THE CHERRY. 369 



Late .Duke. Large, obtuse roundish heart-shaped, slightly 

 oblate ; color light, mottled with bright red at first, be- 

 coming rich dark red when ripe ; stalk an inch and a 

 half long, rather slender, cavity shallow ; flesh pale am- 

 ber, sub-acid, not rich, much less so than Mayduke ; sea- 

 son very late, or a little after midsummer. Tree more 

 spreading than Mayduke, and foliage rather more com- 

 pact, approaching somewhat the character of a Morello. 



Le Mercier, a new French variety, resembles Late Duke, 

 and ripens at the same time it is roundish, remotely 

 heart-shaped, obtuse ; suture shallow, ending in a point 

 at apex ; surface light shining red, marbled with deeper 

 red about second-rate. 



MAYDUKE. Large, roundish, obtuse heart-shaped ; color 

 red at first, becoming when mature nearly black ; flesh 

 reddish, becoming dark purple, very juicy and melting, 

 rich, acid, excellent. It is frequently picked when red 

 immature, and not fully grown, and imperfect in fla- 

 vor. Quite early but often varying greatly and perma- 

 nently in its season of ripening, even on the same tree. 

 Holman's Duke and Late Mayduke are only late varia- 

 tions perpetuated by grafting. Growth upright for a Duke. 

 Very hardy, and adapted to all localities. 



ROYAL DUKE. (Syn. Royal Tardive.) Very large, round- 

 ish, distinctly oblate, surface dark red ; flesh reddish, ten- 

 der, juicy, rich; season rather late. Growth like the 

 Mayduke. Rare. 



Much confusion has existed relative to the different Duke 

 cherries. Most of the sorts disseminated in this country are 

 only sub-varieties of the Mayduke. The Arch Duke and 

 the Late Duke are distinguished by their spreading branches ; 

 and the Mayduke and Royal Duke by their more upright or 

 fastigiate growth. The Late Duke is distinguished from 

 the Arch Duke, by its more oblate fruit, and from the May- 

 duke by its late maturity and paler flesh. The Royal Duke 

 is remarkable for its distinct oblate form 



