Cherries at the West. 2i 



for the Early May of the South, — Pie Cherry or late Kentish, Early May 

 of Downing, and Montmorency ; and, to some extent, these errors are yet 

 being propagated. I have seen the two latter mixed in the nursery-rows 

 with the true Early May. 



As early as 1856, Mr. Wakeman sent a large quantity of this fruit to 

 the Chicago market ; and at this time there are large orchards of this cherry 

 in the neighborhood, that send annually some thousand of bushels to mar- 

 ket. In fact, it has become the great commercial cherry of the North- 

 west. In the orchards near Chicago, no other stock than the Morello will 

 be tolerated, .as it is supposed that this stock has a beneficial influence on 

 this variety. In some places it is propagated by suckers, and by many these 

 are supposed to be equally valuable ; but I am not aware of a close compari- 

 son having been instituted to determine this point for any length of time. 

 In the south part of the State, large orchards have been set within the past 

 two years, mostly worked on the Mahaleb stock. 



I have fruited this cherry for the past thirteen years, and have had at 

 least half a crop in the poorest season. Late frosts sometimes thin out 

 the crop ; but the great danger is from excessive rain during the time of 

 ripening, which induces the rot. 



At this point the crop begins to ripen about the loth of June, and lasts 

 two weeks. The large English Morello, another very valuable cherry, is 

 about one month later. 



The Early May, when fully ripe, is a tolerable table-fruit ; but its chief 

 value is for the kitchen. The pit is very small, and is easily taken out 

 by a patent " cherry-pi tter." 



In orchard-culture, this fruit must have the best of care ; and then the 

 sprouts of the Morello stocks are of little consequence, being as easily 

 kept down as ordinary weeds. They should be grafted about two feet from 

 the ground, so as to keep the heads low, for the convenience of picking. 

 In grafting, a thin-bladed knife is used, so as to cut the bark instead of 

 splitting it, as is done in apple-grafting. Budding is never resorted to in 

 propagating on the Morello. 



Along the eastern bank of the Mississippi and the Illinois Rivers, on the 

 sandy bogs that cover the prairie drift, the sweet cherries have been 

 more fortunate, and, in some years, produce good crops. But at Quincy, on 



