292 



CHERRY 



39th and 44th degrees of latitude and the 68th and 86th 

 degrees of longftude, and to contiguous areas having 

 similar climatic conditions. Spontaneous forms of it 

 attain great size on the Chesapeake peninsula ( Fig. 428 ) . 

 The sour Cherry may be grown with profit between the 

 35th and 45th degrees of latitude and the 68th and 100th 

 ■degrees of longitude. 



The Mazzard is the best stock for both sweet and sour 

 Cherries in the east. The Mahaleb is more widely used 

 for the sour kinds, however, as It is easier to bud, and 

 it is free from leaf blight in the nursery. The Mazzard 

 forms a better root system, stronger union, a longer 

 lived tree, and is sufiBciently hardy. For the Plains 

 states the hardier Mahaleb stocks should be used. 



The Cherry likes an elevated, naturally light, dry, 

 loamy, retentive soil. The sour kinds need more mois- 

 ture, and will thrive in heavier land. A soil not natur- 

 ally dry may be corrected by under-draining, and on 

 light, dry knolls, the moisture capacity may be increased 

 by green manures and surface tillage. 



The sweet Cherries should be set 28 feet to 30 feet 

 -apart each way; the sour kinds, from 16 feet to 18 feet. 

 The trees are generullv set at two years from the bud. 



The sweet kinds :ir>- siaitr.l with 3 to 5 main arms, 

 -with no central ]. ;i.|. r. :,\u.,n :!'., feet high, and the 

 branches are pram '1 ti. vi,|,. I.ii.ls for a few years to in- 

 duce a spreadini;. rathii- than a spire-like form. The 

 top of a sour Cherry is made like that of a peach tree. 



Plow the Cherry "orchard lightly in the early spring, 

 and cultivate it every ten days, or after every rain, till 

 the middle of June or the first of July. Seed at the last 

 cultivation with a winter cover-crop. Stimulate the 

 trees with leguminous cover-crops when needed, but 

 the sweet Cherry is a gross feeder and a rapid grower, 

 and undue stimulation must be avoided. Keep the 

 orchard in sod and pasture it with sheep, along the 

 southern and western limits of profitable sweet Cherry 

 culture, and withhold nitrogenous manures. 



Nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid are the three 

 essential fertilizers. Nitrogen may be supplied in legu- 

 minous crops; potash as muriate, at 150 lbs. to 300 lbs.; 

 and phosphoric acid in dissolved rock, at 300 lbs. to 

 500 lbs per acre. 



Cherries should be picked by the stems into small 

 baskets a few days before ripe. Sort out all stemless, 

 small and imperfect fruits. Face the perfect Cherries 

 in small, attractive boxes or baskets, and pack these in 

 small cases or crates. The choicer the fruit, the more 

 strikingly it should be displayed. Guard against break- 

 ing the fruit spurs in picking the sweet Cherries. Fruit 

 for canning is less laboriously packed, but may be as 

 carefully picked. 



The profits depend on the varieties and markets, but 



CHERRY 



largely on the personality of the grower, and on his skill 

 as a salesman. The range of profit for the sour Cherry 

 is from $30 to $100 per acre, and from $50 to $300 or 

 more for the sweet. 



The varieties adapt themselves to a wide range of 

 territory. An imperative need, however, is the develop- 

 ment of varieties with striking features for local adapta- 

 tion. In the prairie states and the extreme north, the 

 hardier Amarelles and Morellos comprise the profitable 

 kinds. Foriiiallv tlic dark-colored, more acid Morellos 

 wir. iii...t -,,:ijlii iiii. I : now the milder Amarelles are 

 d.ii,:> : : and consumcrs. In the fol- 



l.mii: II.- named more for the pur- 



pusi- "I ilin-i r.ii :n_- ilh .liii.n-ut types than for recom- 



Amongst Amarelles, the Early Richmond and Mont- 

 morency are the leading types. 



