THE CHERRY. 



207 



fact the shoots should be treated somewhat 

 like those of the Peach ; they must be trained 

 in summer to bear fruit in the following season, 

 after which they should be cut away, but whilst 

 bearing fruit, a young shoot ought to be trained 

 to replace them. It is frequently the case that 

 branches and shoots of Morello trees are over- 

 crowded, but this should be avoided, otherwise 

 larsje and fine fruit cannot be obtained. 



Manures. — Cherry-trees arrived at a large, 

 heavy-cropping stage soon exhaust the soil of 

 much of its fertility, in particular the supplies 

 of lime, potash, and phosphoric acid. 



These elements must annually be returned 

 to the soil, otherwise the trees will not remain 

 in a profitable condition. Farmyard and horse- 

 stall manure freely applied is apt to promote 

 a too rank growth, but may safely be applied 

 in the form of a top-dressing during the 

 winter — not digging it in for fear of injury 

 to the roots — when the trees show signs of re- 

 quiring nitrogen as well as the other elements 

 named. Artificial manures, as a rule, are most 

 easily applied. A mixture that answers well 

 for Cherry-trees is as follows: — Superphosphate 

 of lime, 5 lbs. ; sulphate of potash, 2 lbs.; sul- 

 phate of magnesia, J lb.; chloride of soda, ^ lb. 

 Apply this during mild weather in February at 

 the rate of 4 ozs. to the square yard of border, 

 or the full quantity (8 lbs.) to each rod of orchard 

 ground. 



Protection. — Birds, and particularly the black- 

 bird and thrush, are the greatest enemies to the 

 Cherry crop, and the only effectual means of 

 protecting the fruit is by enclosing them in 

 netting. This should be put over the trees so 

 as not to confine the foliage. Although in the 

 case of wall-trees it is necessary that the net 

 should be well closed, so as to prevent ingress 

 at top, bottom, and sides, yet when in doing so 

 the leaves are crowded against each other, the 

 appearance and the effects are bad. The net 

 should hang clear of the leaves; and this may 

 be easily done by running a wire through hooks 

 below the coping, and having another supported 

 about 9 inches from the wall. If the netting 

 be fixed to the former, and drawn over. the 

 latter, the object will be so far attained. The 

 netting will hang tolerably clear of the foliage, 

 but it has yet to be fastened at bottom, and 

 this should be done so that it may be readily 

 loosened at any time when fruit requires to be 

 gathered. Small stakes may be driven in to 

 a uniform height, a stout wire fastened along 

 their tops, and to this the net can be easily 

 hooked. When nets touch the ground they 



are liable to be damaged by rain and damp; 

 it would therefore be better to fix wire-netting 

 to the stakes close to the ground. 



For espalier trees wire-netting, if only 1 foot 

 in width, should also be used next the soil, 

 and joined to such other kind of netting as 

 can be afforded for protecting the rest of the 

 tree. If wire -netting be run along to the 

 height of 1 foot, and so that its lower edge 

 may touch the ground, a light netting, such as 

 that made at Nottingham, may be thrown over 

 the tree, and attached to the wire on both sides; 

 for the material alluded to is so light that it 

 will not press so as to crowd the foliage. 



By adopting some efficient means of protec- 

 tion, good crops of the sweet kinds of Cherries 

 may be obtained from walls; and this is more 

 than can be said of standard trees, for from 

 these it is scarcely possible to obtain a crop of 

 perfectly ripened fruit on account of the birds. 

 If a supply can be obtained from espaliers, it 

 is certainly better to grow the trees against 

 these, and thus render the space they would 

 otherwise have occupied on Avails available for 

 other fruits. 



Propagation. — For stocks and for obtaining 

 new varieties the Cherry is raised from the 

 stones. Those of the small black or red Cherries 

 are the kinds usually sown for stocks. For 

 trees intended to be planted against a wall or 

 espalier, stocks raised from the stones of the 

 Duke, or Morello, have been recommended. 

 For very dwarf trees the Mahaleb has long 

 been employed in France, and to some extent 

 in this country, as a stock on which to graft 

 or bud May Duke, Kentish, Morello, and such 

 like sorts, but it is not adapted for large-leaved 

 strong - growing varieties like the Bigarreau. 

 The stones may be stratified till early in spring, 

 when those beginning to germinate should be 

 planted in drills, and covered to the depth of 

 lh inch; or they may be sown at that depth 

 in light sandy soil immediately after they have 

 been taken from the fruit. In two years the 

 seedlings intended for stocks will be fit to 

 plant out in nursery rows. 



Pudding and Grafting. — Propagation by these 

 means is the same as for the Plum. The opera- 

 tion must be performed early, and if properly 

 done, there is little danger of failure. If left 

 until the buds have considerably advanced, the 

 grafts frequently do not resist the effects of dry 

 weather. AVe have seen vigorous shoots with 

 large pith cut off for scions and stuck in the 

 ground in January; and though in March, when 

 grafted, the pith was discoloured, being of a 



