CULTURE OF CHERRIES. 
251 
Hummer prunings, as the shoots cut are often liable to die, and ap¬ 
pear like unsightly stubs, which sooner or later bring on canker.— 
The Morelia requires very similar treatment to peaches and necta¬ 
rines, as like them, it bears on the shoots of the last year’s growth ; 
its bearing wood, however, must not be shortened like peaches, but 
laid in at full length. 
Forcing of Cherries .—Two centuries ago, the gardeners of France 
accelerated the ripening of cherries, by laying hot lime-stones on 
the ground under the trees, and watering the ground with hot water, 
since that time so many successive improvements have been carried 
into effect, that cherries which are the most difficult of any kind of 
fruit to force, may now be ripened early with the certainty of a good 
crop. This may either be done by trees trained in the house after 
the manner of peaches, or planted in pots or tubs. The border for 
the cherry-house should be composed of light rich turfy-loam, with 
a small portion of lime mixed with it, make it about four feet deep, 
and lay at the bottom a good portion of broken brick rubbish, to 
keep the roots from penetrating into the under strata of earth. None 
force so well as the May Duke, although the Morelia will produce 
good crops in the forcing-house, it seldom comes into use much 
before the early sorts, and ripen in the open air, and then is often 
so deficient of flavour as scarcely to be worth eating. They may be 
either planted in rows in the pit as dwarf-standards, or trained to 
trellis on the back wall, whilst they are small, plant riders to 
fill up the vacancies. Take all up with as much care and as good 
roots as possible, and plant them again no deeper than they were 
before : let this be done in October, and in the following March, cut 
them well in, but do not by any means attempt to force them the 
first year. November, however, is the proper time to cut trees in an 
old house intended to be forced the following season; but cherry- 
trees forced seldom make much wood, therefore very little pruning 
is required. 
The period of forcing must be regulated according to the time the 
fruit are wanted, it is never well to begin before the end of December, 
and, indeed, there is more safety of a crop if not began till the mid¬ 
dle or end of January, they will then take about fourteen or fifteen 
weeks to bring them to perfection ; at the commencement, always 
allow the sashes to be placed on the house a week or more before 
any fires be made in the flue. When firing is commenced, do not 
allow the thermometer to rise above forty by day, and thirty-five by 
night. Keep this heat and give abundance of air night and day. In 
about three weeks, it. may be gradually raised to fortv-five deg. by 
