Cherries. 379 



should be covered wit^i leaf mould or pulverized manure, to avoid 

 the formation of a hard crust upon the surface, which would prevent 

 the young plants from breaking through. But usually spring is the 

 best season, if the planting is done the moment the frost is out of 

 the ground ; for the seeds sprout and grow on the first approach of 

 warm weather. The distance should be the same as for the peach 

 and apple ; and nearly the same directions are applicable to their 

 management in the nursery rows. 



Good seedlings, averaging a foot and a half high, may be trans- 

 planted from the seed-beds when a year old, and if well cultivated in 

 good soil, may be budded the same season. Where the buds fail, 

 the trees may be grafted in the following spring. 



Budding can only succeed with thrifty, freely growing stocks, and 

 with well matured buds. About the time, or a little after the most 

 vigorous stage of growth, or just as the terminal buds on the shoots 

 commence forming, is the best period. If earlier, the buds will 

 usually be too soft ; if later, the bark will not peel freely, nor the 

 buds adhere well. This period usually commences about midsum- 

 mer, and continues, under the various influences of season and soil, 

 for two or three weeks, and sometimes more than a month. Suc- 

 cess will be found to depend also upon cutting out with the bud, a 

 larger portion of the wood than is common with other budding, or 

 equal to one-third the diameter of the shoot. This will be found 

 particularly useful where the buds are slightly immature, retaining 

 in them a larger portion of moisture, and preventing their curling 

 off from the stock. 



Difficulty is often experienced in successfully grafting the cherry. 

 It succeeds well, if performed very early in the spring, before the 

 slightest swelling of the buds, and before the frost has disappeared 

 from the ground. After this period it is very liable to failure. 



In propagating the slower-growing, sour-fruited varieties, good 

 trees are often soonest obtained by grafting or budding them at 

 standard height on large straight stocks. If grafted, they soon form 

 a handsome head ; if budded, care must be taken by judicious prun 

 ing to prevent the young shoots from growing all on one side. 



Pruning the cherry, except to form the head, is rarely needed. 



SOIL. 



The cherry being a very hardy tree, will thrive in the Northern 

 States in nearly all good soils. But a dryer soil than for most 

 other species is found preferable ; a sandy or gravelly loam is best. 



16 



