THE CHERRY. 227 



six, eight, or ten buds of the branches. Those having no 

 branches are cut back to within six or eight buds of the 

 stock. And this is the first pruning. 



Treatment during the first Summer after Pruning. 

 When the young shoots have grown a couple of inches in 

 length, such as are intended for permanent branches are 

 chosen, and the others are pinched in the same manner as 

 recommended for pears and apples. Such as acquire 

 more vigor than is consistent with their position, must be 

 checked. It frequently happens that unless the leader 

 has been cut back close, only three or four shoots will be 

 produced at the extremity, leaving a vacant space below. 

 This Can be remedied in most cases by pinching the shoots 

 around the leader when they have grown about an inch. 

 In some cases it may be necessary even to check the 

 leader to force the lower buds into growth. This is a point 

 of considerable importance in conducting a pyramid, and 

 should never be lost sight of. 



The Cherry as an Espalier. Except it be the training 

 of the morello, or some other late varieties, on a north 

 wall to prolong their season of maturity, the cherry is sel- 

 dom grown as an espalier tree in this country, nor is it to 

 be recommended except in some rare instances. The 

 simplest and probably the best form is that suggested for 

 pears and apples, an upright stem with horizontal branches. 

 To produce this the same means are employed as have 

 been previously described. If the tree has no side 

 branches proper for the first arms, it must be cut back to 

 within six inches of the ground, and from the shoots pro- 

 duced below that, one is selected for the leader, and one 

 on each side for the first horizontal branches ; the other 

 shoots are pinched off. At the next pruning, the leader 

 is again shortened to produce another pair of side branches 

 eight or ten inches from the first ; the leader is continued 

 in an upright direction, and the side branches are brought 



