Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-18
WHAT Ais TIE CHERRYe

WHAT Ais THE CHERRY.
It is pretty generally understood that the
English cherry, so called, cannot in any Of
its varieties be successfully grown in the
states Of the lower South. For our own
part we are entirely satisfied that this is
mistake, especially so far as relates to
Texas, where we have naturally in our own
soils all the elements of plant food that the
cherry needs. We are willing to admit that
cherries are not much grown here, as TO
the fruit, though we have seen some as
fine cherry trees growing in Texas as ever
grew anywhere. In oNr opinion this tiDe
growth of the trees fully settles the ques-
lion as to the capability Of Texas 10 pro-
duce cherries. Wherever You can success
fully grow the trees of any species it is
possible for you TO have that same species
fruiting, provided you get variety en-
tirely suited to your local conditions. That
YOU can get every time If you go about it
arlght.
We think it highly probable that the
usual varieties Of the cherry grown at the
North would not succeed in Texas. but
since We can grow the tree there IS every
thing open TO US for getting varieties en-
tirely at home with US, so far as relates to
fruiting 1t may be possible that no such
variety exists as yet, but we must find it in
Texas seedlings. Nature is prompt to adopt
her growths ITO local conditions, and she
can dc that thing only in new growths
grown from the seed. This fact makes
plain to US the course that ought TO be pur-
sued-we ought TO be planting thousands OF
cherry seeds. Ten thousand trees may
spring up and attain to fruiting age without
giving any desirable results, but eventually
we may find among those seedlings variety
or so that will prove everything needed
The seeds could be planted in all manner OF
out-of-the-way places, where the trees could
interfere with nothing else during the time
of their growth 10 fruiting age, and that
would be a time comparatively short, for
the cherry soon comes into bearing. Once
we had secured a variety adapted to Texas
we could propagate from it by budding, and
our cherry troubles would be at an end.
The importance of the cherry crop GER
family justifies taking little pains in the
direction suggested. The people of Texas
use considerable quantities of cherries
every year, but they are shipped to our
state from Kansas or Missouri This year
they have been selling On the Fort Worth
market at 40 cents a pound and going of
like hot cakes at those figures. An ordi-
nary cherry orchard fairly into bearing will
yield 500 pounds of fruit to the tree on an
average, which, at Fort Worth selling
figures, would be worth $500. An acre of
land will very comfortably accommodate
100 full-grown cherry trees, with lots of
breathing room between the rows, and lots
of room for crops of some kind of small
growth. Now, If we pay our Northern
friends and their middlemen 40 cents
pound for cherries we are paying them the
lust and full sum of $1,000 for an acres
product, "Oh, get eout." OF course the
cherries are no absolute necessity, and
therefore we need not buy them if we pre-
fer not TO do So but we do buy them all the
same, and a goodly quantity of them at
that. No wonder it takes good deal of
money 10 get along with i'll Texas
Up to hum the cherry is not an eXpen-
sive thing, by any means. You can buy as
many OF them at the orchards up there as
YOU like at 80 cents 4 bushel, but up there"
is not here in Texas, where they are
weighed ont TO us at the rate of so
bushel
Under the circumstances it would seem
that Texas strain of cherries to come as
seeding ought 10 be well worth looking
hot - no 40 m nil
well informed horticulturists are agreed
White, in his Gardening for the South,
page 36l, says the finer varieties OF the
cherry are not now successfully cultivated
in the Southern states, and it is not prob
bic that they ever viii be until we raise
seedlings suited to the climate" The cul-
tivated cherry has gone all over the world
iHst that way. adapting itself to different
countries and climates through Seeding re-
suits. 1t was originally brought from Asia
By Luculus, the Roman general, about
sixty-eight years before the Christian era,
according 10 Pliny From Rome it gradu-
ally spread over all Europe, but so slow was
its spread that Spain did not get it estab-
lished as 4 reliable fruit until 200 years
later, ana England unLl ouO years later.
1t was introduced into North America from
England, hence the common name of EN-
SliSh cherry" On its introduction into
This country it did not amount TO much but
after time better varieties appeared from
seed (the only means of early propagation)
until it attained to what we now find in the
Northern states. Just so it must come 70
Texas, and will come, for it is tree of
most extended range as 10 climatic and soil
conditions. If we hang back on our oars
and depend upon tests made with varieties
from the North We'll never have plenty of
cherries in Texas, but if we go to work
raising seedlings and selecting the best
we'll soon have them TO ship North with
our Strawberries, blackberries and other
early fruit crops. The thing is certainly
worth the earnest attention of our horticul-
turiSts.
THE JAPAN PERsIlIION.