THE MAY BIGARREAU CHERRY. 



MAY BIGARREAU. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. vii. p. 288. 



BIGARREAU DE MAI, American Orchardist, 3d Ed. 

 BIGARREAU DE MAI, ot some French collections. 

 BAUMANN'S MAY, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. 



THE origin of the May Bigarreau cherry is unknown ; all we have of 

 its history is, that it was received, among several other varieties of 

 cherries, by Col. Wilder, late President of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society, from Messrs, Baumann, nurserymen, of Bollwiller, in 

 France, about the year 1838. Several of the very earliest and best 

 sorts were ordered by him, but, as often happens with importations of 

 fruit trees, as well as plants, the labels of some of them were lost off, 

 and this unfortunately was among the number. The invoice, however, 

 enumerated one as the Bigarreau de Mai ; and, as none of the varieties 

 proved to be remarkably early but this, it was natural to conclude that 

 the name belonged to this cherry. 



The tree first produced fruit in the summer of 1841, when some 

 handsome specimens were exhibited early in June, long before any other 

 sorts were near ripe. In some subsequent years, it has been fully ma- 

 ture as early as the first of June. Last season, the fruit on young 

 trees, in our collection, began to color before the May Duke was appa- 

 rently half grown, thus fully entitling it to the name of the earliest 

 cherry. It is also one of the most prolific bearers. 



The late Mr. R. Manning gave a brief description, in the Magazine 

 of Horticulture, (vol. viii. p. 281,) of fifty-four varieties of the cherry, 

 which had fruited in his extensive collection up to that time, (1842,) 

 with their relative period of maturity ; and, by a reference to that arti- 

 cle, we find the date of the ripening of the earliest kind, June 23d, the 

 variety being one of Mr. Manning's seedlings, called the Early Black 

 Heart : seven varieties ripened between that and the May Duke, which 

 was not mature until the 30th of June ; and, according to his state- 

 ment, the May Bigarreau would be about one month earlier than that 

 old, and generally considered early, cherry. Unless, therefore, the Early 

 Purple Guigne, which is yet but little known in American collections, 

 proves to be remarkably early, the May Bigarreau may be safely set 

 down as, at least, a fortnight earlier than any other variety. 



To aid in the distinction of some fruits, particularly the cherry and 

 peach, pomological writers have adopted various methods of classifica- 

 tion. With the cherry, the French have been the most successful, and 





