38 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



those which show disposition to die back and those which are running 

 out too far so as to reduce the space between the trees or to interfere 

 with branches from other trees. Branches which are failing above 

 can in some cases be cut back to a strong thrifty lateral branch below. 

 Shortening-in branches high up is less desirable because it forces out 

 too much new growth in the top of the tree and carries the fruit so 

 high that picking would be expensive. All cuts of any size should be 

 painted to prevent the wood from checking. 



Pruning Cherries. 



I have cherry trees in their third season which have been given the 

 usual zvinter pruning. The trees are putting forth a great many more 

 branches than are required, and naturally many of the branches are grozv- 

 ing across the tree. In cutting these extra branches, I am informed that 

 there is a way to trim them so that they zvill eventually form fruit spurs. 

 I had an idea that in order to do this it would be zvell to cut about one 

 inch from the main branch. Some one has told me that this would merely 

 cause the little branch to sprout again. 



Cherry shoots which are not required or desired for branch- 

 forming can be transferred into fruit spurs, if the tree is of bearing 

 age, by shortening them in. Do not, however, cut at an arbitrary 

 distance of one inch from the starting point, but rather save one or 

 two buds at whatever distance from the starting point these may be 

 growing. If the tree is too young to bear, only growth shoots may 

 appear from these buds, but they are likely to be short and will 

 support fruit spurs later. This practice should not be carried to 

 excess or you will have too many small shoots which will not get 

 light enough to bear good fruit, even if fruit spurs should appear. 



Pollination of Black Tartarian. 



There are many old Tartarian cherry trees around our district that 

 have only borne a few cherries in years. There are Bing, Royal Atm and 

 Early Purple Guigncs here zvith these, but they seldom, if ever, bloom zvith 

 the Tartarian at the proper time to pollinate. What varieties would cause 

 the trees to bear? 



Sterility of the Black Tartarian is rather unusual. In the coast 

 regions, Bing, Black Tartarian and Early Purple Guigne are all con- 

 sidered pollinizers for the Royal Ann. Inversely all these should 

 be pollinizers for the Black Tartarian, if that variety requires such 

 assistance, which we have all along supposed that it did not. 



Treatment of Fig Suckers. 



A few young £g trees are not grozving from the tops, but are sending 

 out suckers, in some cases above and others below the point of grafting. 

 Had I better let these suckers grozv and see what comes from them or 

 plant new trees? 



Graft near the ground all those which are sending suckers from 

 below the graft. Suckers from above grafting point can be trained 



