THE CHERRY, PLUM, PRUNE, APRICOT, AND PEACH. 8 



when planted, and by pinching the lower limbs it may be 

 made to grow two feet more in height when ready for lay-, 

 ing down in the fall. Late in autumn trim off all the side 

 limbs and dig away the earth on the side it is to be turned 

 over. By pressing at the crown and gently crowding the 

 tree downward, the cane can be laid flat on the ground 

 and pinned fast. Then cover with straw, with dirt enough 

 on top to hold it in place. The next spring the cane is 

 left prostrate, but the point is turned upward and tied o 

 a stake. The next fall the top attached to the stake is cut 

 loose and turned to the right or left. The spring of the 

 prostrate stem will permit a child to bend the top to the 

 ground at this stage of growth. Later, as the stem attains 

 greater size, it will need more strength, but if always 

 turned in the same direction the top can be turned over 

 after the tree has produced several crops. The prostrate 

 stem and the crown must be covered as well as the tops. 

 Before covering the top, cut back fully one- half of the new 

 growth and take out alsp the weak inner shoots and the 

 unripe twigs. For this plan of growing, select such 

 varieties as Bokhara No. 3 or Xo. 10, that will ripen up 

 the wood well in autumn. Farther south, where the wood 

 n relatively unharmed in winter, but where the fruit-buds 

 or blossoms are liable to be killed by frosts, spraying with 

 milk of lime towards spring has proven an advantage, as 

 the white color is less affected by heat-rays and the 

 blossoming period is slightly retarded. But in north 

 Silesia the writer observed a far better plan for retarding 

 the blossoming period. In frosty localities amateur 

 growers adopted the cordon system of training (146) of 

 the cherry, plum, apricot, and peach, and after pruning 

 in the fall the tops were covered with gunny sacking 

 whitened with lime. The light-colored cloth- prevented 

 the swelling of the fruit-buds during warm spells in winter 



