THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 1 57 



LATE KENTISH 



Prunus cerasus 



1. Downing Fr. Trees. Am. 197. 1845. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 27. 1909. 

 Kentish Red. 3. Coxe Cult. Fr. Trees 249. 1817. 

 Pie Cherry. 4. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 371. 1849. 

 Red Pie Cherry. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 103. 1852. 

 Kentish. 6. Elliott Fr. Book 217. 1854. 



This old cherry served well the needs of Americans in colonial times 

 when all cherries were grown from pits or suckers. Though but little 

 improvement on the wild Prunus cerasus, the trees were so hardy, vigorous, 

 healthy and productive that any who had a bit of spare land could have 

 cherries. This, therefore, became preeminently the " pie cherry " of New 

 England and the North Atlantic States. The trees are long-lived and even 

 so late as a generation ago Downing says that this variety is " better known 

 among us than any other acid cherry, especially abundant on the Hudson 

 and near New York." The variety is never planted now, having long 

 since been superseded by better sorts, Early Richmond and Montmorency 

 in particular, but it is still to be found as old trees or self-sown near where 

 a tree of the variety formerly stood. 



Late Kentish and Early Richmond, the latter the Kentish of some 

 authors, are much confused. Late Kentish is the old Pie Cherry of Colonial 

 times. It is a seedling sort belonging to America, having been planted 

 along fences and roadsides in the earliest times. This cherry is mentioned 

 by the Pilgrims in 1620 and this and the May Duke were listed as market 

 varieties in Massachusetts. Many believe it to be a seedling of Early 

 Richmond, sometimes, as we have seen, called Kentish, but this variety 

 being two weeks later, received the name Late Kentish. The name was 

 put on the fruit list of the American Pomological Society in 1873. The 

 following description is a compilation: 



Tree small, bears annually, very productive, hardy. 



Fniit matures about two weeks after Early Richmond; medium or below in size, 

 rotmdish, flattened; stem one inch to one and one-half inches in length, stout, straight; 

 color deep, lively red; flesh light colored, with abundant colorless juice, very tender, sour, 

 remaining quite acid even when fully ripe; stone does not adhere to the stalk. 



