THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 65 



CHAPTER m 



CHERRY CULTURE 



The magnitude of the cherry industry in the United States is not 

 generally appreciated. This is because cherries are very largely grown 

 in small home plantations and the product is either consumed at home 

 and in local markets, or is sent to canning factories and is therefore disposed 

 of without the display attending the production and marketing of fruits sold 

 in the general market. The following figures from the last census show the 

 importance of the industry. There were in 1909, according to the census 

 taken in 1910, 11,822,044 bearing cherry trees in the United States and 

 5,621,660 trees not of bearing age. The bearing trees bore 4,126,099 

 bushels of fruit valued at $7,231,160. When this, the thirteenth census, 

 was taken the cherry ranked fifth in commercial value among orchard fruits, 

 being surpassed in the order named by the apple, peach, plum and pear. 



The yield of fruit was 43.6 per centum greater in 1909 than in 1899. 

 This high percentage of increase has been brought about in several ways. 

 The recent development of rapid transportation, refrigerator service and 

 of marketing facilities has greatly stimulated the culture of this as of all 

 other fruits in the United States. An increased demand for canned and 

 preserved cherries has sprung up so that cherries are much more used 

 now than formerly, the trade in preserved cherries for confections and 

 various drinks in particular having greatly increased. Lastly, better care 

 of orchards and better means of combating insects and fungi l;ave increased 

 the yields dioring the last decade. 



Cherries are grown in greater or less quantities in every state in the 

 Union but commercially the industry is confined to a few states having 

 especial advantages in climate, soil and markets. In but six states, accord- 

 ing to the last census, was the value of the cherry crop more than a half- 

 million dollars, the states being: California $951,654, Pennsylvania $909,975, 

 Ohio $657,406, Michigan $590,829, New York $544,508, Indiana $508,516. 

 In New York in particular, recent plantings of this fruit have been so 

 great that at this writing, July, 1914, the figures given for this State coiold 

 be increased by a quarter at the very least, and no doubt they could be 

 largely increased also for California and Michigan. The great growth 

 of the canning industry is most largely responsible for the large plantings 

 of cherries in recent years in regions especially suited to this fruit. 

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