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the main branches, to be advancing for bearers, 

 ready to supply any deficiency ; and generally a 

 terminal shoot to the general branches in ail 

 parts where the allotted space admits of extend- 

 ing them in proper regularity : accordingly as 

 each tree is thus pruned and regtdated, the ge- 

 neral branches and shoots should be trained in 

 regularly, and nailed to the wall, &c. about 

 three to tour or five inches asunder, all at their 

 i'uil length, to the extent of their limited space. 



Mr. Forsyth advises, in pruning these trees, 

 never to shorten their shoots, as most of them 

 produce the fruit at their extremities, the 

 shortening, or cutting ofF of which very fre- 

 quently occasions the death of the shoot, at least 

 of a great part of it. The branches, therefore, 

 should be trained at full lenjiih. He has often 

 seen the whole tree killed by injudicious pruning. 

 Wherever the knife is applied, it is sure to bring 

 on the gam, and afterwards the canker ; which 

 will inevitably kill tlie tree, he says, if no re- 

 medy be applied to the wounds. 



The Morello in particular, and the Small Earlv 

 May Cherry, bear both on the young wood of 

 hrst summer, the fruit blossom buds issuing im- 

 mediately from the eyes of the shoots very 

 abundantly, and upon 'small natural fruit-spurs 

 arising on the two and three years' wood and 

 continuing on the older branches ; but generally 

 bear the most plenteousiy on the young wood ; 

 and therefore it is necessary, both in the summer 

 and winter pruning, to attend to this and retain 

 a general supply of the young shoots of each 

 year trained in plentifully in all parts of the tree 

 in summer, of the most regular placed, as many 

 as can be conveniently admitted with proper re- 

 gularity : and in the winter-jjruning, making a 

 general selection of the best well placed shoots 

 of last summer, to train in for successional 

 bearers the ensuing season, cutting out the su- 

 perabundant, with part of the naked former 

 bearers occasionally to make room for the youna; 

 -supply, leaving a terminal one to each mother 

 Ijraiich, and thus train in the general branches 

 and shoots horizontally, about three or four 

 iu'.hes asunder, all at their natural length. 



The Standard Cherry-trees should Ix' planted 

 twenty-one feet distance at least; but if for a 

 whole orchard, twenlv-four feet, oreiirht vards 

 distant every way, will be requisite. The' first 

 shoots having been previously shortened in the 

 nursery, if thought necessary to promote lower 

 branches to form the head, plant them jiow with 

 their heads entire, except just reducing any ir- 

 regular growth, and suffer them to branch every 

 \\ay, and shoot in length as fast as tliev are able, 

 not shortening any, and all the branches will 

 soon form numerous fruit-spurs. 



Little pruoing is required for Standard Cher- 



ries, as too much use of the knife, in the larger 

 wood particularly, causes them to gum and 

 canker; all that is necessary is, occasionally to 

 retrench any very irregular growing branch, and 

 all decayed wood. 



In respect to old trees Mr. Forsyth says, " he 

 has headed down a great many Cherry-trees 

 which were almost past bearing, and so eaien 

 up with the gum and canker, that what few 

 Cherries they bore upon old cankered spurs were 

 not fit to be sent to the table;" and that <' in 

 the years 1 790 and 1 791 he cut, or headed down, 

 fifty trees. The operation was performed in the 

 months of April and May in each year. These 

 trees made shoots from three to 'five feet the 

 same summer, bore fine cherries the next year, 

 and have continued to bear good crops 'ever 

 since: to the above trees he applied tlic Comno- 

 sition. At the same time he cut down twelve 

 trees in the same row, but did not apply the Com- 

 position ; these twelve trees ail died in the second 

 and third years after. They now, he says, o-athcr 

 more cherries from one tree where the Composi- 

 tion was applied, than they did from the whole 

 number formerly; being also much finer and 

 larger fruit. When Cherry-trees are very old, and 

 nmch injured by large limbs having been cut ofl' 

 (which will, he says, infallibly bring on the canker 

 and gum, and, if no remedy be applied, in a short 

 time kill the trees) ; or if there are great spurs left 

 standing a foot perhaps from the wall ; the best 

 way to bring them to have fine heads, and to 

 cover the wall, is to head them down as low as 

 possible, taking care to leave some small shoots, 

 if there are any ; if not, leave a bud or two at 

 the ends of some of the shoots. Sometimes 

 you will have a great difficulty to find any buds. 

 if that be the case, in the spring, before you 

 mean to head the trees, make some incisions in 

 the branches. This should be done on different 

 branches, at the most convenient places for fill- 

 ing the wall with good wood. The size of the 

 incisions should be fron) one to two inches ac- 

 cording to the largeness of the branches; ob- 

 serving to make them just above the joint where 

 the buds should come out. If you cut just be- 

 low a joint, the shoot will die as far as the next 

 bud or joint ; and of course injure the tree, if 

 no remedy be applied." He adds that " the 

 time for performing this operation is in March, 

 April, or May. l?ut this " method of makin>!; 

 incisions is only recommended where there are 

 no young shoots or buds, and when the tree is 

 in the last stage of the canker. Where you 

 have a few young shoots, or buds, he advises 

 to cut down the head as near to them as you 

 can, and to take great care to cut out the canker 

 till you come to the sound bark. The canker 

 makes its appearaijce in these trees in the same 



