DISEASES OF THE CHERRY 233 



made it a rule to go over and dress up and prune out cherry orchard 1 , im- 

 mediately after the crop is gathered which in our part of the State is the 

 last of May. All wounds made then by the removal of branches or other- 

 wise will heal over the same season. All large wounds made at any time, 

 however, should be coated over with paint. 



The method thus described by Mr. Smith is that by which prob- 

 ably nine-tenths of the cherry trees of this State are shaped. 



In selecting the shoots to form the head of the young tree they 

 should be as far apart as possible on the short stem and on different 

 sides, as explained in detail in Chapter XII. It is especially desir- 

 able to avoid the basin which is so often formed in old cherry trees 

 by growth of three or four main limbs closing up to form a central 

 cavity, which will be discussed on a following page. 



In the cherry tree there should be the same observation as to 

 cutting inside and outside buds as with other trees ; in fact, the out- 

 side bud is the rule, because so many varieties make a directly 

 upward growth. In removing limbs, cutting to the collar or swell- 

 ing at the base of the limb is especially important, also the covering 

 of the wound to prevent checking of the wood. 



GRAFTING OVER THE CHERRY 



Since canning of cherries began on a large scale, there has been 

 a vastly increased demand for white cherries. The Royal Ann (a 

 local name for Napoleon Bigarreau) has been the favorite. Other 

 white storts are also used for canning. This rise in favor of the white 

 cherries has vastly increased their proportionate production as 

 compared with the choice black and red varieties, which are still 

 popular as a table fruit. 



It is the experience of growers that the cherry is grafted over as 

 easily as the pear or apple, if the tree is healthy. In large trees as 

 many as fifty or one hundred grafts may be set, choosing the smaller 

 limbs, even if you have to go pretty high in the tree. J. W. Cassidy, 

 of Petaluma, used to advise grafting before the sap begins to flow 

 in the winter, or if not done then, wait until the buds are well ad- 

 vanced or the tree in bloom. He had trees which were over thirty 

 years old before they were re-headed, and they made fine tops of 

 new and healthy wood, and produced abundantly. The cherry is 

 grafted by the usual top-grafting methods described in Chapter |X. 



PESTS AND DISEASES OF THE CHERRY 



The disease of the cherry which is most heard of is the "gum," 

 or overflow and condensation of sap, which, if left to itself, often 

 induces decay of adjacent bark and wood. Without attempting to 

 explain the causes of the unhealthy exudations, which are several, 

 it may be said that prompt treatment of certain manifestations is 

 desirable, and in others the tree should be cleansed from the flow. 

 Where the gum exudes on the side of trunk or limb, the thin outer 

 bark should be pared away with a sharp knife, the accumulation of 

 gum and sap removed, and the wound painted with asphaltum or 

 lead and oil paint, or covered with grafting wax. A rational treat- 



