ABSTRACT
I.INTRODUCTION Cherriesareeateneitherasdessertfruitormoreconvenientlyinabrined,frozen,orcannedstate. DeCandolle(l)reportedthatthecherryfirstgrewwildinnorthernPersiaandtheRussian provincessouthoftheCaucasus.Fromthere,itspreadrapidlybecauseofitsattractivenessto birds;hencethenamePrunusaviumL.orbirdcherry.Thesourortartcherry,PrunuscerasusL., ischaracterizedbothbythetasteofitsfruitandbythespreadingcharacteristicsofthetree(2). TheUnitedStates,theformerSovietUnion,andGermanyarelargeproducers ofbothsweetand sourcherries(3).InsomeareasofnorthernEurope,sourcherriesarethesecondmostimportant fruitgrown,afterapples.Otherwise,withinEurope,sourcherryproductionisconcentratedin EasternEurope-Yugoslavia,Hungary,andRomania-whilesweetcherryproductionismore commoninWesternEurope-Italy,Switzerland,France,andSpain.IntheUnitedStates,sweet cherryproductionismostlyintheWest,primarilyinWashington,butal~oinOregonand California.MostU.S.sourcherryproductionoccursneartheGreatLakes,primarilyinMichigan, where70-75%oftheU.S.cropisgrown(4).
