GROWING SOUR CHERRIES

Agriculture Handbook No. 451

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Agricultural Research Service

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
414275
PRECAUTIONS

Pesticides used improperly can be injurious to man, animals,

and plants. Follow the directions and heed all precautions on the

labels.

Store pesticides in original containers under lock and key—

out of the reach of children and animals—and away from food

and feed.

Apply pesticides so that they do not endanger humans, livestock,

crops, beneficial insects, fish, and wildlife. Do not apply pesticides

when there is danger of drift, when honey bees or other pollinating insects are visiting plants, or in ways that may contaminate

water or leave illegal residues.

Avoid prolonged inhalation of pesticide sprays or dusts; wear

protective clothing and equipment if specified on the container.

If your hands become contaminated with a pesticide, do not eat

or drink until you have washed. In case a pesticide is swallowed

or gets in the eyes, follow the first aid treatment given on the

label, and get prompt medical attention. If a pesticide is spilled

on your skin or clothing, remove clothing immediately and wash

skin thoroughly.

Do not clean spray equipment or dump excess spray material

near ponds, streams, or wells. Because it is difficult to remove

all traces of herbicides from equipment, do not use the same

equipment for insecticides or fungicides that you use for herbicides.

Dispose of empty pesticide containers promptly. Have them

buried at a sanitary land-fill dump, or crush and bury them in a

level, isolated place.

NOTE: Some States have restrictions on the use of certain

pesticides. Check your State and local regulations. Also, because

registrations of pesticides are under constant review by the

Federal Environmental Protection Agency, consult your county

agricultural agent or State Extension specialist to be sure the

intended use is still registered.

ni
CONTENTS

Page

Climatic requirements 2

Soil requirements 5

Cultivars 6

Pollination requirements 8

Propagation and rootstocks 8

Selecting and handling nursery trees 9

Orchard planting 10

Site 10

Time of planting 11

Tree spacing 11

Transplanting 12

Tree heading and training 14

Care of young trees 15

Orchard management 16

Tillage and cover crops 16

Fertilization 17

Intercrops . 18

Irrigation 18

Pruning 19

Thinning fruit 19

Harvesting 20

Packing 24

Processing 24

Virus diseases 24

Ringspot 24

Sour cherry yellows 25

X-disease 26

Pink fruit 26

Other virus diseases 27

Fungus diseases 27

Leaf spot 27

Brown rot 28

Other diseases 28

Insects 29

Black cherry aphid 29

Plum curculio 29

Fruit flies 30

Pearslug 30

Literature cited 31

Washington, D.C. Issued March 1974

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 40 cents

Stock Number 0100-02892

IV
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' GROWING SOUR (MERRIES>/^, ifa

By H. W. FOGLE, L. C. COCHRAN, and H. L. KEIL*

The sour cherry {Prurms cerasus L.) also is referred to as the

tart, pie, or red cherry. Like the

sweet cherry (P. avium L.) it

is a drupe or stone fruit belonging to the family Rosaceae. It is

a tetraploid species (47i=32),

which apparently is native to the

Caspian-Black Sea region and

perhaps to northern India (22,

U7, 61, 66)? It is considered a

natural cross of P. fruticosa

Pall., also tetraploid, with unreduced pollen of P. avium, a diploid species {63), Occasionally

the sour cherry hybridizes with

unreduced pollen of sweet cherry

'H. W. Fogle, horticulturist, and H.

L. Keil, plant pathologist. Fruit Laboratory, Northeastern Region, Agricultural Research Service, and L. C.

Cochran, professor of plant pathology.

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

The authors acknowledge the generous use of text and illustrations from

Farmers' Bulletin 2185, "Growing Cherries East of the Rocky Mountains,"

prepared by the late Leon Havis. This

bulletin is out of print. Figure 2 was

furnished by T. K. Toyama, Irrigated

Agriculture Research and Extension

Center, Prosser, Wash., figures 3, 7, 8,

and 12 by Cornell University, Ithaca,

N.Y., and figure 16 by Friday Tractor

Co., Hartford, Mich.

* Italic numbers in parentheses refer

to Literature Cited, p. 31.

to produce Duke cherries (P.

gondouinii (Poit. & Turp.) Rehd.)

(19, i6), Duke cherries are tetraploid and intermediate between

the parent species. Some of these

are very similar to sour cherries

in fruit characteristics but have

upright growth habit.

Approximately 6 million sour

cherry trees of bearing age and

another million trees not of bearing age were grown throughout

the United States according to

the 1964 census. They were distributed in every State. Michigan

had about 4.2 million trees, or

62 percent of the total. Wisconsin had about 825,000 trees, New

York about 750,000 trees, and

Pennsylvania about 340,000 trees.

The remainder were distributed

primarily in States bordering the

Great Lakes and in the Northwestern and Rocky Mountain

States.

In the 1969 census about 4.8

million bearing trees and 0.9

million nonbearing trees were reported, reflecting a continued decline in total acreage.

The most important commercial sour cherry orchards are located in western Michigan, western New York and the Hudson

Valley, southern and northwestern Pennsylvania, Door County
AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

of Wisconsin, Oregon, Utah,

Arkansas River Valley of Colorado, and northern Ohio. Large

quantities of sour cherries are

produced in some other States,

but usually the individual orchards are small and do not represent important community

interests. Sour cherries often produce well in the central and

southern Great Plains regions,

where more tender fruits usually

fail.

U.S. production of sour cherries varies from about 90,000 to

over 175,000 tons annually (table

1). Michigan produces from 50

to over 70 percent of this tonnage, and combined with New

York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin up to 90 percent.

The bulk of the sour cherry

crop is frozen (about 55 percent)

or canned (about 40 percent)

for use in pastries, primarily

pies. Small quantities are used

for juice, jam, or jelly and for

brining. Some of these uses are

included in the total for canning.

Only about 3 percent of the crop

is sold fresh, and this is declining (35).

Annual sale value of sour cherries in the United States is about

$20 million.

Production is relatively stable

(2i) and is predicted to remain

so (79); however, acreage has

declined in States where mechanical harvesting has not been

adopted.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

Climate, chiefly temperature,

is the most important factor affecting the geographic distribution of sour cherry trees (32),

Generally the trees do not thrive

where summers are long and hot

or where winter temperatures are

high for short periods. Primarily

because of this, few sour cherries

are grown in the South; however, some are grown at higher

altitudes. Young sour cherry trees

respond to longer day length directly by increased shoot growth

but less so as they become older

(W^

Winter injury to trunks is a

serious problem in some central

and southern parts of the country.

