These are commonly called sweet cherries, and are large, vigorous growers and make a magnificent tree with large, open, spreading heads. They are ornamental and the foliage remains on the trees the greatest portion of the year, coming into leaf very early in the Spring and remain so in the Fall later than most any other fruit tree. They are desirable for both fruit and shade. It is detrimental to keep the Cherry under constant tillage, which causes the bursting open of the bark of the tree. In fact, after the Heart and Bigarreau trees have been planted three or four years it is best to seed down the ground with grass. These are desirable to plant in odd corners, about buildings, along fences and for fruit and shade on your ground along the public highway. The ground should be prepared for them and they should be handled and treated as recommended in the opening chapter of this book.

* Pruning

-- When planting, the Cherry should not be cut back as severely as the other fruits; remove one-third of the wood, which is quite sufficient and the after pruning should be done sparingly, keeping the head of the tree open by removing the small branches each year. It is a dangerous undertaking to remove large limbs from the cherry tree; we have seen fatal results from this practice in the years past. The fruit of the cherry is somewhat susceptible to rotting, particularly so in rainy seasons. This can be largely, in fact, almost entirely, overcome by spraying with the Paris Green solution (formulated on page fl), just after the fruit sets and again in about two weeks after first application. For Black Aphis, which so often covers the ends of the present season's growth and quirl up the leaves, spray with kerosene emulsion. This is also described on page 12.

* Plant Twenty five Feet Apart

-- The Heart and Bigarreau family that we have under consideration at this writing should be planted twenty-five feet apart each way. When they are grown in rows for orchard purposes the ground can be cropped between the trees with low grown vegetables for three or four years after they are planted, then, as previously stated, the ground should be seeded down to grass. Always give the Cherry shallow cultivation.

* Fertilizers

-- Any of the kinds recommended for Plums or Peaches can be used for the Cherry. It must be applied judiciously to guard against an over supply of wood growth which would exhaust the trees and produce injury by splitting of the bark heretofore referred to. Another efficacious way to prevent this splitting of the bark, and more especially sun scald, in localities where the Cherry is particularly susceptible to injuries of these kinds is in the beginning to head the tree low down near the surface of the ground, leaving not more than two feet of a clean, smooth trunk. The practice ordinarily is to head the tree four or five feet from the ground.