IDA 



KNIGHT EARLY BLACK 



145 



to be very valuable in the northern states of 

 the Great Plains because of hardiness. Nur- 

 serymen say that Homer is the hardiest of all 

 European cherries in Minnesota and the Da- 

 kotas, and about the only cherry of its type 

 that can be grown in those states. The variety 

 was first described at the Iowa Experiment 

 Station in 1903. 



Tree rather small, somewhat spreading and drooping, 

 very hardy, healthy and productive. Fruit early, ripen- 

 ing about with Early Richmond ; medium to large ; round 

 oblate ; stem short, stout ; cavity shallow and of medium 

 width ; skin red becoming very dark red with maturity, 

 thin, rather tough ; flesh tender, uncolored, juicy, mild 

 subacid ; quality fair to good ; pit round, semi-clinging, 

 of medium size. 



IDA. Fig. 126. P. avium. The fruit of Ida 

 is large, light red, resembling that of Napoleon 

 in shape and that of Rockport in color, but 

 differing from both in having soft flesh, which 

 places it among the 

 Hearts rather than the 

 Bigarreaus. Because 

 of beauty of fruit, 

 earliness, and good 

 tree-characters, Ida 

 promises to become a 

 rather general favor- 

 ite in home orchards, 

 though it falls short 

 in flavor and flesh- 

 characters in the 

 fruits. It can never 

 take a high place 

 among commercial 

 kinds, because the 

 cherries are too soft 

 to handle well, show 

 bruises plainly, are 

 somewhat susceptible 

 to brown-rot, and 

 come when better 

 cherries are plentiful. 

 The trees are vigor- 

 ous and hardy, and 

 bear full crops regu- 

 larly and in various 

 environments. The 

 variety is readily rec- 

 ognized by the up- 

 right habit of growth 

 and by the large lenticels on the trunk and 

 branches. Ida has been very well tried as a 

 commercial variety, but in the ups and downs 

 of the industry has not held its own with 

 other sorts. E. H. Cocklin, Shepherdstown, 

 Pennsylvania, grew this variety about 1870. 



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

 very productive. Leaves 5Vfe inches long, 2% inches 

 wide, obovate, thin ; margin doubly crenate, with small, 

 black glands ; petiole 2 %, inches long, thick, usually 

 with 2 large, reniform, reddish glands on the stalk. 

 Flowers midseason, white, 1% inches across ; borne in 

 clusters, usually in twos. Fruit early ; % inch in 

 diameter, cordate, slightly compressed ; cavity deep, 

 flaring, regular ; suture a distinct line ; apex variable 

 in shape ; color amber overspread with light red, mot- 

 tled ; dots numerous, large, yellowish, somewhat con- 

 spicuous ; stem 1 % inches long ; skin thin, separating 

 readily from the pulp ; flesh white, with colorless juice, 

 tender and melting, mild, sweet ; of good quality ; stone 

 free or semi-free, round, flattened, blunt, with smooth 

 surfaces. 



126. Ida. (XD 



KING AMARELLE. P. Cerasus. King's 

 Cherry. King Amarelle is an old European 

 cherry which has taken on new life in America. 

 It is of the Early Richmond type, differing in 

 bearing fruit a little earlier, lighter in color, 

 and with a longer stem. The fault which all 

 but condemns the variety as a commercial 

 cherry is the small size of the fruit, the cherries 

 running smaller than those of Early Richmond. 

 The tree is like that of Early Richmond quite 

 as vigorous and productive, of the same size 

 and shape, and a little more hardy. The 

 variety is recognized from afar in blossoming- 

 time by the peculiar distribution of the flower- 

 clusters, which are numerous and dense, but 

 always separated by several inches of bare 

 wood. King Amarelle can never displace Early 

 Richmond, but might be tried where a hardier 

 cherry is wanted. This variety, of old and un- 

 certain origin, sprang up in France more than 

 a century ago. 



Tree of medium size and vigor, upright-spreading, 

 open-topped, very productive. Leaves 3% inches long, 

 l l /2 inches wide, obovate, glossy, thick ; margin finely 

 and doubly serrate, with small, dark glands ; petiole 

 1 inch long, slender, with 1-3 small, globose, greenish- 

 yellow glands. Flowers midseason, white, l 1 ^ inches 

 across ; borne in dense clusters, usually in threes. Fruit 

 early ; % inch in diameter, round-oblate, compressed ; 

 cavity regular, abrupt ; suture indistinct ; apex roundish 

 or flattened ; color bright red ; dots numerous, small, 

 light russet, conspicuous ; stem 1 inch long, adhering 

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

 flesh pale yellow, with colorless juice, tender and melting, 

 sprightly ; fair to good in quality ; stone free, ovate, 

 flattened, pointed, with smooth surfaces, tinged with red. 



KIRTLAND. P. arium. Kirtland's Mary. 

 Mary. Kirtland stands among the best of the 

 Bigarreaus in quality of fruit; in fact, the 

 cherries are hardly surpassed in richness and 

 delicacy of flavor. They are also handsome, 

 resembling those of Napoleon, but are a little 

 darker in color. The flesh is firm and meaty 

 and stands handling well. With these excel- 

 lent qualities of fruit, Kirtland would long ago 

 have been one of the standard commercial 

 cherries, were its tree-characters better. 

 Wherever tried, the trees lack vigor, and can 

 be grown only on choice cherry soils and under 

 the best of care. With these faults the variety 

 can be recommended only for home orchards 

 and for local markets where there is demand 

 for a very early Bigarreau, since this variety 

 ripens before most other cherries of its kind. 

 Kirtland was grown in 1842 by J. P. Kirtland, 

 Cleveland, Ohio. 



Tree small, rather weak, upright-spreading, open- 

 topped, productive. Leaves 5 inches long, 2 inches wide, 

 obovate, thin ; margin doubly serrate with small, dark 

 glands; petiole 1% inches long, slender, with 2 or 3 

 reniform, reddish glands. Flowers midseason, white, 

 1 ^4 inches across ; borne in dense clusters. Fruit mid- 

 season ; % inch in diameter, cordate, compressed ; cavity 

 wide, flaring ; suture a more or less distinct line ; apex 

 rounded or pointed, with a small depression at the 

 center ; color amber overspread with bright red ; dots 

 numerous, small, gray, conspicuous; stem 1% inches 

 long, adhering to the fruit ; skin tough ; flesh white, 

 with colorless juice, tender, meaty, with a pleasant and 

 refreshing flavor ; very good to best in quality ; stoni 

 free, small, round-ovate, with smooth surfaces. 



KNIGHT EARLY BLACK. Fig. 127. P. 

 avium. Possibly Knight Early Black is to be 