A sudden freeze after a mild

period sometimes causes dormant

trunks to split. Often these splits

close tightly and little damage

ensues. However, sometimes bark

and cambial tissues are injured

and repair of the large wounds

requires several years. (Fig. 1.)

Sour cherry trees usually are

less hardy than 'Mclntosh' and

'Northern Spy' apple trees, but

are more hardy when fully dormant than other stone fruit trees

of commercial importance except

the European plum (Prunus

domestica L.). Early fall freezes

before the trees become fully

hardened may damage trunks

and crotches in northern produc-
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES

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PN-2946

FIGURE 1.—Trunk of 'Montmorency'

cherry, showing winter injury. This

type of injury is often caused by

rapid changes in temperature. The

injury to this tree occurred several

years before the photograph was

taken, and considerable healing had

taken place, as indicated by new bark

along the right side of the wound.

ing areas {3, 37, A2). Extremely

low winter temperatures may kill

flowerbuds and damage terminal

wood and spurs (fig. 2). The

blossoms and young fruits of sour

PN-2947

FIGURE 2.—Browning of tissues in fruit

spur and fruit buds of cherry in

Yakima Valley of Washington State

after -11° F. in November 1964.

cherries are very susceptible to

injury by low temperatures.

Protection against temperatures

below 28° F. is advisable after the

buds reach the green tip or socalled water bud stage (Dennis,

F. G., et al., unpublished). Often

more blossoms and fruits, are killed by spring frosts oh sour

cherry than on peach trees in the

same area.
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES

SOIL REQUIREMENTS

Sour cherry trees will grow

on a wide range of soil types

provided the soils are well

drained. Perhaps no other fruit

tree is more sensitive to the ill

effects of a poorly drained soil

(fig. 3). In many important

cherry-growing areas the prevailing soils are sandy loams or other

sandy soils that usually are underlain by clay subsoil. Such soils

occur in districts bordering the

Great Lakes, where the most important commercial cherry areas

PN-2948

FIGURE 3.—'English Morello' trees 6 years old, showing effect of soil drainage: A,

On poorly drained soil ; B, on well-drained soil. These trees were within 33 feet

of each other, and the camera was at the same distance from each.
6 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

east of the Rocky Mountains are

located. However, the industry

has developed in these districts

because of the tempering effect

of large bodies of water instead

of the existence of particular soil

types.

Many of the better orchards

in western New York are on

Dunkirk clay loam, which is

fairly heavy but well drained.

Since the heavier clay soils often

are insufficiently drained, the

lighter soils are preferred for

cherries.

Soils that are droughty and

that dry out excessively are unsatisfactory for cherry trees.

Moderately fertile soils give better results than those having

either extreme in fertility.

CULTIVARS

Sour cherries are separated

into two distinct groups based

on the color of the fruit juice—

the Amarelle or Kentish group

with colorless juice and the Morello or Griotte group with reddish

juice and usually dark-red fruit

{Si, ^7). In addition, a subspecies classification is sometimes

given to the Marasca group, which

is used for distilled or brined

products {61), Further classification into Montmorency, Morello, Brüsseler, and Vladimir

groups has been suggested {66),

About 270 named cultivars

(varieties) of sour cherries were

described by Hedrick in 1914

(47). Only 12 had been added by

1950 and an additional five by

1970. Ten of these 17 were mutations of 'Montmorency' {9).

Numerous mutations or strains

of 'Montmorency' have been selected for productiveness, season

of fruit maturity, or disease resistance {18, 39y U), The fruits

of these are similar to those of

'Montmorency'. These mutations

in order of their introduction

are 'McClain Montmorency'

(1925), 'Montearly' and 'Montlate' (1932), 'Musselman Montmorency' (1934), 'Gilbert Montmorency' and 'Jordan' (1937),

'Richmorency' (1938), 'Bell Montmorency' (1940), 'Montmorency,

Dayton strain' (1941), and 'Fernwood Montmorency' ( 1956).

'Black Flame', introduced in 1940,

is an open-pollinated seedling of

'Montmorency' {9).

A 1961 survey showed that

70 distinct cultivars and numerous selections or mutations of

'Montmorency' were growing in

North American fruit collections

{33), Only three cultivars are of

economic importance—'Montmorency', 'English Morello', and

'Early Richmond'. 'Montmorency'

is by far the leading cultivar.

These cultivars are described in

order of fruit ripening as follows:

'Early Richmond' (Kentish)

apparently originated in the

Montmorency Valley of France
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES

and was introduced into America

via either England or Holland

W). Fruits are light red, small

to medium sized, white fleshed,

of fair quality, and ripen 7 to

10 days before 'Montmorency'.

Trees are medium sized, moderately productive, and relatively

hardy. Early strains of 'Montmorency' are supplanting this

cultivar.

'Montmorency' originated in

the Montmorency Valley of

France before the 17th century

(^7). Fruits ripen in midseason

and are relatively large, bright

red, white fleshed, and of good

quality. Trees are vigorous, hardy,

and very productive on good soil.

The firm flesh and long harvest

season make this cultivar the

best suited for processing uses.

Mutations in this cultivar have

made available a succession of

similar types that permits a prolonged harvest season and more

efficient use of harvesting machinery and labor. Usually this is

the only sour cherry cultivar

grown by the most successful

orchardists.

'English Morello' is thought

to have originated in Holland or

Germany and then was introduced into England and France

(^7). Fruits ripen 10 to 14 days

after 'Montmorency', and are

medium sized, very dark red,

and very tart, but of good quality.

The flesh is dark red and the

juice is red. Trees are spreading and sometimes drooping. Annual terminal growth often is

short and trees become unproductive. They are particularly susceptible to the leaf spot fungus

( Coccomyces hiemalis Higgins).

'Meteor', introduced in 1952,

was derived from a cross of

'Montmorency' and a seedling derived from 'Vladimir' and 'Shubianka' at the University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm (9).

This cultivar combines improved

winter hardiness with relatively

small Montmorency-type fruit.

