THOUGHTS ON PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 79 



The second five, selected for high quality, I would call: 



The Home List. — Desota, Hawkeye, Haag-, Rolling-stone and Pilot 



It is a pity that the two lists cannot be identical, but that is not 

 the way of the world. "The best is always rarest." 



Hawkeye, extra large, is a shy bearer; Pilot, of superior size and 

 quality, is apt to crack and rot on the tree. The others in the home 

 list, all good, are apt to run too small for market in competition with 

 the first list. 



Experienced growers would not exactly agree on such lists. Each 

 has his favorites, and some would choose sorts not named here. But 

 it is safe to say that, with the ten varieties named, every family in 

 our entire population might be and should be abundantly supplied 

 with this delicious fruit. 



Let our enterprising growers plant largely, care for their orchards 

 intelligently and study the art of marketing, and they will be able 

 in our "good years" to drive out of our markets the blue-green 

 abomination from California. That mocking semblance of some- 

 thing good, which fills our fruit stands and sells under the name 

 and reputation of the plum, is only an alluring pretense. While it 

 is very captivating to the eye, like the apple of Sodom, it is disen- 

 chanting to the palate. 



In cherries, we are at least ten years behind the present status of 

 plum culture. For that reason, it is not possible to speak de- 

 finitely and confidently; yet there are some experimenters here and 

 there who will bravely assert that enough is now known to prove 

 conclusively that the Northwest may soon be abundantlj^ supplied 

 with home grown cherries. They claim that the introduction of the 

 Russian marks an era in cherry culture and is the beginning of a 

 new age. My own experience and observation inclines me to think 

 that these claims are possibly correct, and "I faintly trust the larger 

 hope." 



Just how far north the best of the Russians may be grown remains 

 to be tested. There is reason to believe that the Vladimer variety, 

 which Prof. N. E. Hansen is now testing on a large scale at Brook- 

 ings, S. D., will supply for that section a long felt need. 



The Shadow Amarelle for a late cherry fills a vacant place in 

 northwest Iowa. It is an early, regular and abundant bearer of 

 large, good fruit on our black prairie soils. The trees show no 

 tenderness here and will probably prove hardy in central Minne- 

 sota. Cerise de Ostheim, while not so productive, is hardy, and the 

 fruit is very good. The Bessarabian, as good a cherry as can be 

 anj'where grown, succeeds perfectly in central Iowa but needs 

 further trial to demonstrate its range. The Sraus Wischel is an- 

 other great bearer which stands well at Marcus and will be highly 

 prized when more widely introduced. 



What we chiefly need at this stage of cherry culture is to have 

 some enterprising nurseryman in the Northwest propagate a select 

 list of these hardy sorts and push them in that section. The needy 

 people will soon learn to appreciate and reward the efforts of the 

 man who brings them what they need. 



Cherries like plums do the best on rather damp soils. Rich soils 

 with good surface drainage and porous subsoil should be chosen 

 rather than high, arid ridges; this, at least, is the teaching of recent 

 experience. Drouth has been the cause of the heaviest losses. 



