VII 



THE CHERRY 



(Prunus cerasus and P. avium) 



In some sections of the country cherry growing has 

 become a very important branch of horticulture, i. e., 

 on the Pacific Coast, where it is grown to ship East and 

 for canning, New York State and some of the Middle 

 Western States, where it is largely grown for the 

 canneries. In the older portions of the country it is 

 very little grown on* account of the rotting of the fruit, 

 the black knot, and its attack by the plum curculio, 

 the cherry maggot and the black aphis. In these sec- 

 tions old trees are only found growing in a vigorous 

 condition by the roadside and on the lawn, where the 

 ground is rather rich and well drained and yet where 

 they do not make a vigorous growth. The fruit is 

 one of the most delicious, and where the conditions are 

 favorable for its growth it becomes a profitable crop. 



THE ORCHARD 



The best soil for the growth of this fruit is one 

 rather light and moderately rich and warm. If the 

 land is very rich or moist, where the trees grow very 

 rapidly, they are soon injured by the winter and after 

 three or four seasons the trunks crack open on the south 

 side, decay soon sets in and in a few years the trees 

 die. The remedy for this condition is first, to plant on 

 light land and fertilize very sparingly and with quickly 

 soluble fertilizers, especially potash and phosphoric acid, 