'Coronation', introduced in 1937

by the Dominion Experimental

Station, Morden, Manitoba, and

'Dwarfrich', introduced in 1952

by the U.S. Horticultural Field

Station at Cheyenne, Wyo., are

open-pollinated seedlings of

'Vladimir' (9). Both have bushtype, dwarfish growth.

'Northstar', introduced in

1950, was derived from a cross

of 'English Morello' and 'Serbian

Pie No. 1' at the University of

Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm

(P). It has Morello-type fruit

and usually a very dwarfed, hardy

tree. This cultivar has potential

as a dwarfing interstock for sweet

cherries.

Other cultivars generally have

a limited availability. Detailed

descriptions of those originating

before 1920 are given by Hedrick (^7) and later ones by

Brooks and Olmo (9),
g AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

POLLINATION REQUIREMENTS

All commercially important

sour cherry cultivars are considered self-fertile and pollinizers

usually are not planted (31, 8i).

Under favorable conditions, i.e.,

weather warm enough for bee

activity and for pollen tube

growth, and adequate nutrition,

pollen from an individual tree

will fertilize the pistils of the

flowers on the same tree and

cause fruit set. Low light intensity does not appear to hamper

fruit set (ii). However, bees or

other insects apparently are

necessary for transporting the

pollen, regardless of the compatibility factors.

A few minor cultivars, viz

'Chase', 'Ostheim', 'Kentish Red',

'Homer', and a few mutations of

'Montmorency' give higher fruit

sets from cross-pollination than

from self-pollination (17, SI),

Factors may be involved, such

as those that make all commercial sweet cherry cultivars selfincompatible (16).

Prolonged periods of cool wet

weather during blossoming may

prevent fruit set because of inadequate pollination. However,

relatively short periods of warm

temperatures and intense bee

activity may insure a good crop

if the anthers are shedding pollen.

PROPAGATION AND ROOTSTOCKS

Most growers buy trees from

a reputable nurseryman. Trees

are propagated by budding on

seedling stocks in the nursery

row and sold for transplanting

to the field when they are 1 or 2

years old. It is essential that

nurserymen use budwood only

from trees that are free of known

viruslike diseases. Likewise, trees

producing seeds for rootstock

should be free of known viruses.

Two kinds of seedling rootstock are in general use—the

mahaleb and the mazzard (1, í,

8, H, 15, 21, i5, JÍ8, 70, 78), The

mahaleb is used more extensively

than the mazzard for sour cherry

stocks (70), Despite occasional

incompatible unions, mahaleb

rootstocks are usually satisfactory. Trees on this stock in good

soil are more productive than

those on mazzard (i). However,

the mazzard rootstock is more

desirable for heavy soils. 'Stockton Morello' rootstock sometimes

is used in areas with inadequate

drainage (21),

Trees on mahaleb rootstock appear more spreading than those

on mazzard in the early bearing

years, probably because those on

mahaleb grow more slowly and

bear fruit when they are younger.
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 9

SELECTING AND HANDLING NURSERY TREES

Either 1- or 2-year-old nursery

trees may be used. Medium-sized

trees, 4 to 5 feet high and ninesixteenths to eleven-sixteenths

inch in diameter, seem preferable, but smaller trees often are

satisfactory (fig. 4). Unpack

trees immediately after delivery

and keep the roots moist. The

trees should be heeled in (fig. 5)

PN-2949

FIGURE 4.—Sour cherry trees representing different grades of nursery trees as

follows: A, 2-year-old 'Montmorency' on mazzard rootstock, three-fourths inch

or more in diameter, 5 to 7 feet high; B, same as A except on mahaleb rootstock; C, 1-year-old 'Montmorency' on mazzard rootstock, five-eighths to elevensixteenths inch in diameter, 3 to 4 feet high; D, 1-year-old 'Montmorency' on

mahaleb rootstock, five-eighths to eleven-sixteenths inch in diameter, 3 to 4 feet

high.
10 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 5.—Cherry trees heeled in.

PN-29B0

if they cannot be planted immediately.

A place where the soil is friable, deep, and well drained

should be used for heeling-in the

trees. Make a trench sufficiently

wide and deep for the roots and

lay the trees at an angle. Then

distribute moist sawdust, bark

dust, or soil among the roots to

fill all the spaces between them.

If many trees are to be heeledin, they usually are placed in

parallel rows. When this is done,

the roots in one row may be

covered with the soil that is removed in opening the adjacent

trench. Trees that are tied in

bundles when received must be

separated before they are heeledin. If this is not done, it is difficult to distribute the soil among

the roots sufficiently to protect

them from drying.

ORCHARD

Site

The area of land occupied by

the trees is called the "site." The

most essential site considerations

are soil and local climatic conditions. Cherries blossom comparatively early in the spring. Avoid

sites subject to spring frosts durPLANTING

ing blossoming. Heating of sour

cherry orchards usually is not

profitable. Because cold air settles to lower levels, orchards occupying sites slightly higher than

the surrounding areas are usually

less likely to be injured by frost

than those at comparatively low

elevation. Also, the soil on higher
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 11

levels is likely to be better

drained.

Replanting favorable sites with

sour cherries may lead to unthrifty growth. Preplant fumigation of a problem site in

Michigan increased trunk growth,

even of diseased trees (55). Root

lesion (Pratylenchus sp.) and

dagger nematodes (Xiphinema

sp.) were present in the orchard.

Avoid soils in which tomatoes,

potatoes, or other solanaceous

crops have been grown during

the previous 5 years because of

the verticillium wilt hazard.

Turning under a green manure crop is a good way to prepare a site.

Time of Planting

Cherry trees should be planted

as soon as possible after they

are dug to prevent losses of

young orchard trees. If feasible,

obtain and plant trees in the

fall. In areas where winters are

extremely severe, spring planting is advisable. In the middle

latitudes and where winters are

comparatively mild, fall planting

usually is preferable and it is

becoming more common in areas

where the climate is moderate.

The trees should be completely

dormant prior to planting to prevent bud growth. Extensive bud

growth prior to planting usually

increases tree losses.

Prepare a good seedbed for the

trees. Plowing or deep disking

usually is necessary. Where erosion is a potential problem, only

a 6-foot-wide strip in the tree

row need be prepared. Since soil

preparation will vary with the

location and soil type, follow local recommendations.

