THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
11 
wood sliould be procured, even if a slightlj' increased price lias to be 
paid, so as to save a loss of time. 
Cherry trees do not require inueli pruning at any season of the 
year, provided tlie young growth is shortened back towards the end 
of July. The actual time for pinching the young shoots depends in 
a large measure upon the seasons. In early seasons the work may 
be done about the middle of July, but in late seasons it will be better 
to defer it until the first or second week in August. Until such 
times as the trees have attained their full size, it will be advisable to 
shorten the shoots back to about half their length, and at the winter 
pruning such as are not required can be removed altogether. To 
prevent over-crowding, remove during the summer all weak or other 
growth not required, by pinching it off close to the base ; for when 
the tree is overcrowded witli useless wood the development of the 
flower-buds will be materially retarded, and the wood will not have 
a fair chance of becoming well ripened by the end of the season. 
The shoots of larger trees may be pinched back to about one-third 
of their length. 
In all cases the spurs set with flower-buds must be carefully pre- 
served, and both at the summer and winter pruning due care must 
be taken to preserve the proper outline of the tree, and also that 
it is equally furnished with wood on all sides. 
The foregoing directions for pinching and pruning refer to the 
varieties represented by the Matj Duke and Biffarreau only. The 
Morellos and Kentish, w'hich produce their flowmr-buds on the young 
growth, require a rather different system of pruning. Instead of 
pinching back the whole of the shoots, remove altogether with the 
finger and thumb, early in the summer, such as are not required, and 
allow those remaining to grow unchecked until the winter, when 
they can be shortened back as may be considered desirable. 
The cherry succeeds in any good garden soil, but it appears to do 
better in soils rather light than otherwise. Previous to planting, the 
ground should be deeply trenched ; and if poor, a dressing of fresh 
loam, or a little manure, applied. In case the trees grow with too 
great a degree of luxuriance, they should be root-pruned by cutting 
a trench round the tree, between two and three feet from the stem, 
according to tlie size of the tree, and then shortening the roots to 
the side of the trench. Care must also be taken to work the spade 
well under the ball of the soil, to cut through all roots that strike 
down in a perpendicular manner into the subsoil, tlome amount of 
judgment is necessary, and trees which have not been disturbed, or 
root-pruned, for several years, should be pruned on one side one year 
and on the other the following season, so that they may'’ not receive 
too great a shock. 
The figure on page 10 represents the Frogmore Bigarreau, one of 
the most useful varieties in cultivation. Por this excellent cherry 
we are indebted to JMr. Turner, of the Royal Nurseries, Slough. 
