320 FRUIT-GROWING 



grown to any extent commercially as the fruit 

 is too tender to ship well. Its high quality 

 and adaptability to various soils make it one 

 that the non-professional grower will appre- 

 ciate fully. For the amateur it is perhaps the 

 one best sweet cherry in spite of the fact that 

 it has some bad habits. The fruit is some- 

 what liable to rot, but this can be prevented 

 by the careful spraying that the lover of fruits 

 for their own sake is apt to give his trees. It 

 seldom bears large crops of fruit, but the high 

 quality makes up for lack of quantity. It was 

 originated by Doctor Kirtland of Cleveland, 

 Ohio, about 1842 and was named for Reuben 

 Wood, who was at one time Governor of Ohio. 



Yellow Spanish 



I mention one last variety of cherry, the Yel- 

 low Spanish, not because it excels other sorts 

 but chiefly because it is probably one of the 

 oldest sweet cherries in cultivation. Some 

 writers claim to have traced its history back 

 to the first century — certainly it was cultivated 

 in Europe several centuries ago. Even now, 

 except for one or two faults, the Yellow Span- 

 ish might maintain its place as a leading com- 

 mercial variety. Its smaller size and the fact 

 that it often rots badly keep it from competing 

 with the Napoleon — the variety which it most 

 closely resembles. 



