66 THE KANSAS CHERRY. 



THE CHERRY ON DRY SOIL. 



The cherry tree needs a dry but rich and deep soil, with enough 

 potash to supply the enormous demand to ripen its crop of seeds and 

 stones. The cherry itself is mainly water, but if the stone cannot be 

 produced the fruit is apt to rot, especially in wet weather about the 

 time of ripening. To make cherries profitable it requires something 

 more than to grow them. A large amount of cheap help must be 

 near at hand. One must also be situated near a market, canning fac- 

 tory, or station to ship the fruit. The fruit must be picked dry and 

 all imperfect specimens thrown out. Unripe chemes will not bear 

 transportation as well as ripe ones ; hence they must not be picked 

 too soon. When all the conditions are favorable, there is no crop that 

 pays better and in seasons of scarcity gives a larger profit per acre. 



SOUR CHERRIES IN WESTERN NEW YORK. 



The growing of sour cherries in western New York is largely con- 

 fined to two varieties, the Montmorency and English Morello, and it 

 is not yet fully determined which of the two is the more profitable in 

 the long run. The i^reference has generally been given to the English 

 Morello, as it bears younger than the other, and its dark colored and 

 very acid flesh have made it popular with the canning factories. Just 

 now, however, the canners are calling for the Montmorency in pref- 

 erence, for, whilst not so sour as the other in the natural state, it 

 "cooks sour,'" and the Morello is apt to develop a bitterish or acid 

 taste in the cans. The Morello is also much subject to leaf-blight, 

 whilst the Montmorency is almost free from it ; and the Montmorency 

 is a stronger and more upright grower. The present drift is decidedly 

 towards the Montmorency. The two varieties complement each other, 

 however, for the Montmorency is about gone by the time the other is 

 fit to pick. 



This Montmorency of western New York is a very light red, long- 

 stemmed cherry, broad, and flattened on the ends, the flesh nearly 

 colorless and only moderately sour. The tree is an upright, vase-like 

 grower. 



Amongst the Griottes, or red -juiced cherries, three have gained 

 some notoriety in western New York — the Ostheim, Louis Philippe, 

 and Morello. 



The Ostheim is a very productive variety, ripening about a week 

 after Early Richmond, but it is too small and too early to be valuable 

 for general cultivation here. 



