CHERRIES. 295 



Skin, of a mahogany colour, deeply mottled with blood red. Stalk, 

 about an inch and a half long, stout, and not deeply inserted. Flesh, 

 tender, 'deeply stained with red, and of excellent flavour. Juice, red. 



An excellent and very handsome early cherry, ripening at the same 

 time as Early Jaboulay, but much larger and of darker colour. 



EARLY MAY (Small May; Small Early May; May; Nain a 

 l^ruit Rond Prdcoce ; Nain Precoce ; Indulle ; Petit Cerise Ronde 

 Precoce; Petit Cerise Rouge Precoce; Fruhe Zwergweichsel : 

 Weisse Saner Kirsche ; Fruhe Kleine Runde Zwernweichsel). Fruit, 

 small, round, and a little flattened about the stalk and the apex. Skin, 

 bright red at first, but the longer it hangs it becomes of a dark red. 

 Stalk, about an inch long, slender, set in a shallow depression. Flesh, 

 red, tender, juicy, and briskly acid. Stone, very small and round. 



The earliest of all cherries, ripe in the middle of June, but now not 

 worth cultivation, since there are so many other varieties which are 

 almost equally as early and very superior to it as dessert fruits. It 

 has for centuries been cultivated in this country, but more on account 

 of its earliness than for any other merit it possesses. 



The tree is of dwarf habit of growth, with slender and pendent 

 shoots. It is tender, and requires the protection of a wall, but is 

 unworthy of such a situation. 



Early May Duke. See May Duke. 



EARLY PROLIFIC. Fruit, above medium size, obtuse heart- 

 shaped. Skin, pale amber, mottled with crimson. Stalk, two inches 

 long. Flesh, tolerably firm, juicy, rich, sweet, and delicious. 



Ripe in the end of June. 



EARLY PURPLE GEAN (Early Purple Griotte ; Fruhe 

 Schwarze Herzkirsche ; German May Duke; Hative de Boutamand. 

 Fruit, large, obtuse heart-shaped, a little flattened on one side. 

 Skin, of a uniform shining dark purple, almost black. Stalk, slender, 

 from two to two and a half inches long, inserted in a pretty wide but 

 shallow depression. Flesh, dark purple, tender, and very juicy, with a 

 particularly rich, sweet flavour. 



A most delicious cherry ; ripe on a wall the last week of May or 

 first of June. It is as early as the Early May, and about a fortnight 

 earlier than the May Duke, to both of which it is far superior in rich- 

 ness of flavour. 



The tree is vigorous and healthy, succeeds well as a standard, and is 

 an excellent bearer, but it requires to be grown on the Mahaleb stock. 

 To orchardists this would prove a valuable acquisition, both as regards 

 the earliness and the rich flavour of the fruit. 



This variety was received by the London Horticultural Society from Decandolle, 

 of Geneva, in 1822 ; and by M. Uecandolle it was procured from M. Baumann, of 

 Bol waller. 



