CHERRIES \\ 'A TERING. , 3 



Fruit Dropping. Frost is often attributed as the cause of this. Frost-bitten 

 blossoms do not set; young cherries injured by inclement weather rarely reach -the 

 stoning stage. Trees against buildings are more frequently fruitless than those in the 

 open. Want of proper supplies of nourishment is a prevalent cause of cherries which 

 blossom freely being fruitless year after year. Trees in dry situations, in hot seasons, 

 should have water and liquid manure abundantly. Those which rarely set a crop of 

 fruit may have a good supply of the latter before the blossom buds unfold, and the soil 

 must not be allowed to become very dry in summer. Cherry trees cannot be expected 

 to do other than cast their fruit when languishing in dry situations. 



Thinning the Fruit. Where fine fruit is desired the cherries should be thinned 

 where too thickly set, operating as soon as the fruits are safely swelling. Take out the 

 small and ill-shapen first with scissors, reducing the number gradually till one-half or 

 one-third only of the cherries commonly allowed to remain for the crop are left, and 

 those the best placed. This secures finer specimens and often prevents a loss of crop 

 another year through the trees being over-burdened with small cherries and therefore 

 exhausted. 



Watering. Cherry trees in dry sites and hot soils need, as stated above, copious 

 supplies of water in dry weather, from the time the fruit is set till the crop is gathered, 

 and the buds for next year's bearing are duly formed. Water, of course, must only be 

 given when necessary ; then supply it in quantities to thoroughly moisten the soil to a 

 depth of 2 feet. Mere wetting of the surface benefits but little. Copious waterings at 

 weekly intervals may be necessary in porous soils ; those of a holding nature will only 

 need supplies at fortnightly or three weeks' intervals. The correct thing is to examine 

 the soil and when it is getting dry afford a thorough soaking so as to moisten it 

 evenly throughout the area occupied by the roots. 



Feeding. Liquid manure may be supplied to weakly trees and those carrying heavy 

 crops, instead of water, say when the fruit is set, again in three weeks, and a third time 

 when the fruit has stoned ; but needless applications of liquid manure are prejudicial. 

 If the weather prove dry, and the trees have produced heavily and are weakly, afford a 

 generous supply of liquid manure in August or early September. This will assist 

 the trees to recuperate. For forms of liquid manure, see Vol. I., page 56 



Top-dressing and Mulching. To accelerate the growth of the current crop, super- 

 phosphate of lime, two parts, and muriate of potash, one part, mixed, and sprinkled on 

 the surface at the rate of 1 J ounce per square yard, as far outwards from the stem of the 



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