Tree Spacing

Cherry trees are planted at

various spacings depending on

the topography of the land, soil

depth, rootstock, varietal characteristics of the trees, and preference of the individual grower.

Sometimes smaller trees, such as

'English Morello', are planted 16

to 18 feet apart each way. The

minimum spacing of permanent

trees for most sour cherry cultivars is 20 feet apart. The spacing

may be increased up to 24 feet

if the soil is favorable for tree

growth, particularly for vigorous

cultivars such as 'Montmorency'.

The square system is generally

used in planting cherry trees.

However, a contour system

should be considered on sites

where there is danger of soil

erosion. Contour planting means

planting each row of trees at the

same level or on a contoured line

with a slight grade along which

water moves slowly. Sometimes

terraces are desirable. In contour

planting, there should be a minimum distance of about 18 feet

between rows.

Soil and moisture conservation

are essential for best production.

The extra time required to plan

and lay out a good conservation

system is well spent.
12 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

The undesirable effect of planting too closely is illustrated in

figure 6. The 21-year-old 'Montmorency' trees are spaced 14 by

14 feet since the filler trees were

not removed. The long, slender,

upright branches interlock, causing spraying and harvesting problems.

On well-drained, fertile soil,

'Montmorency' trees may become

crowded even when spaced more

than 20 feet apart, and some of

the trees may need to be removed

for best orchard operation. The

trees in figure 7 are too close;

those in figure 8 are well spaced.

Transplanting

The details of planting are

similar to those usually followed

for apples, peaches, or other

fruit trees commonly planted in

sections where cherries are

grown.

When a tree is being prepared

for planting, remove all mutilated

or injured parts of the roots.

Cut long, slender roots to match

the length of the main roots.

Take every precaution to prevent the roots from becoming

dry. The tree roots will be injured if they are unduly exposed

to cold or to drying-out during

V i^rf- JA-}'_,',

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'^ *W<h*.

FIGURE 6.-

PN-2951

-This 'Montmorency' cherry orchard in New York is about 21 years old

and the trees are 14 feet apart each way. They are tall with long slender

branches as a result of being planted too closely.
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 13

PN-2952

FIGURE 7.—Twelve-year-old 'Montmorency' trees. The permanent trees are planted

24 by 24 feet on a square system, and a semipermanent tree is in the center of

the square. These trees on mazzard stocks and in good soil are too close

together.

PN-2953

FIGURE 8.—Well-spaced trees in a 'Montmorency' cherry orchard. The semipermanent trees were removed when 12 years old.
14 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OP AGRICULTURE

trimming and planting. Many

poor stands of cherry trees have

resulted from injury to roots exposed prior to planting.

Use only pulverized topsoil

around the roots in filling the

hole after a tree has been put

into position and alined. Work

the soil in closely around the

roots. Moving the tree up and

down slightly as the hole is being

filled helps settle the soil among

the roots. As the filling progresses, firmly tamp the soil around

the roots and fill the hole to the

surface. If water is available,

fill the hole with water when it

is about two-thirds filled with

soil and completely fill it with

soil several hours later. A A^^^f!t^ BvÄi:iï^*

Tree Heading and Training

Sour cherry trees have

a spreading habit of growth. The

modified-leader system of training is preferable for all types.

Both well - grown 1-year-old

and 2-year-old trees should be

branched when received from the

nursery. Select about four

branches for main or scaffold

limbs of the tree (figs. 9 and 10).

The lowest scaffold limb should

start at least 14 to 16 inches

from the ground. The others

should be well spaced around the

trunk up and down so that none

are directly over a lower one. For

mechanical shaking, the lowest

branch should be at least 18 and

preferably 24 to 30 inches from

ground level. Where possible, the

PN-2954

FIGURE 9.—One-year-old 'Montmorency'

cherry tree, about 3 feet high, showing method of pruning at time of

planting: A, Before pruning; J5, after

pruning.

scaffolds should be at least 4 to

6 inches apart up and down the

trunk. If all are allowed to develop from the same height, a

weak tree is likely to result (figs.

Hand 12).

For these scaffold limbs, retain only branches with the widest

angles. Select the more vigorous

branches and cut back to about

the length of weaker ones so that

all may develop to approximately

equal length. Do not cut back the

main stem or trunk when it is

planted; it should be left higher

than any of the scaffold branches

(figs. 9 and 10).
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 15

PN-2955

FIGURE 10.—'Montmorency' tree grown

2 years in the nursery. It is about 4

feet high and pruned properly for

setting in the field. Note that the

original leader was cut back after 1

year in the nursery, but the lateral

branch selected as a leader was not

cut back.

Care of Young Trees

In areas of low or poorly distributed rainfall, newly planted

trees should receive supplemental

irrigation to avoid moisture stress

(53). Competition for nutrients

or moisture from weeds or cover

crop should be prevented. If a

cover crop is used, maintain a

clean-cultivated strip of about 18

inches on each side of the tree

row or a 3-foot circle around each

tree. In general, do not use chemical weed killers during the first

summer of growth. Apply supplePN-29B6

FIGURE 11.—'Montmorency' cherry tree

with no leader and all scaffold limbs

arising at the same height. The left

limb is very weak at the crotch and is

likely to break and leave a large

wound on the trunk.

PN-29B7

FIGURE 12.—Eight-year-old cherry tree,

showing type of scaffold-limb breakage common on cherry trees on which

several limbs are allowed to develop

at the same height.

mental nitrogen sparingly as the

need is indicated by inadequate

terminal growth or pale-green foliage. However, fertilizer usually

should not be applied after mid-
16 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

July to avoid growth late in the

fall and subsequent winter injury

to unhardened tissues. In some

areas, potassium solutions are applied at planting time to prevent

potassium deficiency (60).

ORCHARD MANAGEMENT

Orchard management practices

vary with soil types, drainage,

availability of irrigation, and

many other factors (3, 28, 38,

M, 51, 52, 53, 61, 67, 68, 7U).

Cost estimates for some of these

practices in sour cherries are not

available, but some are similar to

estimates for sweet cherries {73).

Tillage and Cover Crops

Cherry orchards usually are

given clean tillage with a disk harrow during the early summer or

until about the middle of July.

The clean-tillage practices of various growers differ greatly. Some

growers cultivate their orchards

weekly when the trees are growing rapidly, others cultivate three

or four times during the entire

season, and some use chemical

weed control. The tendency is toward less tillage and even nontillage. The latter combines chemical weed control with mowing.

