Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-29
A CHERRY ORCHARD.
Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars Income
From One Cherry Tree.
[PIacer County Rennhlican-

Placer County Republican.
The most celebrated and probably the
finest cherry orchard in Placer county is
Robert Hectors, just below Rattlesnake
Bar, on the American river. 1t is one of
the Oldest in this part of the State, the
first $50 trees having been planted in 1852,
and the location was most fortunately Sc
lected. The altitude of the ranch is about
$50 feet lower than Newcastle. which is
$40 feet above the sea. The cherry orchard
is situated right on the bank of the river.
and the soil is pure sand loan. in some
places over 60 feet deep, as proved by an
old shaft once dug near the center of the
orchard. Not all of the first $50 trees that
were planted lived, but other trees were
added from year to year, until there are
now $50, all in full bearing except So Fol
lowing are the varieties in Mr.. Hectors
orchard 0x-heart, Black Spanish, Black
Unitarian, Black Eagle. knights Early
Black. Worder's Early Black, Purple
Gnigne, Royal Ann, Virginia Purple,
White Heart, American Amber, Morilla,
May Duke and Black Oregon. The fi,st 10
ripen are Worder's Early Black, the Vir-
ginia Early Purple is second in order, the
Black Tartarian and Purple Guigne come
third, the Black Spanish, American AM
Der and May Duke ripen next, the Ox-heart
and White Heart are fifth, the Black Eagle
and Knights are sixth, while the Moriila
ripeus last of all and is little used except
for canning. With the varieties named
above one can have cherries constantly
ripe for period of from six to seven weeks.
Mr. Hector always has cherries ready for
market by the 10th of May, and in some
seasons as early as May 1st, and they last
well into the middle of June. This year
the ilrst ones were shipped on May Sd. OF
all the varieties mentioned he considers the
Ox-heart the best. 1t is a delicious fruit,
while 1t and the Oregon and Royal Ann
are by all odds the best shippers, though
the Royal Ann is not a prolific bearer. In
color the Black Eagle is the darkest of all,
and is exceedingly sweet The Black Tar
tartan and the Ox-heart trees produce the
most fruit. For these reasons the OX-heart
Is thought to be superior TO any other kind,
although Mr.. Hector says that all through
the country there are many trees growing
under the name of Ox-heart that are not
the genuine thing.
The king tree of Mr.. Hector's orchard is
Black Tartarian which was planted in
1852 or 1858. and is one of the hanGsOmest
OF its kind. 1t measures eight feet in cir
conference, is about fifty feet high. and the
limbs spread over a circle forty-tiye feet in
diameter 1t is perfectly symmetrical in
beat. From this one tree this year Mr..
Hector has realized over $3.50. and It's fruit
has not all been picked. He says that the
tree this year will have produced nearly, if
not quite, zoo boxes of cherries.
What is almost as remarkable, neither
this tree, nor any others in the orchard,
have ever failed a single season since they
came into bearing, and the orchard, which
covers less than five acres of ground, has
yielded its owner an average annual profit
of about s., 900. 1t has never been afflicted
with pests or insects although this wear
the trees are being whitewashed as pre-
cautionary measure. The ground is kept
well cultivated, and is usually irrigated
twice each season after the crop is taken
off. Sometimes, however, if there is a
probability of rain while the fruit is ripen-
ing. the ground is well irrigated in order
to force the fruit ahead and prevent il from
bursting, as il would do if left to the rain.
Around the orchard is row of mulberry
trees that have been planted to enticc the
birds away from the cherries, and this
scheme has been found to be very success
ful. The only troable with the orchard is
that the trees, which are very large, have
been planted too close together, and every
year some of them have to he cut out Mr..
Hector says that in soil similar to his
Niotdl'SC VI iiol 1850 thdii ClEntr lctl apart
should be the rule, and that forty feet is
close enough in any soil. In the matter
of pruning, the trees are shaped during the
second and third year after being planted
in orchard, and are then left to themselves
without any pruning whatever.
The high prices that are always paid for
cherries show the estimation in which they
are held. They were quoted last week in
the East at 80 cents pound. and in San
Francisco at from as cents to 81 % box.
Foothill cherries take the lead in Califor-
MIA, and have been selling at from 81 %
and 81 so to s. a box of ten pounds. The
very earliest ones bring extremely fancy
prices when shipped East.
Mr.. Hector has fine ranch of go acres.
He has 200 plum trees, 600 pear trees of all
kinds, and nearly 1000 peach trees. He
keeps considerable stock, and raises large
amount of alfalfa, but cherry culture is his
forte, and he has carried it on with the
greatest success.