Sweet Chekies. 



495 



but little grown for market because of its softness. A peculiarity 

 of the May Duke is its habit of ripening unevenly. It is not infre- 

 quent that one branch or one part of the tree matures its fruit 

 whilst the remainder of the crop is still green. Sometimes the two 

 sides of the same fruit mature at different times. Eeine Hortense 

 is an oblong cordate, light yellow cherry overlaid with amber and 

 splashes of light red. Flesh nearly white, very soft, sub-acid, of 

 medium to good quality. Eots badly. Belle de Choisy is one of 

 the best of dessert cherries, but is too unproductive and too soft for 

 market purposes. It ripens just after the May Duke. Fruit 

 roundish, the skin thin and amber with mottled red. 



88.— Robert's Red Heart. 



Varieties subject to rot. — In general, it may be said that the 

 tender-fleshed varieties of cherries rot worse than those having 

 firmer flesh among those which are the most susceptible to it are 

 Governor Wood, Elton, Coe's Transparent, Belle d' Orleans, Belle 

 Magnifique, Kockport Bigarreau, Cleveland Bigarreau, and Napo- 

 leon Bigarreau. Among those that are least susceptible are Black 

 Tartarian, Black Eagle, Knight's Early Black, in the Hearts, and 

 Robert's Red Heart, Mezel, Tradescant's Black Heart and Windsor 

 in the firm-fleshed varieties. 



Family sorts. — For the family varieties the hearts are among the 

 best on account of their tender, luscious flesh, though in point of 

 excellence, some of the Bigarreaus are close competitors. I would 

 recommend the following varieties for family use : 



