PRUNING OF CHERRIES. 49 



at the top is, say, two inches beyond its parent, and has some 

 neat flower-buds on it. Merely shorten it so as to keep it 

 compact. The next lateral is treated on the same principles, 

 Avhile that below on the left hand is shortened in order to be- 

 come a future spur, because the buds at that part are natur- 

 ally leaf-buds, and inclined to extend if cut back to, according 

 to the principles laid down in the beginning, of concentrating 

 the sap into one or two buds. On the other side, the right 

 hand, is seen a group of buds which will be fruitful the next 

 season, and must not be touched, just as in the case of the 

 peach. After the laterals at the top have borne, and the 

 shoot, cut back near the base, has made some other ramifica- 

 tions, then will be time to remove the top and its laterals at 

 A, to let these new shoots take their place, leaving the lowest 

 group of buds alone. Others will also spring up, possibly 

 nearer the base, and so on. There is no difficulty whatever, 

 and it is very easy to keep these spurs within five inches, or 

 even four. Of course, if for a Diagonal Cordon plant, as 

 also apricots, it should be at 36 inches from stem to stem, as 

 in peaches. Above all, avoid all ill-drained soils. 



THE CHERRY. 



This delicious little fruit, probably the gift of Lucullus 

 to the Italians, requires very free ventilation if kept under 

 glass, and only a few varieties are worthy of this care, except 

 in places where birds abound. The very earliest is the Belle 

 d'Orleans, and, as such, is suitable for orchard-houses. The 

 Duke tribe are splendid, and the New Royal is highly spoken 

 of. I have not seen it. Some late kinds are useful to keep, 

 if there is space for them in the house, and they can be kept 

 in muslin bags. The treatment of the spurs is like plums, 

 and very easy, because the groups of round flower-buds soon 

 form at the base, and by pinching freely in can be kept fruit- 

 ful. It is a capital plan to break the shoots instead of cutting- 

 them; and as cherry shoots grow very freely, they must not 

 be overlooked : if so, then it is best to break them partially 

 Uirough, and let the broken ends shrivel up before cutting 

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