MEZEL 



NAPOLEON 



149 



less as it grows on the grounds of the New 

 York Experiment Station. The trees are not 

 fruitful, the cherries are small, the flavor is 

 none too good, and the fruit is not resistant 

 to brown-rot, four fatal defects for a com- 

 mercial cherry. This variety is reported to 

 have sprung from a pit of a Mazzard tree, 

 and was introduced about 1890 by Black and 

 Son, Hightstown, New Jersey. 



Tree vigorous, healthy, unproductive. Leaves numer- 

 ous, 4 % inches long, 2 % inches wide, long-oval, leathery ; 

 margin coarsely and doubly serrate, glandular ; petiole 

 1% inches long, thick, with 2-5 very large, reniform, 

 red glands. Flowers early ; 1 % inches across, in scat- 

 tering clusters in twos and threes. Fruit midseason ; 

 small, cordate, compressed ; cavity shallow, narrow, 

 abrupt ; suture an indistinct line ; apex depressed ; color 

 black ; dots small, numerous, obscure ; stem slender, 

 l^ inches long, adherent to the fruit; skin thin, ten- 

 der ; flesh red, with dark-colored juice, tender, meaty, 

 crisp, aromatic, mild, sweet ; fair to good in quality ; 

 stone free, ovate, flattened, blunt-pointed, with smooth 

 surfaces, tinged with red. 



MEZEL. P. avium. Bigarreau de Mezel. 

 Great Bigarreau. Mezel seems to have made 

 a stir in pomological circles in the nineteenth 

 century by reason of the great size and beauti- 

 ful appearance of the cherries. Although on 

 the recommended list of the American Po- 

 mological Society, frequently spoken of in the 

 pomological works of the day, and offered by 

 some nurserymen, not many trees of this va- 

 riety are now growing in the country. From 

 the literature, it may be gleaned that the 

 fruits pleased the eye more than the palate; 

 and that the trees, while vigorous and healthy, 

 were not productive. At any rate, after a de- 

 cade or two of much advertising and what 

 would seem to have been a very thorough trial, 

 Mezel failed to receive approbation from 

 cherry-growers, and has now almost passed 

 from cultivation. This variety was found at 

 Mezel, France, sometime prior to 1846, and 

 was soon after imported to the United States. 



Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, variable 

 in productiveness. Leaves numerous, 5 inches long, often 

 2 \'z inches wide, long-oval, thin ; margin glandular, 

 coarsely serrate ; petiole 1 % inches long, slender, with 

 1-4 reniform glands. Flowers midseason; 1% inches 

 across, well distributed in scattering clusters in twos 

 and threes. Fruit midseason ; large, 1 inch in diameter, 

 cordate, compressed, the surface markedly irregular and 

 broken into ridges ; cavity very deep, wide, irregular, 

 abrupt ; suture variable, shallow to very deep and wide 

 and at times double ; apex blunt-pointed ; color purplish- 

 black ; dots numerous, very small, russet, obscure ; stem 

 2 inches long, adheres to the fruit ; skin tender but not 

 inclined to crack, adheres to the pulp ; flesh purplish- 

 red, with abundant dark red juice, tender, meaty, mild, 

 very pleasant, sweet ; very good to best in quality ; stone 

 clinging, large, strongly ovate, with rough surfaces. 



MONTMORENCY. Fig. 133. P. Cerasus. 

 Long Stem Montmorency. Montmorency Or- 

 dinaire. Montmorency is the most popular 

 sour cherry grown in America. Several char- 

 acters give it first place. It is surpassed by 

 no other sour cherry in vigor, health, and pro- 

 ductiveness of tree. Year in and year out, 

 Montmorency trees are fruitful. No other 

 sour cherry is adapted to a greater diversity 

 of soils than Montmorency, which fact, with 

 its capacity to stand heat and cold, makes the 

 variety suitable to wide variations in environ- 



ment. The fruit has the advantage of being 

 presentable in appearance and fit for culinary 

 purposes several days before it is fully ripe, 

 and this adds to the value of the variety for 

 market. Brown-rot takes less toll from this 

 cherry than from others of its kind, probably 

 because its fruits have relatively firm flesh and 

 thick skins. The fruit stands handling well in 

 harvesting, in shipping, and on the markets. 

 The preserved product, whether canned at 

 home or commercially, is attractive in appear- 

 ance and very good. 

 Montmorency is not a 

 dessert cherry, but by 

 those who like sour 

 cherries the fruits when 

 fully matured may be 

 eaten out of hand with 

 relish. The variety 

 falls short in the size 

 of the tree, which is 

 seldom more than me- 

 dium; but the head is 

 spreading and much- 

 branched, and the fruit 

 is borne in clusters 

 thickly scattered 

 throughout the whole 

 head, so that the total 

 yield from a tree is 

 greater than would be 

 thought. For all pur- 

 poses to which sour 

 cherries are put, Mont- 

 morency may be rec- 

 ommended as the best in its season. The 

 variety originated in Montmorency Valley, 

 France, several centuries ago, at least before 

 the seventeenth century. It has been culti- 

 vated in America under various names for at 

 least a century. 



Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, with the 

 lower branches inclined to droop, round-topped, produc- 

 tive. Leaves 3 inches long, l 1 ^ inches wide, obovate, 

 leathery ; margin doubly crenate, glandular ; petiole 1 

 inch long, glandless or with 1-3 small, globose, brownish 

 glands. Flowers midseason ; white, 1 >4 inches across ; 

 borne in scattered clusters in twos and threes. Fruit 

 midseason ; % inch in diameter, round-oblate, slightly 

 compressed ; cavity abrupt ; suture very shallow ; apex 

 rounded ; color light to rather dark red ; dots numerous, 

 small, russet, inconspicuous ; stem thick, usually with 

 a faint tinge of red, 1 inch long, adhering well to the 

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

 pale yellow, with a reddish tinge, with abundant light 

 pink juice, tender and melting, sprightly, tart ; of very 

 good quality ; stone free, small, round-ovate, flattened, 

 pointed, with smooth surfaces which are tinged with red. 



MORELLO: See English Morello. 



NAPOLEON. Fig. 134. P. avium. Royal 

 Ann. Napoleon is the leading firm-fleshed 

 sweet cherry. It takes its place by virtue of 

 the large size, handsome appearance, and high 

 quality of the fruit, and the phenomenal pro- 

 ductiveness of the trees. The rich, sweet flavor 

 with abundant juice and firm, crackling flesh, 

 makes this a most delicious and refreshing 

 cherry for dessert, and, with the great size and 

 attractive color, give it preference over all 

 other sweet cherries for canning and other 

 culinary purposes. The cherries carry well 



133. Montmorency. 

 (XD 



