152 



REPUBLICAN 



ROYAL DUKE 



obovate, thin ; margin coarsely serrate, with dark glands ; 

 petiole 1 inch long, with 1-4 small, globose, brownish 

 glands. Flowers midseason; white, 1& inches across; 

 borne in dense clusters, usually in threes. Fruit mid- 

 season ; 1 inch in diameter, oblong-conic, compressed ; 

 cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt, often lipped ; suture 

 indistinct ; apex rounded with a small depression at the 

 center ; color amber-red ; dots numerous, light russet, 

 conspicuous ; stem tortuous, slender, 1 % inches long, 

 adherent to the fruit ; skin tender, separating from the 

 pulp ; flesh pale yellow, with colorless juice, tender and 

 melting, sprightly subacid ; of very good quality ; stone 

 free, large, oval, flattened, blunt, with smooth surfaces. 



REPUBLICAN. Fig. 137. P. avium. 

 Black Republican. Levelling. Judged by the 

 palate, Republican is one of the best of the 

 Bigarreaus. The cherries are rich in flavor, 

 firm of flesh, and 

 have an abun- 

 dance of refresh- 

 ing juice. Judged 

 by the eye, also, 

 the variety holds 

 its own with the 

 best of its class, 

 the fruit having a 

 pleasing rotundity 

 of shape and a 

 beautiful dark red, 

 almost black, 

 glossy color. In 

 size of fruit, the 

 variety often falls 

 short. The trees 

 are large, spread- 

 ing, and vigorous, 

 but are susceptible 

 to the shot-hole 

 fungus and ex- 

 ceedingly capri- 

 cious as to soils, 

 failing in all but 

 the very choicest 

 cherry environ- 

 ments. The cherry 

 is, at most, of but local value. This variety 

 originated about the middle of the nineteenth 

 century in the orchard of Seth Lewelling, Mil- 

 waukee, Oregon. 



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

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

 inches wide, obovate, thin ; margin coarsely and doubly 

 serrate, glandular ; petiole 1 }4 inches long, thick, with 

 2 or 3 large, reniform, light green or reddish glands. 

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

 scattering clusters in ones and twos. Fruit late ; 1 

 inch in diameter, wide, variable in shape, cordate or 

 round-cordate, compressed, with angular and uneven 

 surfaces ; cavity deep, wide, flaring ; suture a shallow 

 groove, often extending around the fruit ; apex with a 

 small depression at the center ; color purplish-black ; 

 dots numerous, small, dark russet, inconspicuous ; stem 

 thick, 1 % inches long, adherent to the fruit ; skin thin ; 

 flesh purplish-red, with dark-colored juice, tender, meaty, 

 crisp, mild, sweet or with slight astringency before fully 

 mature ; of good quality ; stone semi-free, small, ovate, 

 flattened, blunt, with smooth surfaces. 



ROCKPORT. Fig. 138. P. avium. Rock- 

 port is more easily characterized by its faults 

 than its merits. Compared with the well- 

 known Yellow Spanish, of which it is a seedling 

 and to which it is similar, the cherries are 

 smaller and the pits are larger than those of 

 the parent variety, the pits being much too 



137. Republican. (XD 



large for the amount of pulp. The worst fault 

 of the variety is, however, that the cherries are 

 not sufficiently firm of flesh to withstand har- 

 vesting, shipping, and the attacks of the 

 brown-rot fungus. To offset the defects of 

 the fruit, the flesh is ^ 



rich, sweet, and tender, 

 making a cherry as 

 good as any for dessert. 

 The trees, also, are very 

 satisfactory, being 

 large, vigorous, and 

 very fruitful, but have 

 the reputation of re- 

 quiring good soil and 

 the best of care; they 

 lack a little in hardi- 

 ness. Rockport can be 

 recommended only for 

 a home orchard. This 

 variety is another of 

 Kirtland's introduc- 

 tions, having been 

 raised by him at 

 Cleveland, Ohio, about 

 1842. 



138. Rockport. 

 (XD 



Tree large, vigorous, very 

 productive. Leaves numer- 

 ous, 3% inches long, 1% 

 inches wide ; margin coarsely 

 serrate, glandular ; petiole 2 

 inches long, glandless or 

 with 1-4 large, reniform, red- 

 dish glands. Flowers mid- 

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

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

 cordate to conical, compressed ; cavity shallow, wide, 

 flaring, regular ; suture a distinct line ; apex roundish, 

 with a small depression at the center ; color bright red 

 over an amber-yellow background, mottled ; dots very 

 numerous, small, light yellow, somewhat conspicuous; 

 stem 1 % inches long, adhering to the fruit ; skin thin, 

 tender; flesh pale yellowish-white, with colorless juice, 

 tender, melting, aromatic, mild, sweet ; good to very 

 good in quality ; stone free, ovate, plump, with smooth 

 surfaces. 



ROYAL ANN: See Napoleon. 



139. Royal Duke. 

 (XD 



ROYAL DUKE. 



Fig. 139. P. avium X 

 P. Cerasus. Royal Duke 

 has a place in the 

 cherry orchard to follow 

 in season the well- 

 known May Duke, and 

 to precede Late Duke. 

 It is so nearly like 

 these two sorts, except 

 in season, that there is 

 much difficulty in get- 

 ting the variety true to 

 name. Royal Duke is 

 often taken for May 

 Duke, but it differs from 

 this well-known sort in 

 being a little later in 

 season, while the cher- 

 ries are larger, lighter 

 in color, and do not 

 hang so thickly, but are 

 scattered along the 

 branches, often singly, 



