564 PRACTICE OF GARDENING. Part III. 



3123. Time of planting. According to Nicol and M'Phail, January and February ; to 

 Torbron, early in the autumn. 



31 24. Pruning. " Trees planted in January may be pruned about the middle or end of 

 March. The dwarfs, planted against the trellis, should be well cut in ; that is, each 

 shoot of last year should be shortened back to three or four buds, that the plants may 

 throw out a sufficiency of young shoots to fill the rail from the bottom. The dwarfs, 

 planted in the border as little standards, need not be headed in so much ; as the intention 

 is to have them fruitful, and that they may grow little to wood from the beginning. Their 

 short stubby shoots need not be touched, unless bruised or hurt in transplanting ; shorten- 

 ing back the longer and weaker ones only, a few inches, according to their strengths. The 

 riders, planted against the back trellis, may be treated very much in the same manner ; 

 the sole intention being to obtain a few crops of them while the dwarfs are making wood 

 and filling their spaces. In November following, the trees may be pruned for the suc- 

 ceeding season. In order to produce wood to fill the trellis as soon as possible, the dwarfs 

 should be pretty much headed in. The shoots may be pruned very much in the manner 

 of the trees in the early house, shortening no shoots that are fully ripened, except a few of 

 those at the extremities of the tree, in order to make them throw out others for its full 

 extension upwards next year. November is also the proper time for pruning an esta- 

 blished cherry-house, preparatory to forcing for next year. As cherry-trees which have 

 been forced make very little wood, very little pruning is required ; probably nothing 

 further than moderately to thin out the spurs, and to prune off any accidental breast- wood 

 or water-shoots that may have risen since the crop was gathered. The leading shoots, 

 except for the purpose of producing wood to fill up any blank or vacancy, need not be 

 shortened ; nor need those in the lower parts of the tree, except for the same reason. But 

 if it be necessary to shorten these, let them be cut pretty well in, as otherwise they will 

 push very weakly. Shoots on the extreme parts of the tree, that should be shortened for 

 the above purpose, need not, however, be cut so closely in. If they be headed back one 

 third, or to half their lengths, it will generally be found sufficient." 



3125. Summer pruning. Very little of this is requisite, such water-shoots or breast- 

 wood as arise among the spurs are to be pinched off as they appear ; laying in such 

 shoots only of this description as may be wanted to fill an occasional vacancy. Train in 

 the summer shoots of the dwarfs as they advance, at the distance of about eight or nine 

 inches from each other ; and otherwise observe the general rules for pruning cherries on 

 walls and espaliers. 



3126. Stirring the soil. After pruning, the borders are to be forked up, and a little 

 well rotted dung, mixed with sand, worked in, if thought necessary. In summer, they 

 may be slightly stirred on the surface, and weeded to keep them fresh, clean, and neat, 

 and where a part of the border is outside the house, cover with horse- dung or litter in the 

 early part of the season. 



3127. The time of beginning to force is sometimes December, but more generally Janu- 

 ary or February. " Newly planted^ trees," Nicol observes, " will bear gentle forcing 

 next spring, from the first or middle of March ; which ought to be considered merely as 

 preparatory to forcing them fully, from about the first of February, the third year." 

 Torbron, if the trees have been removed with good balls, admits of gentle forcing the first 

 spring, but prefers deferring it till the third year. He says, " I have had an abundant 

 crop of fine cherries, from trees which had been planted only a few months before forcing, 

 but would not recommend the risking a whole crop, unless the trees have been longer 

 established." Where cherries are to be ripened early in the season, he " shuts in about 

 the beginning of December, and lights the fires about the third or last week of that month. " 

 (Hort. Trans, iv. 116.) 



3128. Temperature. Abercrombie begins at 40, " and throughout the first week, 

 lets the minimum be 40, and the maximum 42, giving plenty of air. By gradual ad- 

 vances in the second, third, and fourth week, raise the course to 42 min. 45" max. In 

 strong sunshine, admit air freely, rather than have the temperature above 52, by collect- 

 ing the warm air. In the fifth and sixth week, the artificial minimum may be gradually 

 elevated to 45, but the maximum should be restrained to 48 from fire-heat, and to 55 

 from sun-heat, until the plants are in flower. After the blossoms are shown, and until 

 the fruit is set, aim to have the heat from the flues at 48 min. 52 max. At this stage, 

 maintain as free an interchange of air as the weather will permit ; and when the sun-heat 

 is strong, do not let the temperature within exceed 60. As the fruit is to be swelled and 

 ripened, the requisite heat is 60 mm. 65 max." 



3129. M'Phail, in January, does not let the cherry-house rise higher than 50. In February, " If the 

 thermometer in a morning is as low as 35, there is no danger ; but it should rise in the course of the day 

 to imitate nature as near as possible. In the month of March, the thermometer in the open air in the 

 shade seldom rises above 55. In the month of April, it seldom rises above 65. But it is observed that 

 when the sun shines on a cherry-tree or other trees in the open air, the heat on them is - higher than in the 

 shade. The cherry-tree is of such a delicate nature to force, that it is impossible for any person to write 

 down the exact temperature of the air, which would ensure a crop of fruit from it in the forcing way " 



