124 Commercial Gardening 



is frequently the case in Kent, or if the intermediate ground is planted 

 with bush fruit, the ordinary intensive cultivation and high manuring 

 of the Hops or bush fruit will suffice for the Cherries. If the Cherries 

 are planted on pasture the grass should not be allowed to grow within 

 4 ft. of the tree, since, if otherwise, it robs the young tree of moisture 

 and plant food so necessary for its development. The grass round the 

 young trees should be dug in, and dung at the rate of one load to eight 

 or ten trees spread over the dug ground. The dung serves to prevent 

 the grass from growing again as well as to manure the tree; and in 

 dry summers it acts as a mulch and keeps the soil moist for the roots 

 of the tree. 



Manuring the trees with dung should be repeated each year for about 

 six years, after which time the grass may be allowed to grow again 

 round the tree. 



Cherry trees begin to come into bearing about the sixth year; if, 

 therefore, the trees were originally planted in a Hop garden, the Hops 

 should now be grubbed and the land be sown down to permanent pasture. 

 If the Cherries are interplanted with bush fruit it is usual to let this 

 continue for a longer period, gradually grubbing the bushes as the 

 Cherries need the space, and finally laying down to permanent grass. 



The normal state of a Cherry orchard in full bearing is one in which 

 the soil is in permanent grass. The grass should be so managed that it 

 draws the ground as little as possible. It should be grazed with sheep 

 or pigs throughout the year as closely as possible, and it should never 

 be made into hay, nor should the grass be allowed to seed. 



The sheep, whilst being grazed under the trees, should be fed with 

 extra food, either roots or corn, both for the purpose of manuring the 

 trees and also because the quality of the grass under the shade of the 

 trees is poor, and sheep will not thrive upon this alone. The value 

 of such feeding should amount to from 3 to 5 per acre per annum, 

 and the value of the manurial residues, about 1 per acre, will suffice 

 for the manuring of the Cherries. 



Pruning". A Cherry tree requires very little pruning. It is sufficient 

 merely to establish the framework of the tree and then leave it to grow 

 undisturbed. 



Excessive pruning not only retards the development of the tree, but 

 is liable also to produce the exudation of gum from the stem and branches, 

 and result in an unhealthy state of the tree. Summer pruning is never 

 practised, because the fruit buds form naturally without it. 



In view of these considerations it is sometimes unnecessary to prune 

 at all, except to shorten the branches after planting, leaving about 6 in. 

 or 8 in. of young wood. If the tree is not well balanced, and there is 

 a vacant, spot in its framework, the branches next to this vacancy should 

 be so cut that the last bud on the branch points towards the vacancy, 

 so that when this bud develops, the resulting branch helps to fill the 

 vacancy and to balance the tree. 



