248 
THE CHERRY. 
more or less exuded. The cherry is not a very long-lived tree, 
but in favourable soil the finest varieties generally endure about 
thirty or forty years. Twenty feet apart for the strong, and 
eighteen feet for the slow growing kinds is the proper distance 
for this tree. 
Training the Cherry is very little practised in the United 
States. The Heart and Bigarreau cherries are usually trained 
in the horizontal manner, explained in page 40. When the 
wall or espalier is once filled, as there directed, with lateral 
branches, it is only necessary to cut off*, twice every season — in 
the month of May and July — all additional shoots to within an 
inch or so of the branch from which they grew. As the trees 
grow older, these fruit spurs will advance in length, but by cut- 
ting them out whenever they exceed four or five inches, new 
ones will be produced, and the tree will continue to keep its 
proper shape and yield excellent fruit. The Morello cherries, 
being weaker growirg sorts, are trained in the fan manner, 
{page 38.) 
Gathering the Fruit. This tender and juicy fruit is best 
when freshly gathered from the tree, and it should always be 
picked with the stalks attached. For the dessert, the flavour of 
many sorts in our climate is rendered more delicious by placing 
the fruit, for an hour or two previous, in an ice-house or refri- 
gerator, and bringing them upon the table cool, with dew drops 
standing upon them. 
Varieties. Since the first publication of this work was 
written, the number of varieties has greatly increased, so that 
no distinct line can now be drawn separating many of the Heart 
cherries (tender and half tender) from the firm fleshed or Bigar- 
reau varieties, each class insensibly approaching and inter- 
mingling with the other. We have, therefore, made but one 
class of these, whose main characteristic is the large vigorous 
growth of the trees. The Duke and Morello cherries, also 
wanting a natural division, we make to constitute another class, 
and in these two have comprised all the cherries, each class 
being subdivided into three sections, according to quality of 
fruit. 
CLASS I. 
SECTION L 
Comprises those of best quality and that ripen in succession. 
Belle d’Orleans. 
A new foreign variety, ripening just after the Early Purple 
Guigne. Tree a vigorous grower, spreading habit, productive, 
and a valuable addition to the early kinds. 
Fruit above medium size, roundish heart-shaped. Colour 
