150 



NAPOLEON 



OLIVET 



and keep long, and are, therefore, well thought 

 of by fruit dealers. Besides being very pro- 

 ductive, the trees come in bearing early, and 

 are as vigorous, hardy, and healthy as those 

 of any other sweet cherry. They may usually 

 be known by their upright growth and large, 

 sturdy limbs. Napoleon, however, is not with- 

 out its faults. The cherries crack badly in wet 

 weather, and the 

 variety can be 

 grown with cer- 

 tainty only in the 

 dry climate of the 

 Pacific coast, where 

 it reaches truly 

 wonderful perfec- 

 tion. In the East, 

 Napoleon is more 

 susceptible to 

 brown-rot than sev- 

 eral of its rivals. 

 The tree is fastidi- 

 ous as to soils, 

 thriving only in 

 choice cherry land 

 and in a congenial 

 cherry climate. De- 

 spite these serious 

 faults, Napoleon 

 takes first place 

 the country over 

 among sweet cher- 

 ries for both home 

 and commercial 

 plantings. Napo- 

 leon is of unknown 

 origin. Early in the 

 eighteenth century 

 it was grown by Germans, French, Dutch, and 

 English, proof that it is a very old variety. 

 It has been grown in America for at least a 

 century. 



Napoleon has a great number of synonyms in 

 several languages, showing the countries in which 

 the variety has been grown and the esteem 

 in which it has been held. Not content with 

 the score or more of European names, cherry- 

 growers in America have added two more. 

 In many parts of the country it is commonly 

 called Ox Heart. On the Pacific slope it is 

 everywhere known as Royal Ann. The Ameri- 

 can Pomological Society placed Napoleon on 

 its fruit-list in 1862. There are several ac- 

 counts as to when the cherry was given the 

 name Napoleon. Probably the best authenti- 

 cated is that in which it is held that Parmen- 

 tier, a Belgian, gave the cherry the name of 

 the famous emperor in 1820. When the variety 

 was taken to England, where at that time 

 Napoleon was not in good repute, the name of 

 his conqueror, Wellington, was substituted, but 

 was little used. 



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

 very productive, shaggy. Leaves numerous, 5% inches 

 long, 2% inches wide; margin doubly serrate, with 

 small, dark glands ; petiole 1 % inches long, thick, with 

 2-3 large, reniform, reddish-orange glands. Flowers 

 midseason, white, 1 */4 inches across ; borne in scattering 

 clusters in ones or in twos. Fruit midseason ; over 1 



134. Napoleon. (XD 



inch in diameter, long-cordate, compressed ; cavity deep, 

 wide, flaring ; suture a distinct line ; apex much pointed ; 

 color, varying shades of bright red over a yellowish 

 background, mottled ; dots obscure ; stem slender, more 

 than 1 inch long, adherent to the fruit ; skin thin, 

 adherent ; flesh white, with a faint yellow tinge, with 

 colorless juice, tender, meaty, crisp, mild, sweet ; good 

 to very good in quality ; stone semi-clinging, small, 

 ovate, flattened, pointed, with smooth surfaces. 



NOUVELLE ROYALE. P. aviumXP. 

 Cerasus. This cherry is one of the best of 

 the Dukes. In particular, it is commended by 

 its product, as the trees do not make so good 

 a showing as the fruit. The cherries are dis- 

 tinguished by their large size, dark red color, 

 glossy surface, good quality, lateness in ma- 

 turing, and sweetness. The shape, also, offers 

 a distinguishing character, the fruits being 

 more oblate than those of any other Duke. 

 The long, stout stem is still another charac- 

 teristic. Unfortunately, the tree is unproduc- 

 tive. Nouvelle Royale is not widely known 

 in America, and may well be given a trial by 

 those who want a late Duke. This variety is 

 supposed from its fruit- and tree-characters 

 to be a hybrid between Early Richmond and 

 May Duke, but where and when it came to 

 light is not known. Downing, in 1869, men- 

 tions the Nouvelle Royale as having recently 

 been introduced into this country. 



Tree large, vigorous, upright, compact, moderately 

 productive. Leaves numerous, 3% inches long, 2 inches 

 wide, obpvate ; margin finely and doubly serrate, glandu- 

 lar ; petiole 1 % inches long, slender, glandless or with 

 1-4 globose, greenish-yellow or reddish glands. Flowers 

 midseason ; white, 1 inch across ; borne in dense clusters 

 in threes and fours. Fruit midseason ; 1 inch in diam- 

 eter, oblate, strongly compressed ; cavity deep, narrow, 

 abrupt ; suture shallow ; apex flattened or slightly de- 

 pressed ; color dark red ; dots numerous, small, russet, 

 inconspicuous ; stem 1 % inches long, adherent to the 

 fruit ; skin tender, separating from tie pulp ; flesh pale 

 yellow or with a tinge of red, with light pink juice, 

 slightly stringy, tender and melting, pleasantly flavored, 

 mildly tart ; of very good quality ; stone free, round- 

 oval, plump, blunt, oblique, with smooth surfaces often 

 tinged with red and small ridges radiating from the 

 base. 



OLIVET. Fig. 135. 

 P. avium X P. Cer- 

 asus. Some writers call 

 Olivet a Duke, while 

 others place it with the 

 Morellos. The fruit 

 shows many charac- 

 teristics of the Morel- 

 los, but the tree ap- 

 pears to be a Duke, so 

 that it is probably a 

 hybrid between trees of 

 the two groups. The 

 fruit is large, globular, 

 deep red, glossy, with 

 a rich, vinous, sub-acid 

 flavor; eaten out of 

 hand it would be rated 

 as a very good Morello 

 or a sub-acid and some- 

 what mediocre Duke, 

 hardly good enough for 

 dessert and not so good 



135. Olivet. (XD 



for culinary purposes as some of the sourer 

 cherries. It is one of the earliest of the Mo- 



