170 THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 



in appearance and very good. Montmorency is not a dessert cherry but 

 for those who like Sour Cherries it may be eaten out of hand with relish 

 when it is fully matured. Some maintain that the variety falls short in 

 the size of the tree, which is seldom more than medium, but the head is 

 spreading and much-branched and the fruit is borne in clusters thickly 

 scattered throughout the whole head so that the total yield from a tree is 

 greater than would be thought from its size. For any and all purposes 

 to which Sour Cherries are put Montmorency may be recommended as 

 the best in its season. 



Unfortunately several quite distinct cherries bear the name Mont- 

 morency and it has been most difficiilt to separate them in pomological 

 literature. To make matters worse, all of them have been much confused 

 with other varieties, Early Richmond in particular. The different Mont- 

 morencies and Early Richmond originated in the Montmorency Valley, 

 France, several centuries ago, at least before the Seventeenth Century, 

 probably as seedlings of Cerise Hative or of Cerise Commune. These Mont- 

 morency cherries differ from each other principally in their stems and fruit, 

 one having long stems and moderate-sized, regular fruit; one shorter stems 

 and larger fruit; and the third, very short, thick stems and oblate, irregular 

 fruit showing a distinct suture. The first cherry has been generally known, 

 particularly among the French, as Montmorency a Longue Queue or some- 

 times Cerise de Montmorency. This is the Montmorency of this sketch. 

 Duhamel, in 1768, was the first writer to mention this cherry directly and 

 according to his statement it was then esteemed around Paris, being superior 

 in productiveness to the Large Montmorency. 



Montmorency early found its way into England, where it soon became 

 confused with its probable parent, the French Cerise Hative or the English 

 Kentish. In a short time it had replaced Kentish in many nurseries and 

 came to be called Kentish in much of the literature of the time. Just 

 when Montmorency was introduced to this country is not known but it 

 has been cultivated here under various names for many years. William 

 Prince spoke of it in 1832 as the Long Stem Montmorency and it has long 

 and commonly been known here as Montmorency Ordinaire. Mont- 

 morency is to be found in nearly every nursery in the United States under 

 various names, some nurserymen using the French name, others the English, 

 while still others are selling the variety as Large Montmorency. Many 

 supposed strains have been given new names but it is doubtful if any dis- 

 tinct strains of this cherry exist. The American Pomological Society added 



