TJie Kentish or Early RicJmiond Cherry. 269 



and unique, that Lindley says he thhiks // is ?wt possessed by any other cherry. 

 With minor and unimportant differences, they agree in this, — a strong and 

 apparently identifying point of similarity. On one point, however, there 

 appears to be a difference. The time of ripening of the Early Richmond 

 is nearly that of the May Duke. The ripening season of the Kentish, accord- 

 ing to Lindle}', is considerably later than that of the May Duke : but the 

 tree of the Kentish, as described to me by an Englishman who was familiar 

 with it in his native country, answers completely to that of the Early Rich- 

 mond ; and, ranking amongst this latter variety, he could see no difference 

 in fruit. 



The identity of the Early Richmond and the Early May seems even 

 better established. M. L. Dunlap describes the Early May as follows : — 



" Fruit medium ; skin of light red, growing almost black when fully ripe ; 

 and generally the stone adheres to the stem, and can be readily drawn out 

 with it." C. R. Overman, who brought the so-called Early May from Indi- 

 ana, said at the meeting of the Illinois State Horticultural Society in 1861, 

 that he could detect no difference between it and the Early Richmond. 

 Samuel Edwards found the Early May and Early Richmond identical at 

 Cincinnati. Levvis Ellsworth said he could discover no difference between 

 them. Mr. Dunlap, and, I believe, Mr. Phcenix, were inclined to believe 

 the Early May rather more " drooping in its habit " than the Early Rich- 

 mond ; a distinction also drawn by Thompson between the supposed 

 identical varieties of Kentish and Flemish. 



From these considerations, I am led to believe that the Early May of 

 Dunlap and the Early Richmond of Elliott are in all probability the Kent- 

 ish of Downing and Lindley ; which last name, by virtue of its antiquity, 

 should be the recognized and undisputed one. 



But in pomology, as in orthography and other matters, common usage 

 is the supreme law, from which there is no appeal ; and this, I think, is 

 decidedly in favor of Early Richmond. 



In conclusion, I would ask of the readers of " The Journal of Horticul- 

 ture," who of you have imported the Kentish, and compared it directly with 

 the Early Richmond ? and what are your conclusions ? W. C. Flagg. 



Alton, III. 