Early Richmond {Fig. 429).— Size medium; pit large: light 

 red; poor quality: \igorous growth. Ripens June 20 in New 

 York. 



Montmorency.— Ijurge, broad, flattened ; pit medium; light 

 red ; flesh nearly colorless : juice moder.HteIy sour : vigorous 

 growth : generally productive. Two weeks after Early Rich- 

 mond. Most valuable Amarelle for the east. 



Among the Morellos, Ostheim. Louis Philippe and 

 English Morello are important types. 



Ostheim (Fig. 430).— Dark red: roundish; flesh dark, tender; 

 juice mild, dark; productive: hardy; growth slender. A week 

 after Early Richmond, smaller. Too early for the east. 



Louis Philippe.— Size ot Montmorenoy, .ind ripens with it: 

 round: acid: skin and flesh dark. Rather shy bearer in the 

 east, but valuable in the west. 



English Morello.— Two weeks later than Montmorency; more 

 open, drooping habit: fruit medium, roundish: red-black; very 

 sour, sligiitly astringent : flesh and juice dark, purplish 

 crimson. 



Among the sweet Cherries, the firm-fleshed red or 

 black Bigarreaus are the most profitable. The light 

 Bigarreaus and Hearts are more susceptible to the fruit- 

 rot, and sell !rs« rindily. Representative types of 

 Heart and liirli' l'.i-;:i! r. an i berries are the following: 



Black Tarti,,^ II ■■■ -i valuable Heart Cherrj-. Produc- 

 tive; vlgor.Hi-, ii.ii.,,. ..,L,> , laiije; dark red or black; flesh 

 dark purpli&h . \-.i.\ jua-i, sull-i. 



Napoleon (Fig. 431) . — One of the best light Bigarreaus. Fruit 

 large: flesh hard, brittle, colorless: liglit lemon yellow, with 

 reddish cheek; heavy bearer; rots if not picked before ripe; 

 splits iu wet weather. A week before Black Tartarian. 



rr.mi iln daik I;iL'arn:nis tin- fi.lli>wing are among the 



;.■.'■''- A'.; ;/•'/, r - l;ri:.-lii, dark 1.'. I, with an under mot- 

 tling: a- lata:'' a^ NapMl, ,,11 il''-li pni 1. 1 sh ; juice nearly color- 

 I'l a Hudson river valley. 



ened at both sides; 

 heart-like ; juicy : 

 •.ivy bearer locally. 



skiiriark'rJ.l .' 



428 Old Sweet Ch 



Ripens with Xapoleoii 



Windsor. — harge: rm,! ... ., .. _ :lim; juicy: mottled 



dark red: flesh pinki-l; lium. set in slight, 



broad depression: \v-.i:\ i' . i ' a ■■ i- Tnus. upright. Ripens 

 two weeks after Xapoieun. \ cry jirulitjible. 



Dikeman.—'LATge, heai^-shaped. obtuse, flattened on one side: 

 black, with e.xtremeb" firm, reddish flesh : subacid, reddish 

 juice ; stem medium, in a slight, broad depression ; \igorous. 

 Ripens three weeks or more after Windsor. A variety of great 



DisiEASES AND INSECTS. — The brown rot {Monilia 



fiuttigena], -which attacks the fruit at the ripening 



period and particularly during sultry weather, can be 



largely avoided by picking the fruit a few days before 



ripe. It may also fatally attack the flowers, 



leaves and twigs. In localities where the 



' r , Cherry blooms, but does not fruit, the trees 



■" -hould be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture be- 



t''>re the buds unfold, again when the fruit is 



It, and two or three times thereafter, with a 



'olorless fungicide. 



Black knot {Plowrightia morbosa, Sacc). 

 See under Plum. 

 Leaf blight iCylindrosporium Padi, Kurst). 



' See under Plum. 



Powdery mildew {Podosphara oxycantha. 



