70 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



or tearing the roots, or disturbing them in any way. A. M. Purdy 

 says (Fruit Recorder, 1871, p. 168): "In the growing of cherry 

 trees in a light, loose soil, the less the ground is stirred the better 

 — nothing more than surface scratching to keep the weeds down 

 and the surface loose, being required." Mr. Mehan, of The Gar- 

 dener^ s Monthly , regards it as a matter for congratulation that "we 

 have made much progress in America toward abandoning the old- 

 time notions about digging among fruit trees," and quotes approv- 

 ingl}' the editor of the London Journal of Horticulture, who says, 

 " fruit trees like solid soil, not loose ; " and who advises keeping 

 fruit tree borders solid and mulched with manure. 



" Pruning," says one writer, "the cherry very little needs, and 

 as pruning causes the gum to flow, and this brings on decay, it 

 should be avoided except when really required." As to the sea- 

 sou of pruning. Downing says, "it should be done in midsummer, 

 as that is the only season when the gum is not more or less ex- 

 uded." 



These remarks and citations on the propagation and culture of 

 the cherry tree will, I hope, cause many lovers of this fruit to 

 make experiments in planting clierry seeds and budding or graft- 

 ing the stocks with choice kinds. Acting in the spirit of this ad- 

 vice, I have, during the past autumn, planted a nursery of cherry 

 seeds for the purpose of raising stocks for budding or grafting im- 

 proved kinds of cherries upon, for my own planting or for others, 

 if wanted. I am firmly convinced that the cherry may yet be 

 found a safe tree to plant, if the proper conditions are observed as 

 to location, soil, pruning, &c., and that every fiimily may enjoy 

 the surpassing luxury of eating an abundance of this healthful and 

 delicious fruit. 



Diseases op the Cherry. 

 I have said that the causes of the disappearance of the cherry 

 tree were undefined and unknown. Of course it is understood I 

 do not ignore the iact that a destructive disease known as the 

 black knot, or black wart, is the direct cause of the failure of the 

 cherry tree in our gardens. It is the aecret source of this disease 

 that I believe has never yet been satisfactorily determined by those 

 investigators who have written on this topic, and it is doubtful if 

 any true diagnosis of this disease has been obtained by any one. 

 Some have contended that it is caused by the larva) of an insect 

 which is hatched from an egg laid in a crevice of the bark, which 



