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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



before, and many large valuable trees died. The only new condition 

 they encountered was lack of soil moisture. It thus appears that 

 while the cherry is undoubtedly injured by excess of water in the 

 soil it is still very exacting in its requirement of an adequate supply. 

 If this cannot be retained in the soil by cultivation, irrigation must 

 be resorted to. Thus the cherry growers in the famous Willows 

 district of San Jose, usually find it an advantage to give their trees 

 an irrigation between the spring rains and the ripening of the fruit, 

 and another irrigation after the fruit is gathered. 



Irregularity in the moisture supply also causes the cherry to 

 bloom and fruit unseasonably. There has been bloom in October 

 and ripe fruit in January, due to the fact that trees became dormant 

 in late summer from soil-drouth. January cherries may be evidences 

 of salubrity but they betoken poor horticulture. 



These facts show that the cherry must have water enough or it 

 will not succeed. Sometimes young trees which have made a good 

 summer growth die outright on leachy soils which dry out before the 

 fall rains begin. On the other hand, there must not be excessive 

 moisture in the soil either from irrigation or by moisture. Cherry 

 trees in Southern California, planted with orange trees and given 

 similar irrigation, have failed utterly. Planting on naturally moist 

 land in low places has also failed, and observed facts some time ago 

 led to the conclusion that at the south the cherry should be planted 

 on well-drained land, which could be irrigated (as the behavior of 

 the tree indicated its need of water), rather than on naturally moist 

 land, because of the likelihood of excessive moisture in such situa- 

 tions. More recent experience has declared mellow, well-drained 

 soils, of the higher lands well adapted to the cherry and on such 

 soils, when well cultivated, cherries have done well with little irri- 

 gation at Pasadena, Pomona and elsewhere. The commercial cherry 

 product of Southern California comes, however, from mountain val- 

 leys and high plateaux the chief regions being the Yacaipa Valley 

 and the Beaumont District in San Bernardino County, the Mesa 

 Grande region in the interior of San Diego County, and other sec- 

 tions with similar conditions. 



In California, as elsewhere, the Dukes and Morellos may succeed 

 where the Hearts and Bigarreaux fail. The May Duke seems espe- 

 cially hardy, and bears well in Nevada, where other sorts fail utterly. 



Delayed Fruiting of Cherry Trees. Though the cherry in favor- 

 able situations bears early, the grower, especially on strong, rich 

 lands, will often have many years of disappointment from falling 

 blossoms and fruit. During this time the trees will be making mar- 

 velous wood growth, and this apparently suppresses the fruiting 

 function. Usually these trees will ultimately bear when their ex- 

 uberant growth declines. They can be thrown into fruit sooner by 

 allowing the trees to go uncultivated, or by root pruning, through 

 digging a trench around about eight feet from the tree, and severing 

 the roots thus encountered, or by summer pruning. Because of this 

 over-growth, growers give such strong soil to the apple or the pear 

 rather than the cherry. Sometimes the non-bearing of the cherry is 