Cover crops in the early summer, when most tree growth occurs, may compete seriously with

the trees. The rapidly growing

fruits and shoots require large

amounts of moisture and soil nutrients. A more continuous cover

crop may be necessary if there is

danger of soil and water loss

from erosion. Usually a cover

crop is seeded at the last cultivation, at about the time the fruit

is harvested, and it is disked down

early the following spring. Cherry

growers sometimes allow weeds to

grow as a cover crop during the

late summer and fall. However, a

planned cover-crop system is often necessary to prevent erosion

in sloping orchards.

Mechanical or chemical weed

control in a strip 3 to 4 feet wide

in the tree rows and periodic

mowing or flailing of the sod

strips between tree rows overcome the disadvantages of complete cover in orchards requiring

continuous cover crops. Usually a

low-growing nonlegume such as

bluegrass and fescue or a shallowrooted legume such as subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum It.) adapts best to this

cultural system.

Cover crops have additional advantages. They improve aeration

in clay soils, increase water-holding capacity, and aid in retaining

the nutrients in sandy soils. They

utilize excess nitrogen in late

summer and may aid in hardening of trees by preventing late

flushes of growth and subsequent

winter injury. The type of cover

crop used and the method of managing it vary in different districts and sometimes even on dif-
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 17

ferent farms in the same area

{51 y 52).

In many localities, one of the

best cover crops for cherries is

rye, which is sown in late summer at the rate of about IVè

bushels per acre. The cover crop

should be disked or mowed well

before it matures in the spring to

prevent competition with the

trees. Some growers prefer a latesummer crop that does not survive the winter, such as oats,

millet, or buckwheat.

Sometimes cherry orchards can

be maintained satisfactorily in

sod if adequate nitrogen is applied. However, the trees may suffer from lack of moisture unless

the soil is deep. A mulch of straw,

hay, or similar material around

the trees reduces evaporation and

allows better root development

in the surface soil. Trees grow

best without competition, and a

continuous sod should be considered only when necessary to prevent erosion. Where bluegrass is

adapted, it is one of the best sods ;

in other areas the native grasses,

lespedeza, and other legumes may

be used.

Fertilization

A soil test may be useful in

determining the average initial

fertilizer application necessary.

Likewise, leaf analysis services

may be utilized periodically to

monitor the general level of nutrients in an orchard. However,

the most economical fertilization

system may be to vary the annual

applications to individual trees

from the average indicated rate

according to the amount of terminal growth and the leaf appearance.

The fertilization procedure for

cherries is similar to that for

other orchard trees {77). Adequate but not excessive amounts

of the major elements contribute

to fruit firmness {20). Cherries

usually respond well to nitrogenous fertilizers such as sodium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate,

and ammonium nitrate. Because

of differences in the soil, no definite amount to apply can be

stated {67). In general, one-half

pound of sodium nitrate or equivalent amount of other fertilizers,

based on actual nitrogen content,

for each year of the tree's age

may be used. For example, a 6-

year-old tree would be given 3

pounds of sodium nitrate or I14

pounds of ammonium nitrate,

since the latter contains twice as

much nitrogen as the sodium nitrate. Usually the application of

any other element is not necessary, but cherry trees in a few

areas have responded to potassium

{60)y and in Oregon some orchards are deficient in boron.

The fertilizer should be spread

uniformly under and around the

trees to just beyond the dripline

of the branches. Apply nitrogen

fertilizer in either the fall or the

early spring.

Usually it is necessary to apply

more fertilizer to trees grown in

sod than to those that are clean
18 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

cultivated. Application of a complete fertilizer, such as 10-10-10,

at the rate of about 250 pounds

per acre when the crop is planted,

is often valuable in establishing a

vigorous cover crop. Trees in

bluegrass sod require 50 to 100

pounds per acre more fertilizer

than the amount necessary for

cultivated trees.

Intercrops

An orchard may endure an interplanted crop without appreciable ill effect, but the crop will

be of no benefit to the trees unless

the orchard is given better tillage

because of it. Beans, peas, and

other vegetables of like cultural

requirements are the most compatible. Avoid tomatoes, potatoes,

and other crops susceptible to

verticillium wilt. Crops requiring

late-summer cultivation should

not be used in the Northern

States, where winter injury of

cherry is common because of immaturity of the wood. Pesticides

and timing of sprays for the two

crops usually are not compatible.

The planting of an annual crop

in an orchard is a system of

double cropping in which the more

important crop is the cherry. The

tops require only a small part of

the space above ground, but the

roots occupy a larger volume of

the soil. Usually it is better to

plant "filler" trees, preferably

other sour cherries, than row

crops, but these must be removed

before the trees become crowded.

Substantial crop reduction for 1

or more years will result from delayed removal of "filler" trees.

Irrigation

Irrigation is necessary in many

western orchards. Supplemental

irrigation is beneficial in areas

with sufficient total rainfall but

with inadequate moisture during part of the growing season.

Usually rill, check, or under-thetree sprinkler systems are used.

Overhead (over-the-tree) sprinkler systems are in experimental

use in the Pacific Northwest.

These can be adapted also to

sprinkling for frost control and

reduction of leaf and fruit temperatures on excessively hot days

and to applications of certain

pesticides, growth regulators, or

foliar fertilizers. The hazard of

increased diseases has not been

serious and it has been outweighed by labor-saving advantages such as movement and storage of irrigation pipes. However,

overhead systems should not be

installed until their feasibility

has been established experimentally in the grower's immediate

area.

Sour cherry trees are susceptible to "wet feet" and should not

be overirrigated. The need for irrigation can be predicted reasonably well from (1) an évapotranspiration chart for the specific

area, (2) moisture tension blocks
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 19

at different depths, or (3) a soilcrumbling test. In the last method

a ball of soil from the 3-foot depth

that is squeezed and jarred slightly will crumble easily if irrigation is necessary. On the other

hand, trees should not be permitted to suffer from moisture stress,

which may reduce fruit size and

restrict vegetative growth.

Pruning

One year after planting, little

pruning of a sour cherry tree

should be necessary. At this time

remove extra scaffold limbs left at

planting time. The more vigorous

scaffold limbs may be suppressed

by (1) removing some of the

lateral branches and (2) pruning

back the main one to an outwardand upward-branching lateral.

