Smyrna times., 1897-10-06
THE CHERRY IN DELAWARE.
Some Interesting Facts About This Fruit
Compiled by g. Harold Powell.

Some Interesting Facts About This Fruit.
Compiled by g. Harold Powell.
In pamphlet entitled ''The Cherry
IN Delaware" written by G. Harold
Powell from data collected at the Del
aware College Agriculture Experiment
Station, the following appears:
The cherry interests of Delaware are
limited to isolated dooryard and fence
corner paintings. The sour cherry
succeeds well in all parts of the State.
and is grown to a considerable extent
IN central Kent county in the vicinity
OF Camden, where the Early Rich
mond is the principal variety. The
profitable area of the sweet cherry,
however, is confined to the rolling
lands Of New Castle county. Vigorous
trees of the sweet cherry are frequently
seen IN central and southern Delaware.
but beyond a profusion Of flowers and
an occasional crop of fruit, they serve
only for ornament and shade.
From the vicinity of Camden, twelve
tons of sour cherries were shipped this
year at prices ranging from 4 to cents
per pound, and about four tons were
sent from Lebanon. In nothern Del
aware, where detached trees of sweet
cherries produced abundance of lus-
cious fruit, the product was easily dis
posed of at five to ten cents per quart
The sweet cherry has been most ex-
tensively planted IN Brandywine hun
dred, the product finding sale in the
Wilmington market. Formerly, the
sweet cherry was more largely planted
in northern Delaware, but of recent
years the growers complain of lessen
ing productiveness and longevity of the
trees.
The May Duke and the Bleeding
Heart have been the leading varieties,
the latter an old, dark -colored English
sort, ripening the first and second weeks
in June, and no longer generally prop
agated by nurserymen. The lessened
longevity and productiveness of the
trees are, in all probability, due to
faulty methods in handling them in
their early life, and like the apple or
chards of western New York, are suf-
fering from lack of care and attention.
There are several factors which
would account for the lack of attention
that has been given to the devlOpment
of the cherry industry in Delaware
The principles of cherry culture are
nowhere generally understood. The
one requiring unusual skill in hand
ling the orchard and in marketing the
crop, the fruit and blossoms are par
ticulary susceptible to the fruit-rot
fungus, which often blasts the pros
pective harvest in the flower and fire.
quently cuts off the whole crop in a
single day: its early blooming predis-
poses it to the fatal effects of late
spring frosts, and the liability of the
sweet varieties to sun scald and
to the bursting of the bark has dis
couraged its Development. Further
more, the abnormal extension of the
peach acreage from 1850, and subse-
quent lack of confidence in all fruits in
the peach-yellows areas, have deferred
the development of untried horticul-
tural industries.
The admirable success of the sour
cherry throughout the State, and of
the sweet varieties in the northern part,
indicates that the industry might be
advantageously extended. No doubt
but that the Gamers of the State would
add the cherry to their lists, if it were
grown in sufficient quantities. 1t is
not advisable to attempt the culture of
the sweet cherry where extreme pre-
caution is needed to preserve the tree,
but better to limit the industry to
those localities where existing trees
form an indication of its adaptability.
The finest types of cherries always
command high price, the Black Tar
tartan and other dark sorts selling from
! eight to fifteen cents per pound.
There need be no apprehensions that
the production of the finest varieties
will be overdone.
Unfortunately, the industry is so
small that geographical varieties are
yet undeveloped, except in the extreme
northeastern border and central
western plains states, where the Rus
sian and harder sour cherries are
looked forward to with confidence.
Fortunately, however, existing varie-
ties are very cosmopolitan and adapt
themselves to wide area. The diff
ference in the ripening period between
Delaware and eastern New York is
from two or three weeks.