440 



^9 1\9 TEM A TIC rO M OLOG Y 



Fig. 257. Cherry. 



nf the most prodiu'tive of the hn-fre-fruited currants. The ber- 

 ries are a beautiful brij,dit red, very large, and 

 well flavored. Defects are that the plants do 

 not sucker freely, so that the bushes sometimes 

 have too few stalks ; there is a tendency in the 

 canes to "go blind," that is, to lack the termi- 

 nal shoot ; and the short-stemmed bunches are 

 borne so close to the wood that the crop is 

 difficult to pick. The variety was introduced 

 into America by W. W. Falk, Flushing, Long 

 Island, in 1846. 



Plants large, vigorous, upright -spreading, dense, 

 productive; suckers few. Leaves cordate, lobes ovate, 

 rugose, pubescent, margin crenate ; petiole 2 inches 

 long. Flowers early, B. sativum type. Fruit early; 

 clusters short, thick, loose, 10-14 berries; stem short, making fruit difficult 

 to pick; berries very large, cling well, round, dark red; skin smooth, tough, 

 transparent; flesh red, medium juicy, firm, mild subacid; quality good; 

 seeds large, rather numerous. 



697. Diploma (Fig. 258) is a new currant 

 w^idely grown in New York, but still on trial 

 in other currant-growing regions. The va- 

 riety is easily distinguished by its light red 

 fruits, which are more transparent than those 

 of any other currant, the seeds and segments 

 showing distinctly through the thin skin. The 

 fruits are juicier than those of most other 

 currants, therefore especially desirable for 

 jellies ; for the same reason the crop must be 

 picked and handled wdth care. The flavor is 

 mild almost sweet. Diploma originated with 

 Jacob Moore, Brighton, New York, in 1885. 



Plants large, vigorous, upright -spreading, dense, 

 hardy, productive, healthy; canes numerous, stocky, 

 long, somewhat angular, reddish-brown; blooms in 

 midseason. Fruit midseason, period of ripening short ; 

 pedicels of average length and thickness; berries 



large, round, adhere tenaciously to the pedicels, bright light red which 

 changes but slowly after picking ; skin very thin, very transparent, the seg- 

 ments, veins and seeds unusually distinct; flesh semi-transparent, tinged 



Fig. 258. Diploma. 



