I06 THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 



Cuignier a Fruit Noir. 7. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 1:158, 159, 160, PI. I fig. I. 1768. 

 Friihe Schwarze Herzkirsche. 8. Truchsess-Heim Kirschensort. 11 6- 119. 1819. 9. Mathieu Nom. 

 Pom. 340, 349. 1889. 



Cuigne Noire Ancienne. 10. Mortillet Le Cerisier 2:66 fig. 7, 67, 68. 1866. 

 Bigarreati Noir d'Espagne. 11. Leroy Diet. Pom. 5:223 fig., 224. 1877. 



Although one of the oldest cherries under cultivation, Black Heart is 

 still largely grown the world over. Prince, in 1832, said that it was more 

 widely cultivated in the United States than any other variety and Downing, 

 in 1845, said Black Heart was then better known than any other cherry 

 in the country. While neither of these two statements would hold for 

 Black Heart now, it having long since passed its heyday of popularity, it 

 is still, because of the fruitfulness of the tree and the high quality and 

 beauty of the fruit, a variety of much merit. Black Heart fails in the 

 commercial fruit growing of nowadays, as compared with the cherry culture 

 of the fruit connoisseurs of a generation ago, because it does not meet 

 market demands, failing to do so through two defects: it does not ship 

 well and when brown-rot is rife it quickly succumbs to this fungus. It is, 

 too, now difficult to obtain the variety true to name, the trees at this Sta- 

 tion, as an example, in several attempts, turning out untrue, which forces 

 the use of a compiled description in this text. 



This cherry was mentioned by John Rea in 1676 but there can be no 

 doubt but that it originated many years previous to this date. Probably 

 it is the cherry mentioned by Robert Dodonee, a naturalist of Malines, 

 Belgium, in 1552. When or by whom it was introduced to America is not 

 known but it was being grown here very early in the Nineteenth Century 

 and ever since has been considered a valuable variety for general planting. 

 Nearly every nurseryman throughout the United States lists Black Heart, 

 a fact attesting its popularity. The American Pomological Society placed 

 Black Heart on its catalog of fruits in 1862, a place which it has since 

 retained. 



Tree large, very vigorous, tall, wide-spreading, productive; branches stout, brownish, 

 mingled with yellow, mottled with gray scarf-skin; lenticels numerous, small. 



Leaves very large, oblong, waved, acuminate, nearly flat; upper surface dark green; 

 margin deeply and coarsely serrate; petiole of medium length, lightly tinged with red. 

 with greenish glands. 



Buds large, oval, pointed; season of bloom early or very early; flowers medium in 

 size; petals roundish, imbricated. 



Fruit matures early, season long; large, obtuse-cordate, somewhat compressed; cavity 

 broad; suture deep; surface somewhat irregular; color dark purple becoming black; stem 

 one and three-fourths inches long, slender; skin slightly shrivelled; flesh dark red, firm 



