Bob Norton, an Island expert on fruit trees and an extraordinary grower, said he’s been pleasantly surprised by a crop in his orchard.

Cherries — plump, burgundy-red ones — are appearing on his 40 dwarf cherry trees, a rare crop on the Island.

The bounty — he sold about 30 pounds at the Saturday Farmers Market — stems from the unseasonably dry June the region experienced, he said. When it rains, the cherries split and rot.

His trees and the way he tends them also help to explain the bumper crop. Because of a decline in honey bees, he hand-pollinates his trees, stroking the flowers to release the pollen.

He also said his dwarf trees, which only grow about eight feet tall, are easier to harvest.

The little bit of rain in June led to some slight cracking of the cherries. “I call them rain-kissed,” Norton said.