CHAPTER XII. 

 In Cherry and Blrry Time. 



One of the most wonderful sights in a British 

 Columbian orchard, and more especially a Kootenay 

 orchard, is the cherry-trees when laden with their 

 snow-white blossoms. Every branch, from its diver- 

 gence from a large limb or the main trunk, right away 

 to the outermost twig, is thickly feathered with 

 clusters of blossom, and tufts of bloom cling even to 

 the main trunk and large limbs. This is true of every 

 variety of cherry alike, sour as well as sweet. 



The crops are, as a rule, enormously heavy — so 

 much so that the trees — and this applies to apples, 

 pears, and plums, as well as to cherries — have to 

 be well supported with props to prevent them 

 from breaking down under the loads they carry, 

 and even then it is no unusual thing for 

 one or more branches to split off before the fruit 

 can be gathered. There is, however, a way of guard- 

 ing against this. Screw-eyes, with long shanks, and 

 the threads of the screws deeply cut, are put into the 

 branches it is desired to hold together, and then stout 

 wire is stretched half a dozen times across from the 

 one eye to the other. The screw-eyes should, if pos- 

 sible, be made of galvanised iron, to prevent them 



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