After a tree has been in the

orchard for 2 years, cut back its

leader to a strong outward and

upward lateral arising about 5

feet from the ground. Then select

two or three additional scaffold

limbs on the upper part of the

trunk, so that about six, which

are well distributed along about

3 feet of the trunk, finally remain.

Pruning during the first 4 or 5

years is mainly to train the young

trees so as to obtain maximum

strength and productivity. Some

pruning is necessary each year

to maintain a balance between the

scaffold limbs. If some scaffolds

are allowed to develop more rapidly than others, the leader and

the weaker scaffold branches will

be choked out (fig. 13). More

pruning than necessary, however,

will delay bearing and dwarf the

tree. Constraint to the minimum

pruning that will give a balanced,

strong tree will give returns in

precocious bearing.

Mature sour cherry trees require little pruning except removal of weak branches, especially on the inside of the trees

(fig. 14). If this is not done they

become brushy, hard to spray and

pick, and bear many small unevenly ripening fruits (fig. 15). It

is best to head back the branches

of trees that become too tall for

convenient harvesting. Moderately light pruning accompanied

by adequate nitrogen fertilization

helps maintain good terminal

growth and vigorous spurs.

Thinning Fruit

Thinning of fruit usually is

not practical for sour cherries.

This is accomplished to some extent, however, by selective pruning. Thinning out some of the

fruiting wood during the dormant

season reduces the total number

of fruit buds and gives larger

fruits. However, care should be

taken to avoid reducing the overall production of the orchard.

No chemical has been consistently effective in thinning sour

cherries.
20 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

^

PN-29B8

FIGURE 13.—Three-year-old 'Montmorency' cherry tree with weak crotch that

resulted from allowing the scaffold branches to crowd out the leader.

HARVESTING

Sour cherries usually are har- picker's body. Temporary picking

vested without stems. Until about crews estimated at 45,000 workers

1964 the fruit was harvested by were required to harvest the

hand into pails harnessed to the Michigan crop alone (58, 81).
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 21

PN-2959

FIGURE 14.—Vigorous 'Montmorency' cherry tree, about 7 years old, received little

pruning after selection of scaflfold branches. When the tree was photographed,

only a light thinning out of weak limbs in the center was needed. Note the

strong, well-spaced scaflfold branches.

Many of them were transients,

who become more scarce each

year. The grower has been forced

to harvest the crop mechanically.

In 1964,1967, and 1968, 3, 50, and

70 percent, respectively, of the

Michigan crop was harvested by

machine (7). In 1970, 600 harvesting machines were used in

Michigan (7); in 1971, about 85
22 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

PN-2960

FIGURE 15.—Twelve-jrear-old 'Montmorency' cherry tree that had not been pruned

for 5 years and had received very little pruning before that. When photographed, it was too brushy for uniform ripening of high-quality cherries, for

thorough spraying, or for easy harvesting of the fruit. All that it needed,

however, was some thinning of weak limbs in the center. Note the strong,

well-spaced scaffold branches.

percent of the crop was harvested

by over 700 machines.

Reciprocating limb or trunk

shakers are used to shake the

fruit onto self-propelled or tractor-drawn catching frames. Most

advanced harvesters are operated

by two men (fig. 16). The frames

are inclined to roll the fruit onto

conveyor belts and then into pallet

tanks of cold water (62). The

tanks are moved within 30 minutes to cooling stations in the

orchard where ice is added. This

removes field heat from the fruits

in a short time. The cherries are

cooled to under 60° F. and remain

in the pallet tanks until they are

pitted 6 to 8 hours later. Transportation and storage in these

tanks minimize bruising and enhance refirming of bruised fruits

{5, 56).

Water sprays are sometimes applied to the trees by airblast machines 20 to 30 minutes before

harvest to reduce fruit temperature at least 10° F. (26). Scald,

browning of bruised areas, and

other sources of loss of quality
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 23

^^^^H L

' ^.'.-Vr. A-'' '- "A' rti " ' . ^•" > • ^•>'^ ' . •••'•' ,.•• -1 1 " \ ^¿ä£SJ«*~^^-~.,^:>i^^KBÊt^^>^'^:'^^am^mÊ^^K& Wk

El--*:"^^^^-^ '^Jj^- i

%

? " . f '-•ik'

¡^

PN-2961

FIGURE 16.—Machine harvesting sour cherries in Michigan orchard.

and subsequent reduction in packout are minimized by such treatment {B6).

A single mechanical harvester

and its crew remove at least as

much fruit as 33 handpickers

{58). The newest machines with

two men harvest over 60 trees per

hour. Cost per pound of fruit removed by mechanical harvesters

is comparable to, and often less

than, that of handpicking. Michigan researchers estimate that harvesting fruit from 15 acres of

sour cherry trees makes one unit

economical {81). Cherries harvested and handled by machinery

are bruised less than those handpicked (7, 12, 72). Certain experimental chemical sprays,

notably 2-chloroethylphosphonic

acid (ethephon) and succinic acid 2,2-dimethylhydrazide

(SADH), reduce the force necessary to remove fruits from the

tree (2, 10, 11, 18, 29, 30, 59, 83)

and thereby may reduce bruising.

Sprays of the latter chemical 2

weeks after full bloom enhanced

anthocyanin development and altered ceil wall composition of

'Montmorency' fruits {23, 83).

Treated fruits had more total anthocyanins and more pectin and

hemicellulose, and they were

firmer.

In 1970, 60 percent of Michigan cherries were sold by volume

rather than by weight (75). Fruit

scald was reduced by elimination

of the rehandling formerly associated with weighing the fruit.
24 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

Thus the cherries are handled in

water tanks until they reach the

processing plant, where they go

over a machine that removes

stems, usually on 1 to 10 percent

of the fruits, and then are conveyed to the pitter.

The shortage of trained pickers

and high harvesting labor costs

have encouraged pick-your-ownfruit operations. Orchards near

population centers often attract

families interested in picking

fruit for their own use or in buying tree-ripened fruit from roadside markets.

PACKING

Some sour cherries are sold for

fresh consumption (6^). Several

methods are used to pack cherries

for the fresh-fruit market.

