216 Requirements of the Cherry. 
cherry trees of Mr. Hector, in Placer County, which we have 
mentioned, are growing right on the bank of the American 
River, where the soil is a pure, sandy loam, in some places over 
sixty feet deep, as proved by an old shaft once dug near. the 
center of the orchard. 
But though the cherry dislikes a wet soil, it is particular 
about its water supply and insists upon enough, its require- 
ments being greater than some other trees. During the dry 
years 1898 and 1899, trees came into distress where they had 
never suffered before, and many large, valuable trees died. The 
only new condition they encountered was lack of soil moisture. 
It thus appears that while the cherry is undoubtedly injured by 
excess of water in the soil, it is still very exacting in its require- 
ment of an adequate supply. If this can not be retained in the 
soil by cultivation, irrigation must be resorted to. Thus the 
cherry growers in the famous Willows district, of San Jose, 
usually find it an advantage to give their trees an irrigation be- 
tween the spring rains and the ripening of the fruit, and another 
irrigation after the fruit is gathered. 
These facts show that the cherry must have enough water 
or it will not succeed. On the other hand, there must not be ex- 
cessive moisture in the soil either from irrigation or by moisture. 
Cherry trees in southern California, planted with orange trees 
and given similar irrigation, have failed utterly. Planting on 
naturally moist land in low places has also failed, and observed 
facts some time ago led to the conclusion that at the south 
the cherry should be planted on well-drained land, which could 
be irrigated (as the behavior of the tree indicated its need of 
water), rather than on naturally moist land, because of the likeli- 
hood of excessive moisture in such situations. More recent 
experience has declared mellow, well-drained soils of the higher 
lands well adapted to the cherry, and on such soils, when well 
cultivated, cherries have done well without irrigation at Pasa- 
dena, Pomona and elsewhere. The commercial cherry prod- 
uct of southern California comes, however, from mountain val- 
leys and high plateaux—the chief regions being the Yucaipe 
Valley above Redlands and the Mesa Grande region in the in- 
terior of San Diego County. 
In California, as elsewhere, the Dukes and Morellos may 
succeed where the Hearts and Bigarreaux fail. The May Duke 
seems especially hardy, and bears well in Nevada, where other 
sorts fail utterly. 
Late Fruiting of Cherry Trees—Though the cherry in favor- 
able situations bears early, the grower, especially on strong, 
tich lands, will often have many years of disappointment from 
falling blossoms and fruit. During this time the trees will be 
making marvelous wood growth, and this apparently sup- 
