510 



AMYGDALACE.E. V. CERASUS. 



should commence in May or June, in order to regulate the shoots 

 of the same year. Disbud the superfluous or foreright shoots, 

 or if they have been suffered to spring, pinch or cut them off 

 with such as are disorderly. Retain a competent supply of the 

 best well placed side and terminal shoots, to remain for selection 

 at the winter pruning. Nail or lay in the reserve close to the 

 wall at their full length, and so train tliem all summer. The 

 winter pruning may be performed at the fall of the leaf, or at any 

 time in moderate weather till February or March. It comprises 

 a regulation both of the old and young wood. Carefully pre- 

 serve the sound and productive branches and bearers in their 

 full expansion, and reduce or remove such only as are irregular 

 in growth, too crowded, unfruitful, decayed, or cankery. Any 

 branches extending out of bounds prune into some good lateral 

 shoot or fruit-bud. According to the time the bearers have 

 already lasted, look to some promising shoots for successors to 

 those which may first wear out. To fill immediate vacancies 

 retain select shoots of the last year and the year before, with 

 uniformly a leader to the advancing branch where there is room, 

 and with lateral shoots in any open or unproductive space nearer 

 the origin of the branches, to be trained as bearers between the 

 main branches. Some cut superfluous fruit-shoots clean away ; 

 others leave a sprinkling of short stubs cut very short if fore- 

 right. The new laterals and terminals are to be trained in at 

 full length as far as room will permit. They will come into 

 bearing the first and second year. In pruning cherry trees in 

 general be careful to preserve the small clustering fruit spurs, 

 except where on wall trees any old spurs project considerably, and 

 assume a rugged disorderly appearance ; cut such clean out 

 smoothly. 



Pruning the Morello cherry. " The Morello cherry bears 

 principally on the shoots of last year, the fruit proceeding imme- 

 diately from the eyes of the shoots, and bears but casually, and 

 in a small degree, on close spurs formed on the two year old 

 wood, and hardly ever on wood of the third year. Therefore 

 both in the summer and winter pruning leave a supply of last 

 year's shoots on all the branches, from the origin to the extre- 

 mity of the tree, for next year's bearers, cutting out past bearers 

 to make room. It is plain that the Morello ought to have no 

 stubs left with a view to spurs, and all foreright shoots ought to 

 be disbudded while young. To leave a convenient space for 

 young wood train the present bearers 6 inches apart ; lay in be- 

 tween each of these one young shoot forbearing next year, which 

 will make the promiscuous distance 3 inches." Underwood 

 (Caled. hort. mem. 1. p. 427.) has often observed, when the 

 branches of cherry trees are laid in too near to one another, or 

 are crossed by branches of the same kind, or by plum-tree 

 branches, as is sometimes the case, that although there be abun- 

 dance of blossom, yet there is no crop even in good seasons. 

 On examining the blossoms produced on such crowded shoots he 

 found that in 50 flowers there were not above two styles, of 

 course no fruit could be expected. By not laying in the branches 

 so close, and by removing all superfluous summer shoots, more 

 light and air was admitted, and he had in consequence plentiful 

 crops. 



Renovating old or decayed trees. Proceed as in the renovat- 

 ing the plum, see p. 501. 



Growing cherry trees in orchards. Near large towns cherries 

 might be cultivated in orchards to a certain extent. In Kent 

 and Hertfordshire are the cherry orchards which afford the chief 

 supply for the London market. The sorts are chiefly the caroon, 

 small black or Kentish, the May-duke, and the Morello ; but 

 Hainan's duke, the black heart, and large black gean will do 

 well in orchards. 



Protecting from birds. " As cherries in the ripening state 

 are frequently attacked by birds, it is advisable to have choice 



1 



wall-trees or espaliers defended with large nets in due time. 

 Old fishing nets may also be spread over the branches of dwarf 

 standards. To protect other standard trees let scare-crows and 

 clap-boards be put up." 



Gathering the fruit. Use the hand, taking hold of the fruit- 

 stalk in gathering from the wall, and the cherry gatherer, in 

 gathering from the distant branches of high standards. 



Insects and diseases, &c. Wall cherry trees are often infested 

 with the red-spider, but standards are generally not much in- 

 jured by insects. Nasmith says, " our cherry trees both in the 

 open air, and on the natural walls, particularly the tops of young 

 shoots, are much attacked with a small black insect, provincially 

 called the black beetle. The remedy I have found most effec- 

 tual for their destruction is a mixture of pitch with one-sixteenth 

 part of powdered orpiment, one-sixteenth part of sulphur, dis- 

 solved over a slow fire in an earthen pipkin, until they be well 

 incorporated ; when cold, divide it into small pieces about the 

 size of a hen's egg, and burn it under the trees with damp straw, 

 directing the smoke as much as possible where the insects are 

 most numerous. In an hour afterwards, if the state of the fruit 

 will admit, give the trees a good washing with a garden engine, 

 which generally clears off the half dead beetles, and prevents the 

 spreading of the red-spider." Caled. hort. mem. 2. p. 90. 



Of the culture of the cherry-house* 



Though the cherry be a native of Britain no fruit is more diffi- 

 cult to force. M'Phail observes, " no tree forced for obtaining 

 fruit early is more liable to fail of a good crop than the cherry ; 

 the blossoms are apt to fall off before the fruit is set, and the 

 fruit will keep falling off before and after they are as large as 

 peas. This is occasioned by a kind of stagnation of air about 

 them, which affects the tender blossoms and young shoots." 



Soil. M'Phail says, " take light, sandy, rich, mellow earth, 

 and make a border of it the whole width of the house, and 4 feet 

 deep." According to Nicol, " the border should be from 24 to 

 30 inches deep ; the bottom, if not naturally mild and dry, to 

 be drained and paved. The soil should be a sandy loam or light 

 hale garden earth, made moderately rich with stable-yard dung 

 well reduced, or with other light compost. If a small portion of 

 lime, or a moderate quantity of marl, were mixed with it so much 

 the better. The soil for cherries to be forced in pots or tubs 

 should be considerably richer than the above." Torbron (Hort. 

 trans. 4. p. 116.) uses fresh virgin soil and rotten dung. 



Choice of sorts. M'Phail, Nicol, and all gardeners agree in 

 giving the preference to the May-duke. Nicol says, " none of 

 the other kinds set so well, except the Morello, which I do not 

 hesitate to say well deserves a place ; it is a good bearer, and 

 the fruit when forced acquires superior size and flavour." Nicol, 

 kal. p. 295. 



Choice of plants. M'Phail takes standards of different heights 

 in a bearing state ; Nicol clean, healthy, young plants, that have 

 been one or two years in training against a wall ; Torbron trees 

 8 or 10 years from the bud, and selected of such various heights 

 as best suits the size of the house. 



Choice of situation. M'Phail and Torbron plant in rows, 

 beginning with the tallest in the back side, reserving the shortest 

 for the front, letting them slope to the south gradually, some- 

 what in the form in which plants are set in the green-liouse." 

 (Card, remem. 146. and Hort. trans. 4. p. 116.) Nicol has a 

 trellis against the back wall for wall-trained trees, and a border 

 in front in which he plants dwarf standards. The dwarfs 

 against the back trellis he plants 8 or 10 feet apart. Riders 

 that have been 3 or 4 years trained, and are well furnished with 

 fruit-spurs, may be planted between the dwarfs. They may 

 probably yield a few fruit the first season, and will hardly fail to 

 produce plentifully in that following. In the border may be 



