Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-03-27
prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)


prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
Cherry trees do not thrive well as
q rule where the summers are particu-
larly long and hot. Fer this reason
more than any other they are
grown but little in the South, and to
the limited extent they are planted in
that part of the country the best sue
cess is attained at the higher alti-
tudes.
In their endurance of low tempera-
lures the widely grown sour cherry
varieties approach the apple varieties
which are grown commonly in the
northern commercial apple-producing
districts.
The leading varieties of sweet cher
ries are less hardy than the best
known sour sorts. Their endurance of
cold corresponds more nearly to that
Of the peach. 1t may be doubted
whether sweet cherries as a group
endure long. hot summers any better
than the sour sorts, possibly not so
well.
Locations for Cherry Growing.
In selecting a location for cherry
grOwing-that is, the general region or
community in which the enterprise is to
be develOped-fruit growers should
realize that as the fruit is very perish
able, quick transportation to market is
essential, and also refrigerator service
If the fruit is to be shipped long dis
tances; and, further, a relatively large
crew is required to handle the fruit
properly. Large orchards therefore
should not be located where it is
practically or economically impossible
to assemble and care for the requisite
labor to handle the fruit properly.
Sites for Orchards.
The "site" is the exact piece of land
occupied by the trees. The same gen.
eral factors which require considera-
ton in selecting a site for an apple or
peach orchard need to be taken into
account in choosing sites for cherries.
The most important of these factors
are soil and local climatic conditions.
Cherry trees thrive on a wide range
of soil types, provided the soils are
we'll drained. There Is, perhaps, no
fruit tree more sensitive to the ILL
effects OF q poorly drained soil than
the cherry. In many important cherry
growing regions the prevailing types of
soil are rather light-sandy. sandy
monty underlain with a more or less
clayey subsoil. Such soils character
lie the areas bordering the great lakes,
where the most important commercial
interests east of the Rocky mountains
are located.
The temperature factor In its in
1uence on the geographic distribution
of cherry growing has been mentioned,
but in it's relation to local conditions
this factor also requires consideration.
Cherries blossom comparatively early,
the sweet sorts earlier in most cases
than the sour varieties; therefore,
sites that are subject to spring froSts
during the usual poisoning period
should be avoided.
Propagating Cherry Trees.
The details of propagating cherry
trees are of little direct Importance to
the average grower, as he will usually
find il to his advantage to buy trees
from n reputable nurseryman. Trees
are prOpagated by budding on Seeding
stocks in the nursery row, and are
commonly sold for planting either as
one or two year old trees.
Though the average cherry grower
rarely has occasion TO propagate cher
ry trees himself, the kind of stock on
which his trees are propagated is a
matter of Importance TO him.
Two kinds of stocks, the mahaleb
and mazzard, are in common use.
These are two distinct types OF cher
rieS. which are of value for stocks but
unimportant for their fruit.
The mahaleb is used much more ex-
tenSively than the maZzard. and for
the sour varieties it generally gives
fairly good satisfaction. While the
mahaleb is much used in propagating
sweet cherries, growers who have
studied the matter carefully are close
" in accord in their conviction that
the sweet sorts give much better re-
suits when grown on mazzard than on
mahaleb stocks. The mazZard stock
appears TO increase the vigor and
length OF life of trees propagated on it
I'm comparison with the mahaleb stock.
The common wild bird" or pin"
cherry has been used TO limited ex-
tent in some sections fo- stock pur-
poses, but it is unimportant IN COM
pariSon with the others mentioned.
Trees for Planting.
The selection Of trees suitable for
planting is fundamental TO the success
of an orchard. To plant poor tree
is TO start with handicap that may
continue throughout the life of the
orchard. The purchase price of a poor
tree may be a few cents less than that
of one of high grade, but the economy
of the transaction ends with its pur-
Types of Hens to Avoid.
There are certain types of hens TO
avoid. One of these is the long,
-,