FRUIT GROWING 13 



cherries near by this is doubtful in your case. If you have no others, 

 graft one limb of each tree to a variety which bears well in your 

 neighborhood. If you do have other satisfactory bearers graft over 

 all the limbs to varieties which you have proved to be worth having. 

 Top-grafting by the common method works easily with cherries. 



Die-Back on Cherries. 



Our cherry trees have died back on the ends of the top branches. 

 Sfwll we cut back now or wait until after the fruit is gathered? We do 

 not wish to injure our crop of cherries. 



Cut back to sound wood whenever you see die-back, no matter 

 what time of the year it is. Cutting back will not hurt fruit wood 

 which is still healthy. But die-back usually indicates root trouble and 

 cutting back may not stop it. Your trees probably need either irriga- 

 tion or drainage, according to the soil they are growing in. 



Branch Failure of Prunes. 



Some Imperial prune trees on myrobalan root, especially toward the 

 top, did not leaf this spring, but some small leaves are just coming 

 now; others are still bare, and are still alive. As the orchard is rather 

 Hat, perhaps it is owing to the water lying there too long during the 

 winter. 



The myrobalan ought to stand a good deal of standing water 

 still it may have had too long soaking. But there is a chance of the 

 cause being frost after the sap began to move to the top. If good 

 leaves are coming now, the trees will probably pull through. All wood 

 not yet starting should be pruned back to active parts. 



Almonds on Heavy Soil. 



Our soil is a clay loam of a depth from 18 to 30 inches, with yellow 

 clay below. In your opinion, would almond trees do well on this soil? 



On a heavy soil with a tight subsoil standing water may rot the 

 root. On a deep heavy soil the tree may remain thrifty because the 

 soil, though heavy, is well drained, or else the local rainfall is in such 

 amount, or distributed in such a way, that the soil does not become 

 water-logged. If you can winter-plow very soon after a good rain 

 the soil is well drained. If you have to keep the teams off some time, 

 for fear they will mire down, it will be very dangerous for the almond 

 and many other fruits. 



Can Old Almonds Come Back? 



Can 14-year-old almond trees on good soil, which have not been 

 properly pruned, cultivated or sprayed for a number of years, be brought 

 back to profitable bearing? Last year the red spider took off all their 

 leaves. 



