Stone Fruits: Cherries 129 



It is even more difficult to estimate the average returns for an acre 

 of Cherries. The price realized is controlled by a large number of factors, 

 the most significant of which is the total amount of the English cherry 

 crop. If this is small, prices are likely to be high; and, vice versa, if the 

 crop is large, prices are low. The price also depends to a considerable 

 extent upon the supply of other fruit, and especially upon the supply 

 of Strawberries. A glut of strawberries reacts seriously upon the price 

 of cherries. Another factor influencing the price is the variety of Cherry, 

 the best-quality cherries such as Rivers's Early, Black Eagle, and Napo- 

 leons frequently realize double and treble the price obtained for such 

 inferior varieties as Frogmores. 



The average crop has been roughly estimated at 160 half -sieves per 

 acre, and upon this basis the cost of production and marketing amounts 

 to 21, 8s. Qd. per acre. If we assume an average return of 3s. 6d. per 

 half -sieve, this will yield 28 per acre, and leave a profit of 6, lls. Qd. 

 per acre. [A. A.] 



4. DISEASES AND PESTS OF THE CHERRY 



Cherry-leaf Scorch (Gnomonia erythrostoma). This disease is the 

 cause of considerable loss both in this country and on the Continent. The 

 symptoms are very marked, and cannot be confounded with those produced 

 by any other known disease. The leaves that are attacked by the fungus 

 during the summer remain hanging on the trees throughout the following 

 winter, and after the next crop of leaves have appeared, which become 

 infested in turn by spores produced on the old dead leaves. Hence when 

 a tree is once infected the disease usually continues to appear each succeed- 

 ing season. Trees that have suffered from the disease for several seasons 

 make very little wood, owing to the leaves turning yellow and dying early 

 in the season; the crop of fruit gradually decreases in quantity and quality, 

 and eventually the tree dies. The fruit is also frequently attacked, when 

 it either falls before maturity or becomes distorted and worthless. It 

 must be clearly understood that the leaves and fruit are the only portions 

 of the tree attacked by the disease, therefore if all such are removed no 

 infection could take place the following season. This practice has been 

 followed in Germany, where the disease is rampant, and with the most 

 satisfactory results. After carefully removing all dead leaves during the 

 winter for two consecutive seasons the disease was stamped out. After- 

 wards the trees recovered and produced fruit in abundance. It is, of 

 course, more satisfactory, where a whole area is infected, that the clearing 

 away of leaves should be general ; but this is expecting the impossible. Yet, 

 as the disease does not spread rapidly, it would well repay doing in a single 

 orchard, even when surrounded by diseased ones. 



Salmon has demonstrated that by spraying with Bordeaux mixture 

 the disease can be held in check. Two thorough sprayings were applied, 



one just before the flowers opened, a second soon after the petals had fallen. 

 VOL. in. 39 



