 

 is not needed for trees that have been well stopped in sum- 

 mer. Winter pruning must be done as soon as leaf and 

 bloom-buds can be distinguished. It is done upon the same 

 principle as outdoor pruning, but as the room in orchard- 



