THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 1 33 



with trees supposed to have come from Flanders, and Parkinson, in 1629, 

 mentions a variety as Flanders which was probably this cherry. The 

 variety, soon known by many English writers as Kentish, was confused by 

 the French who seem to have had two Kentish cherries. In English nur- 

 series Kentish was soon confused with Montmorency. In this way the 

 terms Kentish, Flanders, Flemish and Montmorency came into use for this 

 sort. It was early brought to America where it became known as Early 

 Richmond but even here it has several names. The belief that it origi- 

 nated at Richmond, Virginia, was due to the fact that William Prince 

 secured his first trees from that source. By whom the variety was intro- 

 duced into this country is unknown, although Thacher speaks of it as early 

 as 1822. In the South it became known as Virginia May, while in the 

 West it has been called Early May. The variety appeared on the fruit list 

 of the American Pomological Society as Kentish in 1862 but in 1871 the 

 name was changed to Early Richmond. It is listed by all prominent nur- 

 series in this country as Richmond or Early Richmond while in England 

 it is still known as Kentish. The French cherry, often spoken of as 

 "the common French cherry," introduced into the lower St. Lawrence 

 region, is very similar to Early Richmond. This strain, propagated from 

 seed or sprouts, seems to be somewhat hardier than Early Richmond and 

 varies slightly from it in size and quality. 



Tree of mediimi size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense, round-topped, productive; 

 trunk and branches smooth; branches reddish-brown lightly overspread with dvdl gray, 

 with numerous lenticels; branchlets slender, long, grayish, smooth, with numerous small, 

 inconspicuous lenticels. 



Leaves ntimerous, three and one-half inches long, one and three-fourths inches wide, 

 folded upward, obovate, thick; upper surface dark green, smooth; lower surface pale 

 green; apex variable in shape, base abrupt; margin finely and doubly serrate, glandular; 

 petiole glandless or with one or two globose, greenish-yellow glands at the base of the 

 blade. 



Buds small, short, obtuse, very plump, free, arranged singly and in clusters on very 

 short spurs; blooms appearing in mid-season; flowers one and one-fourth inches across, 

 white; borne in scattering clusters, usually in twos and threes; pedicels five-eighths inch 

 long, glabrous; calyx-tube green or faintly tinged with red, obconic, glabrous; calyx-lobes 

 with a trace of red, obtuse, serrate, glabrous within and without, reflexed; petals roundish, 

 entire, sessile, with a shallow, wide notch at the apex; filaments over one-fourth inch long; 

 pistil glabrous, equal to the stamens in length. 



Fruit mattu-es early; three-fourths inch in diameter, roundish-oblate, compressed; 

 cavity abrupt, regular; suture indistinct; apex roundish or flattened, with a slight depres- 

 sion at the center; color light red changing to dark red; dots numerous, small, russet. 



