Fruit Growing 37 



under ground (they are grafted at the crozun of the root) and shall I 

 loosen the cloth a little later ivhen they start to grozuf Hozo can I get 

 the head for the tree? Should I let only one shoot form, and zuhen it is 

 OS high as I ivant it, cut it off as I would a tree gotten from a nursery? 



If you have used waxed cloth in your grafting, it will be neces- 

 sary to loosen it after the tree gets a good start. Common unwaxed 

 cloth could be trusted to decay soon enough, probably, but it should 

 be looked at to see that it is not binding. The union should not 

 be placed much below the ground surface, although it can be safely 

 covered, and the future stem may look the better for it. One shoot 

 could be allowed to grow from each graft, choosing the best ones 

 and pinching the others so that they will stop extension and hold 

 leaves during the first season. These can be cleanly removed at the 

 first winter pruning at the time 3'ou head back the main shoot to 

 the proper height. 



Restoring Cherry Trees. 



/ have about tzvo acres of cherry trees in Sonoma county said to be 

 about 20 years old. They are in a z^ery neglected condition and I am 

 desirous of putting them in good shape for next year's crop. They are in 

 a very light sandy loain soil zvhich is easily zuorked. 



Cherry trees under good growing conditions and proper care are 

 very long lived in California and bear abundant crops when thirty and 

 more years of age. In the San Jose district and elsewhere there are 

 orchards considerably older than the limit stated and are still very 

 profitable. If your trees have been so neglected that the branches 

 have died back, the trees should be pruned, of course, cutting out all dead 

 wood and shortening weak or dying branches to a point where a good 

 strong shoot can be found. Then a good application of farmyard 

 manure plowed in during the rainy season, followed by summer cul- 

 tivation for moisture retention. Although the cherry is very hardy, 

 it is quite likely to suffer on light soils which become too dry. On 

 such soils as yours there is little if any danger of too much water in 

 the winter, unless the land lies low, but the injury to the tree comes 

 from the lack of moisture during the summer time, and this, with 

 your abundant rainfall, you can probably assure by thorough summer 

 cultivation. 



Renewing Cherry Trees. 



We have cherry trees set out diamond shape about 16 feet apart. IVc 

 cannot take out every other tree and have any order, so zve ask you if 

 it zvould be possible to cut the trees back and keep them pruned dozen to 

 a smaller sice. The trees are about 20 years old and arc dying back quite 

 badly. 



If the trees are dying for lack of summer moisture it is idle to 

 do much for them until you can give them irrigation right after the 

 fruit ripens. The cherry tree takes kindly to cutting back and will 

 give good new fruit-bearing shoots if the roots are in good condition. 

 It is desirable to remove surplus branches entirely rather than to cut 

 back everything to a definite height, the branches to be removed being 