Fruit is occasionally packed directly into baskets of various

sizes. Sometimes the picking pails

are emptied onto a sorting table

or conveyor, from which the cherries are transferred to 1-quart

boxes. These are packed into 16-

or 24-quart crates for marketing.

Also used are the western lug,

holding 15 to 20 pounds, and the

4-quart climax basket.

For highest quality and least

spoilage, cherries for fresh consumption must be handled with

stems attached and kept cool (57).

PROCESSING

Processing details are not included in this handbook. However,

since about 95 percent of the sour

cherries are processed, the reader

is referred to a few pertinent publications on processing (6, 25, 61,

69, 75, 76, 80, Sind 85).

VIRUS DISEASES

Several virus diseases affect

cherries in the north-central and

northeastern areas of the United

States (82).

Ringspot

The stone fruit ringspot virus

is widespread in commercial stone

fruit orchards throughout North

America, but few trees show

symptoms. On sour cherry it in-

' Prepared by L. C. Cochran.

duces symptoms only during the

initial stages of infection, which

usually last 1 to 2 years. After

this, infected trees may show no

symptoms except varying degrees

of retarded growth, yet they stand

as virus reservoirs from which

further spread can occur.

During the early stages of infection, foliation is retarded and

sparse. As the season advances,

leaves fail to size and many bear
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 25

ring and necrotic patterns. The

patterns become progressively necrotic and some areas drop out

giving some leaves a shot-holed

and tattered appearance (87),

Leaf symptoms are accompanied

by necrosis of leaf and flower buds

and few fruits are set on affected

parts.

The ringspot virus is seedborne

in stone fruits and infects a high

percentage of the seeds of sour

cherries. It also infects pollen

and is carried from diseased to

healthy trees in pollen. Some of

the infected pollen grains fertilize

the ovules and result in infected

seed, and some invade the ovary

tissues where they discharge

virus. This virus then is translocated from the young fruits

into the previously healthy tree.

Prevention is the best control.

There is no cure once a tree is

infected. Budwood can be freed

of the Prunus ringspot virus by

exposure to dry heat at 100° F.

for 4 to 5 weeks. This budwood

can then be used to establish

foundation stocks, which in turn

are used by nurserymen to produce ringspot-free nursery stock.

Seed for rootstocks must also

come from ringspot-free trees

grown in isolated areas where

they cannot be pollinized by diseased pollen. Do not plant young

orchards of ringspot-free trees

near old, infected orchards.

Promptly remove newly infected

trees in young orchards. When

10 percent or more of the trees

have become infected, roguing to

delay further spread is probably

no longer practical. Diseased

trees produce less and poorer

quality fruits, but they are still

salable.

Sour Cherry Yellows

The disease known as yellows

is widespread in sour cherry

orchards. One-third of the trees

in commercial orchards in the

United States are infected. The

disease is caused by a combination of the Prunus ringspot virus and the agent that induces

prune dwarf in P. domestica

plums. There is evidence that the

latter is a mycoplasma and not a

virus.

The ñrst symptoms of yellows—

green and yellow mottling of

the older leaves—appear in early

summer, 3 to 4 weeks after petal

fall. These leaves usually drop

promptly and periodic waves of

leaf fall follow. Symptoms are

most pronounced on trees in the

better producing areas that have

cool summers, such as those

bordering the Great Lakes. Symptoms may not be expressed on

diseased trees in the warmer

areas of the Midwest.

When trees have been affected

by yellows for several years, they

develop abnormally large leaves

and produce few fruit spurs. The

shoots that should have become

spurs lengthen, become pendant,

and give the tree a weeping appearance. Affected trees bear

small crops of large fruits. There

is no cure for infected trees, but
26 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

more spurs and greener leaves

have resulted from experimental

gibberellin treatments (65).

Yellows is spread by infected

pollen and seed in the same way

as Prunus ringspot. The control

is similar to that for ringspot.

Several nurserymen can now supply yellows-free sour cherry nursery trees.

X-Disease

X-diseased sour cherry trees

have sparse, light-green foliage

and fail to mature their fruits.

At normal maturity time, affected fruits remain small and

pink. Affected trees die back

over several years. Recent evidence indicates that X-disease is

caused by mycoplasma and is not

a virus disease (43).

In the Eastern United States

the X-disease agent moves directly from diseased choke cherries

(P. virginiana L.) to unaffected

cherries. It can be controlled by

removing the choke cherries from

within 500 feet of the orchard.

In the Western United States the

agent is spread by leafhoppers,

which feed and breed on cherries

as well as on choke cherries.

Trees on mahaleb cherry rootstock tend to die rapidly and are

poorer reservoirs of infection

than are trees on mazzard rootstock. To control X-disease in the

Western United States, it is necessary to remove not only choke

cherries from the vicinity of the

orchard but also diseased cherry

trees, particularly those on mazzard rootstock, as soon as they

can be recognized. X-disease also

affects sweet cherries and the entity moves from them to sour

cherries. Where possible, do not

plant new orchards near old

sweet or sour cherry orchards.

In areas where this disease

spreads rapidly and orchard isolation is not possible, some control has been obtained by topworking scions on the individual

scaffold arms of mahaleb framework trees. Since the causal

agent does not pass from one arm

through the mahaleb interstock,

the agent can be eradicated by

removing the diseased arm just

below the graft union. The socalled "Russian" or "Turkish"

mahaleb cherries are more vigorous and cold hardy than the common clones.

Pink Fruit

The pink fruit disease is limited to a small area on the west

side of the Cascade Mountains

near Tacoma, Wash. It is a devastating disease but has shown

no indication of rapid spread.

Up to 50 percent of the fruits

on affected trees fail to mature

and remain a salmon pink color

at normal harvesttime. The vascular tissue in affected fruits becomes necrotic and turns rusty

brown. The disease is distinguished from X-disease by failure of transmission to peach and

by the random occurrence of dis-
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 27

eased and unaffected fruits

throughout affected trees. Where

affected trees have been promptly

rogued, the disease has disappeared.

Other Virus Diseases

Several other virus and viruslike diseases occasionally affect

sour cherries but as yet are not

considered serious.

FUNGUS DISEASES'

The most important fungus diseases of cherry are leaf spot (fig.

17) and brown rot of the fruit.

PN-2962

FIGURE 17.—Sour cherry leaves affected

by leaf spot.

Leaf Spot

Leaf spot is caused by a fungus

(Coccomyces hiemalis Higgins)

that overwinters on fallen leaves.

