care, the visitor and lot-holder will often have tlieir fcolinjr.s jmint'd ; with it, iiml 

 with attention to what we have already enforced, a rural cemetery serves more to 

 console the bereaved than volumes of poetry, or cold dissertations on the duty of 

 resiffuation. 



C n E 11 R I E S — T 11 E KNIGHT'S EARLY BLACK.* 



BY P. BARRY, ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



In all parts of the United States where the free growing sorts of cherries, 

 classed under the heads of " Hearts," and " Bigarreans," succeed well, the Early 

 Black of Knight proves to be one of the very best of all the black varieties. I 

 think it superior to the Black Tartarian in flavor, equally productive but less 

 rapid and symmetrical in its growth. It is as good us the Black Eagle, and 

 more productive. 



It entirely supersedes the old Black Heart and several varieties of it that are 

 in cultivation. The tree is hardy for its class, a moderate grower, forming like 

 the Black Eagle a round regular head. The fruit, when well ripened, is nearly 

 black, with that uneven surface which characterizes the Black Tartarian. The 

 flesh or pulp is rather firm, deep purple, abounding in rich high flavored juice. 



Ripe here, lat. 43°, usually first week in July; this season being late, 12th to 

 15th July. When I say ripe, I mean fuUy ripe, not half ripe, as cherries are 

 usually i)icked and sold. 



It is said to be, in common with the Black Eagle and Elton, a cross of Mr. 

 Knight's, between the May Duke and Bigarrean or Yellow Spanish, but I have 

 still doubted this. The Black Eagle and this variety are evidently from the same 

 parents, as both trees and fruit have many common characteristics, but the Elton, 

 as almost everybody knows, is altogether diiferent. The tree in vigor, habit of 

 growth, foliage, and uU. The fruit in shape, color, flavor, and almost everything. 

 My impression is that Mr. Knight, who was not infallible, any more than you or 

 I, made a mistake here, and that the Black Eagle and Early Black were produced 

 by a cross between the Bigarrean and Black Tartarian. 



This, however, is a matter of little importance to the cultivator, but it claims 

 the attention of the poraologist, and I take this occasion to throw out the hint. 



You will know by this time that the fruit growers of Western New York had 

 a very interesting meeting at Syracuse, on the 2Yth and 28th days of June. 

 The Country Gentleman, of the 10th July, contains a very good notice of the 

 main points of proceedings. 



Touching the subject of cherries, however, I find one branch of the discussion 

 omitted ; that was the best soil. 



The great cherry difficulty in the West is a malady known as the Gum. Very little 

 of it has been seen in Western New York, but the evidence adduced by cultivators 

 at the meeting above referred to, rather proved that this disease was most preva- 

 lent in light sandy soils, and least so in strong and rather stiff gravelly loam. I 

 think this is worthy of note as tending to show that this disease has its origin 

 more in the soil than in climate. It agrees in the main with my own experience. 



The Reine Hortense grows in favor, for although it is a moderate bearer, yet 

 the fruit is so large, beautiful, and refreshing, having just enough acid, and the 

 tree so hardy, belonging to the " Dukes," that it seldom fails to reward the culti- 

 vator. For the West, where only very hardy sorts can be grown, the Louis Phi- 



* See Froiiti?piece. 



