The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-06-28
The Cherry.

The cherry has less to contend will
than the apple or plum. The tree at
tains nearly all of its growth durint
the early portion of the summer Will,
there is an ample supply of moisture
In the soil. 1t ripens its cropsof fruit
and ends summer growth before the
dry periods of July and August.
Hence, IL is better suited to dry eli.
mates than such varieties of trees as
require longer season for maturity.
The cherry is peculiarly suited to dry
soils and to the.higher and drier eleva-
tions.
Since the tree does not attain large
size in the farm family orchard, the
cherry may be planted sixteen feet
apart each way. In town gardens
where the trees are not likely to re-
ceive cultivation and therefore will
not attain as large size, they are
sometimes planted as closely as twelve
to fourteen feet.
In planting the trees care should be
taken to dig the holes at least two and
a half feet across. 1t is also wise to
dig them eighteen inches in depth.
If the subsoil is Of poor quality it
should be thrown to one side and in
retilling the hole use surface soil of
the best quality. 1t 10 admissible to
use a couple of shoves full of very fine
old manure. That from the COW yard
is best suited to the purpose. 1t is
practical to use fresh manure on the
surface around the ices, allowing the
rains to dissolve the application and
leach it into the ground with great
solidity, tramping the earth firmly
about the roots. After the tree has
| been solidly set and several inches OF
earth above the roots, it is admissible
to apply two or three pals Of water
After this has soaked away, finish fill
ing the hole, leaving the surface loose,
After the trees have been planted
they should be pruned the same day.
In forming the head of the tree it
should be remembered that the cherry
suffers more from bad methods than
any other tree. The head should be
left AS close to the ground as possible
DO not cut away any of the lower
branches. 1t is wise to shorten all of
the limbs, trimming in such form that
each branch will have three or fOuI
good, strong buds remaining. The
central shoot should not be shortened
as smuch as others, since this should
be allowed to make an upright, vigor.
Gus growth and help form a symmetri
cal head.
1t is we'll to bear in mind that if the
side branches ale removed and the
trunk OF the tree exposed to the full
force of the winter sun, the tree will
suffer from sun scald. The bark ui
the south side of the tree would be
killed. The cherry tree should be
headed within eighteen to twenty four
inches of the ground. In its after
care the cherry requires less pruning
than any other fruit. Simply remove
the cross branches that tend to crowd
or rub each other. The removal of
large branches from the cherry tree
should be avoided.
If planted in climate where there
is not always an ample supply of
moisture, 1t is better not to grow any
crop among the trees rather conserve
all possible moisture. Where trees re-
ceive suitable care and culture, they
should the first season make growth |
of eighteen to thirty inches
The tree should commence b airing
when three or four years planted, and |
when five or six years ot age should be
yielding very fair crop of fruit. AT
the age OF nine years from planting,
the writer has picked more than
hundred quarts from single tree.
When the trees are too large to cul-
tivate both ways, the writer has found
it to be decidedly advantageous to
mulch the row one waylwith stable lit
tel or strawy manure and continue to
cultivate between the rows. Should
the planter mulch the entire area of
the orchard, 1t would have tendency
to bring the feeding roots to the sur
face. Cultivation one way causes
considerable portion of the feeding
rootlets to keep below cultivation and |
comparatively small proportion OF
the rootlets are brought to the surface |
through the mulching.
Should the conditions as in town |
planting be such that it is not practi
cable or convenient to cultivate, |
weed growth should be moved two or
WIN hiLuCb Oubh bpubbhs II buO hIttb |
stand in grass it will probably be ne
cessary to assist them somewhat from
year to year by mulching. Wood |
ashes or ashes from straw piles bene
fetal to the cherry tree because of the
potash contained.
Should cherry trees be inclined to
shed their foliage from the ravages OF
the shot hole fungus or any other leaf
disease it is wise to spray with Bor
deaux, using three .fourtLs strength
or three pounds of sulphate of copper
and five pounds of lime to fifty gallons
Of water. Make the first application
just after the petals fall while the
young cherries are still in the sheath
Repeat this application two weeks
later, using only half of the sulphate
of copper with the same amount of
lime and water at. the first applica-
tion. After the fruit crop has been
gathered, then spray once more. E
f. Stephens In Kan. Farmer.