512 



AMYGDALACE^E. V. CEKASUS. 



during the above period die thermometer may be kept to 45 

 inside the house. As the season advances and becomes more 

 mild, and the days longer, probably about the first or middle of 

 February, the thermometer may be raised to 50", and then it is 

 expedient to give gentle sprinklings by an engine or syringe two 

 or three times a week in the evening. Whilst the trees are in 

 bloom no sprinkling must be used, but the flues when only mo- 

 derately hot are to be steamed morning and evening, and every 

 day and hour of sunshine, and in calm and mild weather fresh air 

 must be copiously admitted. When the petals begin to drop, 

 and when the fruit is set, the temperature may be raised to 55, 

 the house being engined three or four times a week in the even- 

 ing, but never till the bloom is all down. When the cherries are 

 completely stoned the thermometer may be raised to 60 by fire 

 heat, sprinkling every evening by the engine till the fruit is 

 nearly ripe ; the house may be kept higher by day as well as by 

 night after stoning. 



Watering. M'Phail waters occasionally at the root and over 

 the top till the trees are in blossom ; but when the stones in the 

 fruit are become hard, the trees may be washed all over occa- 

 sionally with clean water, not too cold. Let this be done in a 

 fine sunny morning. In April, when the cherries are grown 

 large, give the border a good watering now and then, which will 

 enable the trees to swell their fruit to a good size ; by keeping 

 them in a healthy growing state the fruit will be fine flavoured, 

 and the trees will make strong flower-buds for the ensuing sea- 

 son. If the fruit is not ripening, wash the trees occasionally, in 

 a sunshiny morning, with sweet clean water. According to 

 Torbron, " from the time the flower begins to open till the fruit 

 is completely stoned, the soil should be but sparingly watered ; 

 but when the stoning is effected water may be applied to the 

 roots freely till the fruit is nearly ripe, when he desists." (Hort. 

 trans. 4. p. 119.) Before the fruit begins to colour the engine 

 should be exercised with force, and often for a week or two, to 

 subdue the red spider. After the crop is gathered the water- 

 ing must be resumed, and continued till the foliage begins to 

 drop. The border may be kept in a moderately moist state 

 until the leaves begin to fall, or till the house be exposed or be 

 uncovered. 



Air. In forcing the cherry it is essential to continue a free 

 circulation of air ; always sifstaining the minimum heat in the 

 different stages. The blossoms will sometimes fall abortive, or 

 the young fruit drop off after setting, from no other cause than 

 a stagnant atmosphere. At first beginning to force M'Phail 

 gives plenty of air night and day. In February, when the trees 

 are in blossom, " let the house have air day and night, and as 

 much as you can when the fruit are swelling off." Nicol says, 

 " the airing of the cherry-house may be performed by the sashes 

 with every safety till the buds begin to expand, and after that in 

 frosty or bad weather air may be admitted by the ventilators. 

 In February nothing is more conducive to the health of the 

 plants, and the setting of the fruit, than a regular and free cir- 

 culation of air. A day should never pass without less or more 

 air being admitted. As the fruit begins to ripen give as large 

 and regular portions of air as possible, opening the sashes by 8 

 or 9 o'clock in the morning, giving full air about 10 o'clock, re- 

 ducing about 2 or 3, and shutting up about 4 or 5, sooner or 

 later according to the state of the atmosphere. In conducting 

 this matter, however, regard must be had to the temperature, 

 but air may be admitted in sunshine to such an extent as to keep 

 down the mercury or spirits in the thermometer to 65, and at 

 other times to 60." Card. kal. p. 339. Torbron says, " the 

 cherry in forcing requiring more fresh air than most other fruits, 

 particular attention must be paid to its admission, by the gardener 

 having it in his power occasionally to make as many inlets or 

 openings as convenient. It will be conducive to this end that 



the roof and the upright or front sashes, if any, be moveable, and 

 all with little difficulty, because in changeable weather the cur- 

 runt of air may be required to be augmented or reduced many 

 times in one day. Air must be admitted freely and copiously 

 when the weather is mild and calm, and accompanied with sun- 

 shine, during the time the cherries are in bloom, and also near 

 the time of their ripening." Hort. trans. 4. p. 119. 



Insects and diseases. " The cherry is liable to be infested by a 

 small grub-worm, which rolls itself up in the leaves, and extends 

 its ravages to the fruit. As soon as the insect is perceived the 

 trees should be searched daily, that it may be destroyed by the 

 hand, and prevented from spreading. It usually shows itself 

 first about the time of flowering." Pract. gard. p. 661. The 

 cherry-house, as the season advances, may be smoked once a 

 week or ten days, which will prevent the trees from being in- 

 fested with a blackish kind of insect, frequently very pernicious. 

 Birds are apt to get into the house and eat the fruit, therefore 

 narrow nets should be employed, which will prevent birds as 

 well as wasps and flies from getting to the fruit. Torbron 

 fumigates for the black fly, and picks off the grub. 



Gathering and keeping the fruit. If it be found necessary 

 cherries will keep some time on the trees, provided the birds can 

 be kept from them. Keep the house for the purpose dry, cool, 

 and well aired. Gard. rem. p. 246. 



Exposing the wood. This, according to all the authors quoted, 

 may be done from the time the fruit is gathered till within a week 

 or ten days of the recommencement of forcing. The glass 

 should be entirely taken off, unless the cherry-house is in part 

 used for some other purpose, to which this practice would be in- 

 jurious. 



Forcing cherry trees in pots. M'Phail and Nicol concur in 

 approving the very general practice of planting cherry trees in 

 pots ; in which, or in tubs of a foot or 15 inches in diameter, 

 they may be successfully forced. Three or four dozen good 

 plants managed in this way would give a great deal of fruit, 

 which might be had in succession for a considerable length of 

 time by dividing the plants into 3 or 4 classes or divisions, and 

 shifting them from one compartment to another. In January 

 the first 12 trees may be placed in the green-house or conser- 

 vatory, if there be one, or in a peach-house now at work, placing 

 them in the coolest part of the house, but in the full light, and 

 where they may have plenty of air. They must be duly attended 

 to with water at the roots, and be frequently syringed at top, 

 generally once in two days. The pots being occasionally watered 

 with the drainings of the dung-hill would add much to the 

 vigour of the plants ; there is no method of manuring more 

 effectual or so readily accomplished. The plants may remain 

 here till the fruit be fairly set, the stoning over, and all danger of 

 dropping past. They may then be placed in a vinery or stove 

 to ripen off, where they would come in early, and be very high 

 flavoured, if placed near the light, and so as that they may have 

 free air daily. In February a second and third dozen should be 

 taken in, and a fourth in the beginning of March, and each similarly 

 treated. Gard. kal. It is very common with early forced cherry 

 trees to bear a second crop late in the same season. Hort. trans. 

 3. p. 367. Mr. B. Law (Hort. trans, series 2. vol. 1.) finds the 

 following method of forcing cherries attended with greater suc- 

 cess than any other he is acquainted with. He puts the cherry 

 trees into his houses, giving them but very little water at the 

 close of the year, by which he finds them better prepared for 

 blooming in the spring. Their pots have a capacity of from two 

 quarts to two gallons, according to the size of the plants, but the 

 soil in which they are planted is by no means rich, for he finds 

 that highly manured soil makes the shoots too luxuriant, and 

 causes them to gum. When he begins to force he waters but 

 sparingly, and admits air both by night and by day as much as 



