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Cherry Tree
By Abraham Lincoln
I have been watching my new cherry tree growing and this is the fourth
year since I planted it—a bare root specimen that I ordered from Miller
Nursery and it arrived by UPS along with two apple trees. The apple
trees began producing apples the second year and were not the kind you
see in the grocery store. I picked one or two off and noted they were
covered with scabs and that I would have to begin a spraying regimen
next year if I wanted anything to eat. Since the spray is a poison that
lingers where it falls or dries up, I elected to get rid of the two
apple trees and just hope the cherry tree would begin producing enough
cherries to make a pie. The cherry tree has grown but so far I have no
cherries. I do think it will begin producing them next year or the 5th
year. I also planted two Paw Paw trees and one of them got cut off but
came back and is growing and the other is as tall as the fence but no
paw paws yet.
I thought maybe you might be interested in this story of the old days
when kids, like me, walked with some trepidation along the edge of
graveled streets in bare feet to visit with older neighbors whose
infirmities stuck them to their front porches. The only things they got
to see was the passing cars or tractors and sometimes a horse and
buggy. And kids, like me, who liked to listen to their stories about
how it was when they were kids living at home.
Cherry Tree
Most of the old cherry tree was taken down yesterday. It has been in
the process of dying for a couple of years and more wood died this year
than last. Hurricane Ike came through here with a lot of wind and the
old tree fell over.
So I decided to cut out all the dead wood and remove other branches in
an effort to save the remaining tree. It will work but not for long as
it is destined to die within twenty years.
It was planted about seventeen years ago and we were told it would not
live as long as other trees. My neighbor had two cherry trees and both
are dead. They were planted a couple of years before mine was planted
so regardless of the variety, they don't last longer than twenty years
and most die within fifteen years.
The tree produced bountiful crops of sour cherries. We liked them a lot
and so did the birds in the neighborhood. The birds got them long
before we did but many other cherries simply fell on the ground and
were wasted.
As a child I remember the three or four cherry trees were planted in
George Meyers' front yard. When I grew up and walked up the street I
passed his trees and when they were heavy with fruit I remember wishing
we had a cherry tree and I had some cherries to eat.
George, as old as he was, got up on a step ladder and picked cherries
every day or so and in that way he got almost as many cherries as the
birds.
His wife, Ida, used them to make pies and jellies. I suppose I did get
a piece of her cherry pie but cannot remember it. She used to give me a
cookie when I went to see them. I loved to set down on their front
porch and listen to them talk and tell about the “good old days” when
they were both youngsters.
Two or three years ago I bought a bare root cherry tree and two
different apple trees. The apple trees came up and bloomed in 2 years
but the cherry tree seemed to just stand there and mock me with a
blossom or two but no cherries.
This summer the cherry tree grew a lot but no cherries. It has branched
out a lot and grew taller than I thought a dwarf cherry tree would
grow. I had hoped I would be able to walk around the tree this summer
and eat cherries off of my tree but I think that will happen next year.
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