LOCATIONS AND SOILS FOR CHERRIES 227 



adjacent to the Bay of San Francisco, including its extension east 

 of the Coast Range, known as Suisun Bay, for in all these regions 

 there is a modification of climate due to the influence of ocean tem- 

 perature and moisture. Away from these influences the cherry also 

 thrives on the alluvial bottoms of large rivers and their tributary 

 creeks, both on the low lands of the valleys and the foothills, while 

 on broad valley plains and foothill slopes it is not usually satis- 

 factory. In the mountain valleys cherries also thrive in suitable 

 soils which are kept reasonably moist by irrigation or cultivation 

 as may be required to do it. 



How far atmospheric conditions which are beyond control in- 

 fluence the growth and fruitage of the cherry, can not yet be fully 

 determined, but ample trial seems to demonstrate the unsatisfactory 

 character of the tree, manifested in small fruit and sunburned 

 foliage, on the plains of interior valleys, although the soil is kept 

 moist enough. There is, however, still the chance of securing 

 varieties of the fruit which have been developed under conditions 

 similar to those prevailing in the interior of California. It is claimed 

 that the Russian cherries, which are largely grown in a region 

 subject to high summer heat and dry air, will succeed in parts of 

 California where the varieties originating in West Europe fail. 

 Though this was suggested long ago, the effort has not yej 

 made to demonstrate it. 



SOILS FOR THE CHERRY 



The cherry thrives in free deep soil, in which water does not 

 stand too near the surface. It delights in deep deposits from old 

 water courses, and does not dislike a moderate amount of sand. A 

 loam underlaid by a sandy subsoil is acceptable if it is not allowed 

 to dry out in the late summer, but a loam underlaid by clay has 

 shown its unfitness by the early failure of the trees, because of 

 standing water in the rainy season, while those on deep loam near 

 by have remained vigorous and profitable. The trees are, however, 

 more resistant of too retentive soil, if a wise choice of roots is made, 

 as will be discussed presently. 



On the foothills the cherry thrives in the light, mellow soil and 

 fails in the tight clay either in soil or subsoil, as it does in the adobe 

 of lower lands ; and yet a clay loam of no great depth upon a clay 

 subsoil may grow good trees if the clay be so disposed that surplus 

 water from winter rains can escape and water is at hand to guard 

 against summer drouth. Commercial orchards should have a good 

 depth of sufficiently retentive soil. The great cherry trees just 

 mentioned are growing right on the bank of the American River, 

 where the soil is a pure, sandy loam, in some places over sixty feet 

 deep, as proved by, an old shaft once dug near the center of the 

 orchard. 



But though the cherry dislikes a wet soil, it is particular about 

 its water supply and insists upon enough, its requirements being 

 greater than some other trees. During the dry year 1898-99, also in 

 1912-13, trees came into distress where they had never suffered 