In the spring the spores are discharged from these leaves and

carried by the wind to the new

leaves, where they germinate and

cause infection. Small spots, purplish at first but finally brown,

develop on the leaves and produce enormous numbers of summer spores. These spread infec-

' Prepared by H. L. Keil.

tion to adjacent leaves and trees.

If not controlled, leaf spot

causes partial to complete defoliation U9, 50). In mild cases only

a small number of leaves may be

spotted, but frequently during

damp or rainy weather the spots

become so numerous that the

tree is completely defoliated before the crop is harvested (fig.

18).

Control of leaf spot on sour

cherries may require as many as

five spray applications: (1) As

soon as the petals have fallen,

(2) when about three-fourths of

the shucks have dropped, (3)

about 10 days after the second

spray, (4) 10 days to 2 weeks

after the third spray, and (5)

immediately after harvest.

Growers should consult their

State agricultural experiment station or county agricultural agent

for information regarding the

fungicides best suited to their

localities and the timing of

sprays. Use only materials and

rates currently registered for

your area.

Certain materials that have

been used to control leaf spot occasionally cause damage. Liquid

lime-sulfur may discolor the fruit.

Bordeaux mixture may reduce the
28 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

n lo <ii;r PN-2963

b IGURE 18.— Montmorency' cherry tree seriously defoliated by leaf spot.

size of the fruits. 'English Morello' and 'Wragg' cultivars are

damaged by copper compounds.

Organic fungicides are formulated for specific areas of the

country. Antibiotics, which have

given control experimentally

(54-), are not registered. Therefore strict adherence to local recommendations for materials,

rates, and timing of sprays is

essential for control without injury to the trees or fruits.

Brown Rot

A widespread and destructive

fruit rot of peaches and plums is

brown rot, caused by Monilinia

fructicola (Wint.) Honey or M.

laxa (Aderh. & Ruhl.) Honey. It

frequently causes heavy losses to

cherry growers during seasons

when the fruit has been damaged

by hail.

The first four spray applications for control of leaf spot

usually control the brown rot fungus. If the orchard has had previous outbreaks of brown rot, an

additional spray should be applied just as the fruit begins to

color.

OTHER DISEASES

Other fungus diseases, such as powdery mildew (Podosphaera

black knot (Dibotryon mor- oxyacanthae (DC) d By.), leaf

bosum (Schw.) Th. & Syd.), rust (Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 29

(Pers.) Diet.), wilt (Verticillium

albo-atrum Reinke & Berth.),

and scab (Cladospoñum carpophilum Thuem.), occur to some

extent on sour cherries. These diseases are usually less serious than

either leaf spot or brown rot.

Most of them are held in check

by applying sprays used to control leaf spot and brown rot.

A bacterial leaf spot caused by

Xanthomonas pruni (E. F. Sm.)

Dows. sometimes aifects 'Morello' cherries {27).

INSECTS

The insect pests most commonly

found on cherry trees are the

black cherry aphid, the plum

curculio, two kinds of fruit flies,

and the pearslug.

Black Cherry Aphid

The black cherry aphid (Myzus cerasi (F.)) is a tiny, black,

shiny insect that curls the tender

young foliage of the cherry early

in the season (fig. 19). Often it

severely checks growth. It rarely

injures the sour cherry seriously.

The insects overwinter as tiny,

black eggs on twigs and small

branches. The eggs hatch in the

spring about the time the tree

growth starts, and the young

aphids cluster on opening buds.

Plum Curculio

The plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst)) is a

humpedback, brown beetle that

hibernates in trash in the orchard or near it. Early in the

spring, soon after the cherry

trees bloom, the curculios move

to the trees. Females insert their

eggs just beneath the skin of the

cherries. They then make

crescent-shaped slits, each of

' Prepared by Merrill L. Cleveland, PN-2964

staff scientist, National Program Staff, FIGURE 19.—Cherry leaves curled by the

Agricultural Research Service. cherry aphid.
30 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

which partly surrounds an egg

puncture (fig. 20). The curculio

larvae, or grubs, feed within the

cherries for several weeks.

Fruit Flies

In the Northern States, cherries are sometimes infested by

maggots of two species of fruit

flies {Rhugoletis cingulata

(Loew) and R. fausta (Osten

Sacken)) (36). These species

have yellowish heads and legs

and are distinguished by conspicuous bands across the wings

and distinct white crossbands on

the abdomen of the R. cingulata.

Adult flies, about two-thirds the

size of house flies, appear just

after the blossom buds open. The

females lay eggs in the fruit

when it appears. Maggots cause

the fruit to be misshapen and

often prematurely colored.

Pearslug

The pearslug, also called the

cherryslug (Caliroa cerasi L.),

is a slimy, dark worm that feeds

on cherry leaves. The slugs appear on the trees in May or

June depending on the locality.

A second brood may appear in

midsummer or late summer.

More information about these

and other insects attacking cherries is available in Home and

Garden Bulletin 190, "Insects on

Deciduous Fruits and Tree Nuts

in the Home Orchard," which

may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.

Government Printing Office,

Washington, D.C. 20402.

PN-2966

FIGURE 20.—Puncture marks made by plum curculios inserting eggs into cherryfruits.
GROWING SOUR CHERRIES 31

For information on insecticides Since some States have restricto be used, dosages, and timing of y^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^f ^^^ain pestapplications, consult your county

agricultural agent or State ag- ^^^^^^> ^^^^^^ ^^"^ State and local

ricultural experiment station, regulations.

LITERATURE CITED

(1) ANONYMOUS.

1963. LITERATURE SURVEY OF FRUIT TREE ROOTSTOCKS. 83 pp. Gerber Prod. Co.,

Fremont, Mich. [Processed.]

(2) ANDERSON, J. L.

1969. THE EFFECT OF ETHREL ON THE RIPENING OF MONTMORENCY SOUR

CHERRIES. HortScience 4: 92-93.

(3) ANDERSON, L. C.

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32 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

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1934. RELATION OF LIGHT INTENSITY TO FRUIT SETTING IN THE SOUR CHERRY.

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34 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

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1954. STAMEN NUMBER AND VARIATION IN DIPLOID AND TETRAPLOID CHERRIES.

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36 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK 451, U.S. DEPT. OP AGRICULTURE

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