SORTS FOR THE CHERRY 257 



LOCALITIES FOR THE CHERRY 



In California there are many districts in which the cherry does 

 not do well, and situations for the fruit must therefore be 

 selected with discrimination. The chief product is made in the 

 coast valleys adjacent to the Bay of San Francisco, including its 

 extension east of the Coast range, known as Suisun bay, for in all 

 these regions there is a modification of climate due to the influ- 

 ence of ocean temperature and moisture. Away from these influ- 

 ences the cherry also thrives on the alluvial bottoms of large 

 rivers and their tributary creeks, both on the low lands of the 

 valleys and the foothills, while on the broad valley plains and 

 foothill slopes it is not usually satisfactory. In the mountain 

 valleys cherries also thrive in suitable soils. In sc-uthern Cali- 

 fornia at elevations where moisture is adequate and temperatures 

 favor suitable winter dormancy of the trees, good cherries are 

 profitably grown, while on the mesas and valleys below, where 

 citrus fruits flourish, the cherry is an aggravation. 



How far atmospheric conditions which are beyond control 

 influence the growth and fruitage of the cherry, can not yet be 

 fully determined, but ample trial seems to demonstrate the unsat- 

 isfactory character of the tree, manifested in small fruit and sun- 

 burned foliage, on the plains of interior valleys, although the soil 

 is kept moist enough. There is, however, still the chance of secur- 

 ing varieties of the fruit which have been developed under condi- 

 tions similar to those prevailing in the interior of California. The 

 Russian cherries, which are largely grown in a region subject to 

 high summer heat and dry air, will succeed in parts of California 

 where the varieties originating in west Europe fail. Though this 

 was suggested long ago, the effort has not yet been made. 



SOILS FOR THE CHERRY 



The cherry thrives in free, deep soil, in which water does not 

 stand within about 15 feet from the surface. It delights in deep 

 deposits from old water courses, and does not dislike a moderate 

 amount of sand. A loam underlaid by a sandy subsoil is accept- 

 able, but a loam underlaid by clay has shown its unfitness by 

 the early failure of the trees, while those on deep loam near by 

 have remained vigorous and profitable. On the foothills it thrives 

 in the light, mellow soil and fails in the tight clay either in soil 

 or subsoil, as it does in the adobe of lower lands ; and yet a clay 

 loam of no great depth upon a clay subsoil may grow good trees 

 if the clay be so disposed that surplus water from winter rains 

 can escape and water is at hand to guard against summer drouth. 

 But this is merely a suggestion for garden growth of the cherry. 

 Commercial orchards should have a good depth of sufficiently re- 

 tentive soil. The great cherry trees which we have mentioned, 



