[Continued from page 73).

The pruning and training of the Cherry are works of comparative ease - in fact, after a proper start has been made, there is less trouble with the Cherry than any other of the large-growing hardy fruits. The shoot made the first year after budding or grafting should be encouraged as much as possible, not only to form a nice strong branch, but also to perfect its wood thoroughly by the end of the season. The mode of training must regulate the style of pruning to be adopted. As a rule, in the British Isles the Cherry is grown as a wall-tree; nevertheless in some districts, but more especially in England, it is to be found as a standard, and as such it sometimes succeeds remarkably well. The fruit is perhaps not so large in size or so fine 'in flavour as when grown against a wall; yet those who may not be able to cultivate on walls need not fear to plant standards. When trained trees are desired, the maiden shoot can be cut back to three or four eyes at the first pruning. The bud below the cut ought to be on the front of the branch, while the next two ought to be, one on the right, the other on the left side of the shoot, so as to be in the most favourable position for forming the side branches.

Next year these three buds should produce three shoots, the top and centre ones forming the leader, the side ones forming branches. Should the leader go away too strong for the other two, it would be as well to stop it at the height of 12 or 15 inches, so as to throw the strength of the roots partially back into the other branches, or cut the leaves upon it in the manner recommended by Mr Thompson for the Plum, and quoted by me when writing of that fruit. At the pruning season the leader may be cut back to about 6 or 8 inches, leaving the top bud as already directed. The two side-shoots, if ripe to the point, may be left at nearly their full length. When cutting these, the point-bud should be left on the upper surface of the branch, and the branch itself ought to be trained in an upright direction - say an angle of 45° - to encourage a free growth the following season. It will be noticed that the mode of training here recommended is neither the fan nor the horizontal style, but a sort of modification of both. An approach to the fan I consider the best; for should a branch at any time die away, it is far more easily replaced by this mode of training than any other.

By leaving the leader the length recommended, the horizontal style of pruning is to some extent adopted; but 6 inches being too close for horizontal branches, the fan style of training must be adopted in combination with it. The reason for recommending the adoption of this plan is, to avoid the production of too many branches closely set together upon the stem, which, when the tree ages, is often the cause of gum exuding. Each year the pruning and training of the tree must be conducted upon the same principle as that already explained, until the whole tree is formed, when the point-shoots may be allowed to stand without being cut back, except in cases where the wood is not perfectly ripe to the points. The branches which at first have been elevated should be gradually brought down to their permanent positions. From 10 inches to 1 foot I consider a good distance between the branches of a Cherry belonging to the spur-fruiting varieties, which is the division under notice. The spurs are produced and managed in much the same manner as in the case of an Apple or Pear, only in the case of the Cherry the spur is generally formed by cutting the shoot a little further from the branch - at a distance of about 2 inches.

The Morello is an exception to the rules above given, so it must be treated of separately. The others I have termed spur-fruiting varieties; this I may term non-spur fruiting. The fruit is borne on the wood of the previous summer in the case of the Morello, so the aim of the cultivator should be to keep his tree always well supplied with young fruit-bearing wood. Rules cannot well be laid down on this point, but I will endeavour to be both plain and concise. The first year the tree may be pruned as directed above; the second year, if the growth be very strong, the same course may be pursued, but where moderately strong wood is produced, it will suffice to lay against the wall as much wood as is considered necessary, removing the rest entirely by a good clean cut. In the case of trees growing remarkably strong, root-pruning may be necessary for the encouragement of fruit-bearing and moderately-sized wood; but in no case do I consider this desirable if it can be avoided, as it is often the forerunner of gum, unless done with skill and care.

To keep up a regular supply of good fruit-bearing wood from the trunk of the tree to the extremities of the branches, it is necessary to encourage young wood, and cut away the old much in the same manner as recommended for the Peach. The trees ought never to become crowded with young wood, as the result of that is inferior fruit. By judicious management a tree may be kept in fruit-bearing condition for many years, without recourse to the laborious task of taking it entirely down and rearranging the branches. Several Morello trees here are over fifty years of age, yet bearing by far the largest crops and finest fruit I ever saw. They are healthy and vigorous, covering from 700 to 800 superficial feet of surface-wall, and furnished right to the base with fruit-bearing wood. The Morello is not so subject to gum exuding as most of the other varieties. In training the Morello I have found from 3 to 4 inches a good distance between the shoots. The point of the shoot laid in should never be cut out, as it often happens, especially in the case of old trees, that the point is the only wood bearing buds on the whole shoot.

The removal of it would therefore not only cause the loss of a shoot for the next year, but also the loss of the fruit for the current season.

Where the Cherry is intended for an espalier, for which it is well adapted, the mode of pruning and training recommended for the wall will be found to suit very well. The espalier has the advantage over the standard in this respect, that it is more easily secured from the ravages of birds; in some parts of the country they would attack the fruit long before it was ripe, unless nets were applied.

Where the Cherry is grown as a rider, the management is the same as in the case of dwarfs, with this exception, that if grafted or budded low down upon the stem, the leading shoot must be trained up to the desired height against a stake, after which the pruning and training are the same in every particular.

The management of the Cherry as a standard is exceedingly simple. The tree should have a clear stem of from 3 to 4 feet, and for this purpose it will be necessary to cut the leader down to within 6 inches of the desired height. If a clean stem is desired, it will be as well to remove all the buds up to the height desired, leaving only those intended to form branches. The following year, if the tree is in vigorous health, it will produce from four to eight nice strong shoots. One of these may be selected as a leader, and five or six of the others left to form the tree. The leader may be cut back to a foot length, and the side shoots to 15 inches in the case of moderate-growing varieties; whereas in the case of vigorous-growing sorts, these lengths may be increased by 6 inches or thereabouts. The year following, all the shoots necessary to constitute the head of the tree will be formed, so that it will only be necessary to thin out superfluous branches where not needed, and encourage fruit-bearing wood and the production of spurs. By simply following this method year after year, the results will prove far more satisfactory than where an elaborate system of pruning has been adopted.

In the management of the Cherry as a standard, the cultivator should aim to have the branches distant at least one foot from each other, so as to allow a free circulation of air, not only for the ripening of the wood, but also for the better colouring and flavouring of the fruit.

The summer management of the Cherry consists in shortening back to about 3 inches all shoots made during the growing season which are not required to form branches. Those intended for this purpose ought to be laid loosely against the wall to protect them from being broken. I prefer performing this operation about the middle of July, and only once for all, as I find better and riper spurs are formed in this way than in the case of trees pinched three or four times during the season. In the case of the Morello, however, I never summer prune at all, unless I find there is a superfluity of wood which would not get thoroughly ripened, in which case I thin out a few of the worst shoots to facilitate the ripening process. The less cutting in summer there is, the better choice of wood in winter for furnishing the tree.

James M'Millan. (To be continued).