The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1917-04-27


prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
Cherry trees do not thrive well as
rule where the summers are particu
larly long and hot. For 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 alu-
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 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
<hr i, 10 oh ic-
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 & wide range
Of soil types, provided the soils are
well drained. There is, perhaps, no
fruit tree more sensitive to the ILL
effects Of a poorly drained soil than
the cherry. In many important cherry
growing regions the prevailing types Of
soil are rather light-sandy, sandy
loans, and other light loams-com-
monty underlain with 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 It's in
fluence on the geographic distribution
of cherry growing has been mentioned,
but In its 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 blossoming period
should be avoided.
Propagatino Cherry Trees.
The details of propagating cherry
trees are of little direct Importance to
the average grower, as he will usually
find 1t to his advantage to buy trees
from a 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
~ trees himself, the kind of stock on
which his trees are propagated is q
matter of importance to him.
Two kinds OF stocks, the mahaleb
and mazzard, are in common use.
These are two distinct types Of cher.
nes, which are of value for stocks but
1nimportant for their fruit
The mahaleb is used much more ex
| tensively than the mazzard. and fol
the sour varieties 1t generally gives
fairly good satisfaction. While the
mnhaleb Is much used In propagatine
sweet cherries, growers who have
studied the matter carefully are close
ly In accord in their conviction thai
the sweet sorts give much better re
suits when grown on mazzard than or
mahaleb stocks. The mazzard stocl
appears to increase the vigor anC
length Of life Of trees propagated on 4