44 THE KANSAS CHERRY. 



or until the trees have borne one or two crops of fruit, after which the 

 cherry orchard may be seeded to clover or blue-grass. 



In some localities the sweet or Heart cherries are failures as a com- 

 mercial product. Yet a few of these may be planted for ornamental 

 purposes. Then, should there come a favorable season, maturing the 

 fruit, they will be found pleasing and profitable. The best of the sweet 

 sorts are Black Tartarian, Napoleon, Windsor, Governor Wood, and 

 Black Eagle. 



For all commercial traffic and home consumption acid cherries are 

 in great demand, and they are being more largely planted for profit 

 than sweet cherries. In the selection of a list of sour cherries for 

 market, the time of ripening is an important feature. Early sorts 

 come in about the second week of strawberry picking; hence they do 

 not sell as well as the later kinds. Therefore the writer w^ould not 

 favor the planting of the Early Richmond for market purposes. 



The best selling cherries are Ostheim, Montmorency, English Mo- 

 rello and Louis Philippe. Fruit of the Montmorency is light red, fiesh 

 nearly colorless. It is largely grown in some localities for canning. 

 The fruit of Louis Philippe is dark red, flesh same color and fine 

 quality. English Morello ripens two weeks later than Montmorency;, 

 fruit is a dark red, nearly black when ripe; flesh dark red and very 

 sour; tree is a slow grower but begins to bear when two or three years 

 old. It is a favorite with canning factories. The Ostheim ripens 

 soon after Early Richmond. It is jDopular, but rather too early for 

 those who demand a late cherry. 



Trees should be cut back the first two or three years to make the 

 head spread. At the same time the head is kept low, which serves to 

 shade the trunk from the sun. 



It is the custom in our locality to set trees about 12 x 12 feet, but 

 the writer would plant a cherry orchard 16x16 feet apart. 



Cherries are but little affected by insects, however, occasionally the 

 curculio is troublesome, still not to the extent as that of plums. 

 Wliiie cherries are not as profitable a fruit for commercial traffic as 

 apples, pears, and peaches, yet the trees are ornamental, the fruit is 

 handsome, pleasing to the eye and palates of children and birds. 



Then, with all, a valuable addition may be made to the winter store 

 of canned fruits for farmer and fruit-grower. Therefore a small cherry 

 orchard will add five times its cost to the value of any farm home in 

 the country. 



