350 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 2. 
cartilaginous; flue pink-red, much branched; branches 
distichous (alternately secund and pectinated); fructification 
of two Icinds. The name is from a Greek word signifying 
braided hair.”— Greville. 
1. Plocamium coccineuji (Scarlet)—This pretty weed is 
so common, and so well known, that it seems almost super¬ 
fluous to describe it. It is a general favourite, with its 
beautiful and delicate crimson fronds. So common in some 
parts of Scotland, says Dr. Landsborough, that it is carted 
away for manure. It varies much in colour and in size, 
some specimens being almost coarse, others delicately pecti¬ 
nated, and very small. S. Pi. 
(To be continued.) 
ORCHARDS IN KENT.—No. 4. 
CHERRIES. 
Although the terms “ Kentish Cherry ” are familial' 
household words, yet the fruit does not occupy that pro¬ 
minent position, as an extensively cultivated one, which the 
name would imply, it being, in most districts of the county, 
: of less importance than the Filbert, Black Currant, and 
i Apple. However, it being of easy culture, it has in former 
; years been more extensively planted than of late; and the 
number of new plantations making are very few indeed. 
Political measures, unnecessary hereto mention, haveopened 
i out continental districts more suited to the growth of this 
fruit than our own precarious springs, consequently, London, 
and many other provincial towns, are supplied with Kentish 
Cherries that know nothing of the county, except, perhaps, 
in passing through it by rail or water. As my purpose is 
to describe the mode of culture adopted in Kent where this 
fruit is grown, I must leave the foreign produce to its own 
deserts, and, in the words of a worthy old grower, affirm, 
that if it was not for our late frosts in spring, we need not 
be afraid of foreign produce; but as we have no control over 
the late frosts very serious losses occur in consequence. 
Contrary to most other cultivated fruits the Cherry does 
not seem to require a rich soil, or, rather, it is not necessary 
to supply it so frequently with those enriching substances 
I which are so liberally applied to Filberts, Hops, &c., the 
! Cherry being apt to “ gum ” off, or canker, when too grossly 
fed. In this respect it is a true type of the tribe of plants 
to which it belongs, for the Peach, in like manner, dislikes 
too high feeding, for it tends to produce in it a gouty habit. 
Another thing the Cherry dislikes is much pruning or cut¬ 
ting, either at the top or root; the latter being equally in¬ 
jurious as the former; hence the plan of planting it in such 
a position as to secure its roots against injury in that way, 
which is done by planting it in a field afterwards laid down 
to permanent grass; but, in a general way, the ground at 
planting time is in a course of tillage, and often remains so 
j for a year or two afterwards. It is proper to observe, that 
[ standard trees are universally planted, and these with a 
stem of not less than six or seven feet: the distance at 
which they are placed apart depends on various circum¬ 
stances—they are to be found from twelve to thirty feet or 
more, but twenty-four is a very common distance. In 
selecting trees to plant, groat care ought to be taken 
that they have not endured too much cutting at top. 
Maiden trees are preferable to those fine-licaded ones 
which have only become so at the expense of their after¬ 
health, perhaps; for it not unfrequently happens that gum 
is found exuding from some of those wounds made by the 
knile. The roots ought also to be good and whole, and 
have been taken up with care, and the tree, after being 
duly planted, must be tied. It is a common practice in 
Kcntjin tying-up newly planted fruit-trees,to put in two stakes, 
one on each side of the tree, and in driving them in let 
their tops lean out from the tree a little, but not so much 
but that they will draw up to it when they are tied to it and 
to each other. The benefit of this is, that while they are 
pulling against each other they are each pulling against 
the tree, and, consequently, securing it against side winds, 
which would otherwise rock it backwards and forwards. I 
need hardly observe, that these stakes are placed on a line 
with what is expected to be the highest winds, which, in 
the district I write from, is south-west and west. 
