CHERRIES UNDER GLASS. 



595 



cherry trees at the proper time and in proper quantities. 

 This gives them strength to carry a good crop of fruit to 

 perfection, imparts to the foliage a beautiful color, and 

 keeps the trees strong for the coming year. Liquid ma- 

 nures, top-dressings and artificial fertilizers are given the 

 trees as stimulants during their period of vegetation. 

 Liquid manure containing some soot and iron is given 

 the trees once a week from the time the cherry-stones 

 are set until the fruit ripens. The soil in the pots is top- 

 dressed when the cherries are the size of peas. The 

 layers for old trees are thicker than those described 

 above for young ones. A fresh top-dressing must be 

 given the pots during summer. 



The liquid manure used is made by leaching fertilizers 

 from cow and sheep-stalls. The artificial manures given 

 are fish-guano and Thomas' slag, a teaspoonful to a 20- 

 inch pot. The top-dressing is of horse-droppings gath- 

 ered from the roads and streets. Collected in this way 



The sour cherries, which form young buds on the side- 

 shoots better, might be pruned less. Much winter-prun- 

 ing is not needed for trees that have been well stopped in 

 summer. Winter-pruning must be done as soon as leaf 

 and bloom-buds can be distinguished. It is done upon 

 the same principle as outdoor pruning, but as the room 

 in orchard-houses is limited, all growth must soon be 

 pruned into fruit-branches 



After the cherries are all gathered the trees are plunged 

 outside in a sunny, sheltered place, and left here until 

 repotting time in October or November. Trees that 

 have been potted but one year seldom need larger pots 

 at this time, so two or three inches of the top soil in their 

 pots is taken out and replaced with fresh. Larger pots 

 are given, in after years, when these young trees become 

 root-bound and require them. Cherry trees ought to be 

 repotted every other year. The drainage must be re- 

 newed whenever trees are repotted, and a layer of turf 



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I I I \ [ 



Side Elevation of one of River's Orchard Houses. 



a good bed of clay or sand adheres to the fertilizer, and 

 makes it better than when brought directly from stables. 



Trees well fed in this way seldom need to have their 

 fruit thinned, but heavy-laden branches must be care- 

 fully tied up, and all decaying cherries removed. Dust 

 is apt to gather on the fruit, and it must be brushed 

 lightly with a very soft brush. 



The pyramidal form is best and most used for potted 

 cherry trees. Pruning is not often necessary the first 

 year after potting, for the strength of the trees goes to form 

 short fruit-branches ; but after the trees are well rooted 

 strong shoots are sent out in summer. Summer-pruning 

 consists mainly in pinching back these strong shoots to 

 6 or 7 leaves each. If after this first stopping they grow 

 out again, they are again pinched back. On the leading 

 branches side-shoots that are not needed to fill empty 

 spaces or make new leaders are stopped at the third leaf. 



or moss laid above it to keep the soil from sifting through. 

 Artificial manures are seldom mixed with the soil used 

 for repotting. If the trees do not need larger pots, shake 

 off two or three inches of old soil from about the ball of 

 roots, replace the roots in the same pots, and fill up with 

 fresh soil. The inside of the ball of roots ought not to 

 be disturbed. Top-dress the pots in alternate years when 

 the trees are not repotted. The soil used for repotting 

 is the same as that before described ; a little chalk is 

 mixed with that used for old trees The soil must be 

 firmed as closely about the tree-roots in repotting as 

 when they were first potted. By the above treatment 

 old trees are kept fresh and healthy for years. 



Of the forty varieties of cherries cultivated in River's 

 orchard-houses, the ten given below are best suited to 

 cultivation in pots : 



Early Rivers. A sweet black cherry of medium size 



