248 THE CHERRY. 



. 



more or less exuded. The cherry is not a very long-lived tree, 

 but in favourable soil the finest varieties generally endure about 

 thirty or forty years. Twenty feet apart for the strong, and 

 eighteen feet for the slow growing kinds is the proper distance 

 for this tree. 



TRAINING THE CHERRY is very little practised in the United 

 States. The Heart and Bigarreau cherries are usually trained 

 in the horizontal manner, explained in page 40. When the 

 wall or espalier is once filled, as there directed, with lateral 

 branches, it is only necessary to cut off, twice every season in 

 the month of May and July all additional shoots to within an 

 inch or so of the branch from which they grew. As the trees 

 grow older, these fruit spurs will advance in length, but by cut- 

 ting them out whenever they exceed four or five inches, new 

 ones will be produced, and the tree will continue to keep its 

 proper shape and yield excellent fruit. The Morello cherries, 

 being weaker growir^ sorts, are trained in the fan manner, 

 (page 38.) 



GATHERING THE FRUIT. This tender and juicy fruit is best 

 when freshly gathered from the tree, and it should always be 

 picked with the stalks attached. For the dessert, the flavour of 

 many sorts in our climate is rendered more delicious by placing 

 the fruit, for an hour or two previous, in an ice-house or refri- 

 gerator, and bringing them upon the table cool, with dew drops 

 standing upon them. 



VARIETIES. Since the first publication of this work was 

 written, the number of varieties has greatly increased, so that 

 no distinct line can now be drawn separating many of the Heart 

 cherries (tender and half tender) from the firm fleshed or Bigar- 

 reau varieties, each class insensibly approaching and inter- 

 mingling with the other. We have, therefore, made but one 

 class of these, whose main characteristic is the large vigorous 

 growth of the trees. The Duke and Morello cherries, also 

 wanting a natural division, we make to constitute another class, 

 and in these two have comprised all the cherries, each class 

 being subdivided into three sections, according to quality of 

 fruit. 



CLASS I. 



SECTION I. 



Comprises those of best quality and that ripen in succession. 



BELLE D'ORLEANS. 



A new foreign variety, ripening just after the Early Purple 

 Guigne. Tree a vigorous grower, spreading habit, productive, 

 and a valuable addition to the early kinds. 



Fruit above medium size, roundish heart-shaped. Colour 



