156 THE NURSERY. 



ing point be checked. So it is in cherries ; most of the 

 Dukes and Morellos are inclined to produce laterals the 

 first season ; but the free-growing sorts, Hearts and JBi- 

 garreaus, rarely do so, unless the point is checked early in 

 the season. So it is in all the fruits, and therefore no gen- 

 eral rule can be given ; but the appearance of the tree indi- 

 cates the treatment required. Where we see side branches 

 naturally produced the first season, we at once conclude 

 that the buds are well disposed to break, and the cutting 

 back may be comparatively light. Where no side 

 branches are produced, we must be governed by the 

 appearance of the buds on the lower part of the tree, 

 where it is desired to produce the lower branches ; if they 

 be small and flat, it will take close cutting to arouse them ; 

 but if plump and prominent, less vigorous measures will 

 be necessary. In the case of short, stout, and branched 

 yearlings, a few of the best placed, lowest, and strongest 

 branches are reserved, whilst the others are entirely re- 

 moved. We then shorten the reserved branches accord- 

 ing to their position, leaving the lowest the longest. The 

 leading shoot is shortened, so that all the buds left will be 

 sure to push and form shoots. When these have attained 

 the length of two or three inches, the strongest and best 

 placed are selected for permanent branches, and the others 

 are pinched off. 



Yearlings that have no side branches (fig. 91), we gen- 

 erally cut back one-half, as to JB, and, in many cases, two- 

 thirds, to (7, in order to obtain strong branches near the 

 ground. Almost every bud, below the one we cut to, 

 should push ; and when shoots of two inches or so are 

 made, we select two, three, or such number as may be 

 wanted, of the strongest and best situated, to be reserved, 

 and pinch the others. It very generally happens that two 

 or three buds next below the one we cut to, push with 

 such vigor as to injure both the leading shoot above and 

 the side shoots below them. They must be watched, and 



