CHERRY VARIETIES 309 



not because of any lavish spread of color on 

 the fruit. It is a bright red fruit, sour and 

 refreshing, but in no way excelling Early 

 Richmond, another early sort. Its chief claim 

 to consideration is that it ripens before any 

 other good sort and in this way will extend 

 the cherry season at the forward end. 



Early Richmond 



Early Richmond has for a long time been 

 the standard early cherry and promises to 

 remain so. Hedrick calls it the most cos- 

 mopolitan of all cherries and probably for this 

 reason we find it in more situations than almost 

 any other variety. It will apparently thrive 

 under neglect, and after the other fruit trees 

 about the neglected farm-house have perished 

 from lack of care, the Early Richmond will 

 continue year after year furnishing an abundant 

 supply of food for the birds. The fruit is not 

 so good as that produced by some of the later 

 varieties but makes excellent pies and is now 

 being canned to a considerable extent. 



This is the old Kentish cherry of English 

 writers and in that country is still listed by 

 nurserymen under the old name. It is certainly 

 an old sort and the true history of it will 

 never be known. It has been thought by some 

 to have been brought to England by the 

 Romans and by others is credited with being 



