Stone Fruits in Oregon. 95 



not grow, it had not been discovered up to the time of the taking of the 

 last census. The annual production ol peaches within the boundaries of 

 the State amount to millions of boxes, which find a ready market in the 

 cities of our own and adjoining Stades and in Alaska for the most part, 

 while a great many carloads und their way to a profitable eastern market. 

 While peaches are the most perishable fruit grown in the State, the fact 

 that their period of ripening extends over so long a season makes them a 

 most desirable fruit. Season of ripening begins in the month of May for 

 the earliest sorts, and extends away into October, a period of six months. 

 This is really the poor man's fruit to raise, as it enables him to harvest 

 bis own crop with bis own help, thus saving the wages of hired hands 

 whose pay soon eats into the profits. 



Nectarines grow to perfection in Oregon, but the fruit-eating public 

 does not take kindly to them, so it does not pay to raise in commercial 

 quantities, and we will dismiss them without further comment. 



• 

 APRICOTS. 



Demand for apricots of late years has been so great that growers have 

 been unable to supply their customers with either the fresh, evaporated or 

 canned stock. This brisk demand has had the tendency on growers to 

 extend their plantings considerablv and unless the markets continue to 

 improve on this varietv, a few years will see the product nearer equal the 

 demand. Apricots flourish as if indigenous to Oregon's soll, and as they 

 come into bearing very young. and are heavy annual yielders, they are a 

 most profitable fruit to cultivate. Their season of ripening does not 

 extend over so long a season as peaches, and for that reason they are 

 somewhat more difficult to handle in large quantity. 



CHERRIES. 



Last, but not least ,come cherries. If peaches can be called the poor 

 man's fruit, cherries certainly have the distinction of being the lazy man's 

 fruit. The cherry, after it comes into bearing, requires the least work 

 and attention of any fruit grown, and therefore the profits derived f rom 

 its production are correspondingly greater. Pruning of cherries is unnec- 

 essary after they come into bearing; spraying is next to unnecessary, 

 as the common orchard pests seldom attack it, and owing to the fact 

 that it ripens its fruit in four months from the bloom it requires but 

 a Short season's cultivation, as cherries should not be cultivated after the 

 fruit has been picked. The only thing of any importance that needs doing 

 is picking the fruit, and after that counting the money, then eight months 

 for travel and recreation until the next season's crop requires attention. 

 On account of the small cost of production, cherries are the most profit- 

 able of any fruit crop grown in Oregon. Gare must be taken in selecting 

 a location for cherries, as they require a well drained soil and will not 

 stand for wet feet. 



The fact that cherries are in great demand fresh, canned, evaporated 

 and preserved or maraschinoed, is füll proof against an over-production, 

 and will always insure a good market at fair prices. Another matter to 

 consider in connection with cherrv culture is the fact that they cannot be 

 profitably grown except on the Pacific Coast, and only in favored localities 

 here, so that it would seem certain that the cherrv business will always 

 be profitable from the growers' standpoint. Cherries are most prolific. 

 The tree in the accompanying cut bore 620 pounds of fruit this year, 

 which at the low price of 5c per pound would be $31.00, a large sum when 

 it is considered that the cost of production is much less than that of any 

 other fruit, leaving the net profits correspondingly greater. For the 



