Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-13

pruning they will curb their fury until
the next year, when they can 60 at it
without danger OF killing the tree. III l
have opened an avenue of thought which
will lead to knowledge or good results, |
will be thankful and will feel we'll repaid
for the trouble of engrossing 80 much
verbisge.
CHERRY CULTURE.
The next paper was on cherry culture,
written by Gilbert Tompkins, of San
Lorenzo. 1t was as follows:
Taking one year with another, there is
no fruit that gives more satisfactory re-
turns throughout this section of the
country than the cherry. The rich val.
lev land that lies around San Leandro,
San Lorenzo and Haywards, is unusually
we'll fitted for cherry culture, in both soil
and climate. In former days San Fran
cisco received very large proportion of
the entire amount of cherries consumed
from the pioneer cherry orchards of San
Lorenzo and vicinity. Many other Sec
tions of the State produce at the present
time fine fruit in large quantities, and
the virtual monopoly formerly held by
this district has disappeared, although
the business is still very profitable at
prices about one-tenth the size of those
received fifteen and twenty years ago.
In my experience, the best results have
been gained on rich, not too light valley
land. Adobe is not nearly as we'll suited
to the cherry as lighter and more
friable soil. On the other hand, l would
not choose soil containing much sand
or gravel for the site Of a profitable
cherry orchard, although this may not be
the experience of cherry growers in other
parts of the State. The trees are slow in
coming into bearing. A sample of the
fruit may be expected in a few years
after planting, but there is great differ
ence between an occasional handful of
fruit and crop large enough to pay for
the expense of cultivating the orchard
and handling the fruit. l doubt if a
cherry orchard will really pay in this
section before it is eight years
of age, although some varieties
produce profitable crops earlier than
others. The Rockport Begarrean is one
of the best standard varieties as an early
producer. The Napoleon Begarrean
(Royal Aune) seldom gets down 10 actual
bearing before the trees are nine or ten
years of age. There are exceptional
cases shat differ from what have just
stated. The cultivation required de-
pends very much on the soil and cir
cumstances. The southern farm orchard
is plowed from two to three times year
and weed knives and cultivators are
kept going as they are needed. l have
adopted the plan of pruning every other
year. | think that that is the best plan
for any tree that is so apt to run to wood
growth as is the cherry on our rich land.
By leaving the trees unpruned there is
not that stimulus given to the produc-
tion of wood, and the energy of the tree
is more generally used in forming fruit
wood. Dowing states that the generally
accepted theory of the formation of fruit
wood is the ripening of the sap in the
limbs of the tree If the branches
sre left uncut the ripening process goei
on much faster than when the growth o
the tree is perpetually stimulated by thu
cutting of the branches. With prope
handling cherries are one of the best O
the shipping fruits. While many part
of the States produce good cherries tn
area of land suitable is much less tha
for many other fruits. So with in
proved shipping facilities we look for
steady and profitable market for all frs
class cherries.
| OTHER PROCEEDINGS.
The third paper was written G
Almond Culture" by Webster Trea