1 86 THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 



in this respect by any other black cherry in this region; its round, plump 

 form and glossy, black color which tempt the eye; crisp, firm, juicy flesh 

 and sweet, rich flavor, delicious to the taste; dark ruby-red color vinder 

 the skin which makes it as pleasing inwardly as outwardly; freedom from 

 brown-rot, in this respect excelling any other market sort; and a vigorous, 

 healthy, productive tree. The tree is further characterized by its abun- 

 dant, large leaves of dark, luxuriant green. The fruit is often picked before 

 it is ripe, at which time it is dark red and not black. There is a good 

 deal of enthusiasm in New York over several new Sweet Cherries from 

 the Pacific Coast but in this vicinity none of these is equal to Schmidt. 



Schmidt is a seedling of Festfleischige Schwarze Knorpelkirsche and 

 was raised by Herr Schmidt, Forester at Casekow, Prussia, Germany, 

 about 1 84 1. It was introduced into England by Thomas Rivers of Saw- 

 bridgeworth and eventually found its way to America but how and when 

 is not known. Schmidt appeared on the fruit list of the American Pomo- 

 logical Society in 1 897 but only for two years when for some reason it was 

 dropped. In 1909, a Smith was listed, with Smith's Bigarreau as a synonym. 

 Budd-Hansen in the publication of 1903 also mentioned a Smith which is 

 probably Schmidt. We are inclined to hold to the German spelling, Schmidt. 



Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped, productive; trunk and branches 

 stocky, smooth; branches dull reddish-brown covered with ash-gray, with numerous lenti- 

 cels; branchlets thick, short, smooth, with rather conspicuous, raised lenticels. 



Leaves numerous, six inches long, three inches wide, folded upward, obovate; upper 

 surface light green, smooth; lower surface pale green, pubescent along the inidrib and 

 larger veins; apex acute, base abrupt; margin serrate, glandular; petiole one and one- 

 half inches long, thick, dull red, with a narrow, deep groove along the upper surface, 

 glandless or with one or two large, reniform, reddish glands on the stalk. 



Buds large, long, obtuse to conical, plump, free, arranged singly as lateral buds and 

 in numerous small clusters; leaf-scars prominent; time of blooming mid-season; flowers 

 white, one and one-half inches across; borne in scattering clusters in twos and threes; 

 pedicels one inch long, thick, glabrous; calyx-tube green or with a tinge of red, campanu- 

 late, glabrous; calyx-lobes long, broad, acute, serrate, glabrous within and without, reflexed; 

 petals oval, crenate, with short, narrow claws; filaments three-eighths inch long; pistil 

 glabrous, shorter than the stamens. 



Fruit matures in mid-season; one inch in diameter, cordate, compressed, often slightly 

 oblique; cavity deep, wide, flaring; suture indistinct; apex bluntly pointed; color purplish- 

 black; dots numerous, small, dark russet, obscure; stem slender, one and one-half inches 

 long, strongly adherent to the fruit; skin tough, separating from the pulp; flesh purplish- 

 red, with dark colored juice, very meaty, crisp, firm, mild, sweet; of good quality; stone 

 semi-clinging, ovate, slightly oblique, with smooth surfaces; ventral suture prominent. 



