380 Cherries. 



In wet places, or on water-soaked sub-soils, it does not flourish, and 

 soon perishes. 



DWARF CHERRIES. 



These are, as yet, cultivated to a limited extent in this country. 

 They are chiefly adapted to village gardens, or other grounds of 

 limited extent, as they may be set as near each other as five or six 

 feet. They may be easily covered with netting, and thus protected 

 from the birds ; and what is most rare and desirable, the fruit per- 

 mitted to remain until fully ripe, so important to the flavor of all 

 cherries of an acid character. 



The stocks used for this purpose are the Mahaleb (Prunus Ma- 

 haleb\ which also possesses the advantage of flourishing on 

 heavy clay ground. The buds usually grow quite vigorously, their 

 branches being so pruned that seven, nine, or more, may come out 

 from the centre of the plant, like a well managed gooseberry bush. 

 These branches will put forth, early in summer, as in pyramidal 

 pears, several shoots at their extremities, all of which must be 

 pinched off to within two or three buds of their base, leaving the 

 leading shoots untouched till near the close of summer, when they 

 must be shortened to eight or ten buds. The Heart and Bigarreau 

 cherries may be left of one-half greater length than the Dukes and 

 Morelloes, which are of smaller habit of growth ; and where the 

 ground is small, the trees may be root-pruned and kept within a 

 very limited space. 



The cultivation of dwarf cherries would greatly facilitate the use 

 of net screens for covering entire orchards, as sometimes practised 

 in Holland and England. The boundary fence is made of wire (or 

 wood) lattice, so as to exclude small birds. At regular distances, 

 through the inclosed area, are inserted into the earth, wooden or 

 tile sockets for the reception of poles or props to support the net. 

 These poles have each a small circular board nailed on their tops, 

 to prevent injury to the netting. The boundary fence is supplied 

 with hooks, to which the net is readily attached. When the cher- 

 ries begin to ripen, it is elevated on several of the poles, each carried 

 by a man, and spread over the garden, the rest of the poles being 

 easily inserted in their sockets afterwards. All birds are thus com- 

 pletely excluded. During rain or dewy evenings, the net is stretched 

 to its utmost extent, as indicated by the dotted lines in the annexed 

 figure. In dry weather it is slackened, and forms a festooned vault 

 over the whole cherry garden. Its durability is increased by soak- 



