142 



EARLY MORELLO 



EARLY RICHMOND 



yellowish-white, with pinkish juice, tender, sprightly, 

 tart ; quality very good ; stone free, ovate, flattened, with 

 smooth surfaces. 



EARLY MORELLO. P. Cerasus. About 

 all that can be said in praise of Early Morello 

 is that the trees are hardy, healthy, vigorous, 

 fruitful, and regular in bearing. The cherries 

 show the variety to be of the Amarelle group, 

 but are such as to make it far inferior to 

 Montmorency and other well-known Amarelles. 

 The name is misleading, as the variety has 

 little in common, in fruit or tree, with the 

 true Morellos. Early Morello was introduced 

 by Professor J. L. Budd from Orel, Russia, as 

 Orel No. 23. The tree has proved very pro- 

 ductive and hardy throughout the West. The 

 cherries resemble those of Early Richmond, 

 though smaller, a trifle darker, less acid, and 

 appearing a week later. A dark-fleshed variety 

 from Erfurt, Prussia, was sent out from Rose- 

 dale, Kansas, where it is known as Early 

 Morello. 



Tree of medium size and vigor, upright-spreading, very 

 productive. Leaves 2% inches long, 1% inches wide, 

 thick, stiff, dark green, rather glossy, smooth ; margin 

 finely and doubly serrate, with small, dark glands ; 

 petiole glandless or with 1-3 small, globose, brown or 

 yellowish glands. Flowers late, 1 inch across. Fruit 

 midseason ; about % inch in diameter, oblate, com- 

 pressed ; color dark red ; stem 1 inch long, adhering to 

 the fruit ; skin thin, tender, separating from the pulp ; 

 flesh light yellow, with pinkish juice, tender and melt- 

 ing, sprightly, tart ; of very good quality ; stone free, 

 ovate, flattened, slightly pointed, with smooth surfaces, 

 somewhat tinged with red. 



EARLY PURPLE 

 GUI ONE. Fig. 120. 

 P. auium. Early Pur- 

 ple. Purple Guigne. 

 Early Purple Guigne is 

 a valuable cherry on 

 account of the earli- 

 ness, attractiveness, and 

 high quality of its 

 fruits. The trees bear 

 well and regularly after 

 having become estab- 

 lished in the orchard, 

 but are poor growers in 

 the nursery. More than 

 most cherries, this one 

 responds to good care 

 and a choice cherry 

 soil, a warm, free-work- 

 ing loam being best. A 

 serious defect of the 

 tree is that the fruit- 

 spurs are easily broken 

 during picking, and the 

 crop of the next season 

 thereby cut short. The 

 cherries do not attain 

 their rich purple color 

 until full maturity is 

 reached. No home col- 

 lection should be with- 



120. Early Purple 

 Guigne. (XD 



out this variety, and it can often be profitably 

 grown for the local market. Early Purple 

 Guigne is the Early Purple of Ray in 1688. 

 The variety was brought to America over a 

 hundred years ago. 



Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped, 

 very productive. Leaves numerous, 4 inches long, 1% 

 inches wide, obovate, thin ; margin finely serrate, with 

 small dark-colored glands on the stalk. Flowers early, 

 white, 1 % inches across ; borne in scattering clusters, 

 usually in twos. Fruit very early ; 1 inch in diameter, 

 cordate, slightly compressed ; cavity regular ; suture a 

 faint line ; apex pointed ; color purplish-black ; dots 

 numerous, small, grayish, obscure ; stem tinged with 

 red, slender, 2 inches long, adhering to the fruit ; skin 

 thin, tender, separating readily from the pulp ; flesh 

 dark reddish-purple, with dark-colored juice, tender, 

 melting, mild, sweet ; of very good quality ; stone free, 

 large, broadly oval, compressed near the apex, with 

 smooth surfaces. 



EARLY RICHMOND. Fig. 121. P. Cer- 

 asus. Virginia May. Early May. Kentish. 

 French. Early Richmond has long been the 

 leading sour cherry of its season. It is not a 

 remarkable variety in its fruit-characters, for 

 the cherries are but medium 

 in size, mediocre in quality, 

 and not handsomer than 

 those of other Amarelles 

 with which it belongs. The 

 fruits are very good for cul- 

 inary purposes, and, when 

 well ripened, may be eaten 

 out of hand with relish by 

 those who like the refresh- 

 ing acidity of a sour cherry. 

 They make a very good 

 canned product, and before 

 cherries were largely canned 

 for the markets were much 

 used in making dried cher- 

 ries, a delicious sweetmeat 

 which kept for several 

 months. The cherries are 

 remarkable for the tenacity 

 with which the stone clings 

 to the stem. The tree 

 thrives in varied soils and climates from 

 the St. Lawrence to the Carolinas and from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific everywhere vig- 

 orous, healthy, and fruitful. For the many 

 purposes for which the fruit may be used, 

 and because of the characters of the tree, 

 Early Richmond is indispensable in every 

 home and commercial orchard. This variety 

 was early brought to America, where it be- 

 came known as Early Richmond, as the first 

 trees were grown at Richmond, Virginia. It 

 was also grown as Virginia May, while in the 

 West it has been called Early May. The 

 French cherry, introduced into the lower St. 

 Lawrence region, is very similar to Early 

 Richmond. This strain, propagated from seed 

 or sprouts, seems to be hardier than Early 

 Richmond. 



Tree of medium size, vigorous, upright-spreading, 

 dense, round-topped. Leaves numerous, 3Vfc inches long, 

 1 % inches wide, obovate, thick ; margin finely and 

 doubly serrate, glandular ; petiole glandless or with 1 

 or 2 globose, greenish-yellow glands. Flowers midseason, 

 1^4 inches across, white; borne in scattering clusters, 

 usually in twos and threes. Fruit early ; % inch in 

 diameter, round-oblate, compressed ; cavity abrupt, regu- 

 lar ; suture indistinct ; apex flattened ; color dark red ; 

 dots numerous, small, russet ; stem slender, 1 inch 

 long, adherent to the fruit ; skin thin, tough, separating 

 from the pulp ; flesh pale yellow, with light pink juice, 

 stringy, tender and melting, sprightly ; good to very 

 good in quality ; stone free, small, round-ovate, pointed, 

 with smooth surfaces. 



121. Early 



Richmond. 



(XD 