All being planled in what we may call a ploughed-field; 
we will leave the occupier to put in what description of crop 
he chooses, and it is usually corn that he sows ; for, be it 
remembered, that small fruits are not often planted with ; 
the Cherry as they are with the Apple and Pear, conse¬ 
quently the ground must be put to some use during the 
early part of the tree’s progress ; but it very often happens 
that the one following the planting of the trees is the last 
crop from tillage, and if so, the ground is sown down to 
grass, in the usual way, while the corn is on the ground; 
but before that is done, I may as well relate a practice some 
have of throwing up a mound of earth around the stem of 
each tree, rounding it off so as to form a mole-hill like 
mound of perhaps a cart-load of earth. Although this is 
not a universal plan it is a very general one, but its utility 
may bo questioned; certainly, the additional weight it gives 
steadies the tree in a great measure, but if its roots were 
sufficiently deeply planted before this “ earthing up,” its 
utility is certainly questionable, except on light soils, where it 
secures a greater depth and increased moisture; however, 
mauy healthy Orchards exist without it. 1 must leave its 
adoption or not to those whose inclination directs them, 
and leaving that subject, will endeavour to describe what soils 
and situations Cherry Orchards are in general formed on. 
The Cherry seems to delight in a much stiffer soil than 
most other cultivated fruits, for without wishing for the 
moisture so much relished by the Black Currant and 
Raspberry, the Cherry likes one more stiff than wet; hence 
many fine Orchards are found on such heavy lands as 
grow good Wheat and Beans, and such soils not unfre- 
quently furnish a sward of grass likewise, the latter being, 
the surface produce of an Orchard of this fruit. The 
ground, at the time of laying down, ought not to be poor 
and worn out, although, as I have before observed, much 
enriching matter in contact with the roots of the trees is to 
be deprecated. Now, apart from the stiff, heavy loam de¬ 
scribed above, Cherries, especially of the Early May Duke 
varieties, are often found on soils of a much drier descrip¬ 
tion ; in fact, on the dry hill sides of the limestone forma¬ 
tion. Some extensive Orchards of this kind are found on the 
banks of the Medway, in its course between Tunbridge and 
Maidstone, and on some of 'the lateral ridges with which 
the district abounds, and which I have, in a former 
article, described as peculiarly adapted to the Filbert and 
the Hop. This dry and stony, but by no means shallow, 
soil, supports a crop of Cherries very well where they escape 
the frosts they are so often visited with in the first week of 
May; and as the May Duke and its kindred early Cherries 
are always most in demand, the temptation to plant them 
extensively existed in greater force before “ free trade ” 
opened the market to foreign produce; since then, the later 
kinds, as the Black Hearts, Biyarrcau, Flemish, and Kentish, 
have been more in demand. 
I must not take leave of this article without saying, that 
after planting the tree must be protected against the 
injuries of cattle, &c., by something being securely fastened 
around them; when it is intended to graze the ground with 
sheep, which are certainly the best, some furze, or gorse, 
ought to bo bound tightly around the tree and its two 
stakes afore-mentioned; or, what is better still, each tree 
might be surrounded by a timber fence; three stout stakes 
being set up in a triangular fashion, cross pieces might be 
nailed on sufficiently close to prevent sheep putting their 
; heads through, and between the top bar and the second one 
a wide space is occupied by securing two pieces in a 
diagonal form, in fact, like the letter X, forming a sort of 
brace, which, taken in conjunction with tire triangular form 
of the enclosure, gives it a more sturdy character than the 
slenderness of the materials used would lead us to expect. 
This species of protection is adopted very extensively with 
all sorts of standard trees, and, when well done, it looks neat 
and orderly. The three stakes used are generally about 
two feet apart at the bottom, and a little more at top. They 
cannot well be dispensed with until the trees attain a con¬ 
siderable size, and the bark assumes that rugged, uninviting 
aspect which age alone can give, and which renders them 
no longer assailable by sheep. This same remark holds 
good in regard to Apples and Pears, all of which are 
attacked by sheep, &c., when not protected. 
Little pruning is given to the Cherry. Some unruly 
