THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 1 87 



SHORT-STEM MONTMORENCY 



Prunus cerasus 



I. Christ. Handb. 679. 1797. 2. Prince Pom. Man. 2:141, 142. 1832. 3. Leroy Diet. Pom. 

 5:365, 366 fig., 367. 1877. 



Gobet a. Courte Queue. 4. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. i:i8o, 181, PI. VHI. 1768. 5. Kraft Pom. 

 Aust. 1:7, Tab. 18 fig. 1. 1792. 



Gros Gobet. 6. Truchsess-Heim Kirschensort. 634-638. 1819. 7. Dochnahl Fiihr. Obstkunde 3:71, 

 72. 1858. 8. Mortillet Le Cerisier 2:204, 3o8. 1866. 9. Mas Le Verger 8:51, 52, fig. 24. 1866-73. 

 10. Hogg Fruit Man. 299, 300. 1884. 11. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 358. 1889. 12. Guide Prat. 9, 190. 

 1895- 



Flemish. 13. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 195 fig. 85, 196. 1845. 



Cerise a Courte Queue. 14. Poiteau Pom. Franc. 2: No. 15, PI. 1846. 



Cerise Gros Fruit. 15. Pom. France 7: No. 11, Pi. 11. 1871. 



In tracing the history of the Montmorency cherries from Duhamel's 

 time to the present we have been led to conclude that three distinct types 

 are now being cultivated. Of these closely related strains, all of which 

 probably originated about the same time in Montmorency Valley, France, 

 Montmorency is by far the most important and the one now grown com- 

 mercially in all parts of the coimtry. Large Montmorency, while quite 

 similar to Montmorency, is much less grown because of its tmproductive- 

 ness, although in quality it is quite equal or perhaps superior to Mont- 

 morency. Short-Stem Montmorency, tmder discussion here, varies con- 

 siderably both in tree and fruit from either of the other two, although 

 it is frequently taken for Large Montmorency. The tree is smaller and 

 more drooping but usually very productive. The fruit, similar in size to 

 Large Montmorency, differs from it by being more oblate and irregiilar, 

 and in having a very deep, wide suture which becomes an indistinct line 

 towards the apex. The skin seldom becomes as dark red even at perfect 

 maturity. The flavor is more sprightly but its quality is not as high. 

 All three varieties have long lists of synonyms, many of which have been 

 used for each of the three sorts. Many writers believe that only two 

 distinct strains of Montmorency exist and that Short-Stem Montmoi'ency 

 is identical with Large Montmorency. The variety is little grown in 

 North America and is not as worthy for any piirpose as either of the other 

 two better-known sorts. 



Tree upright-spreading, round-topped, productive; trunk shaggy; branches roughish, 

 reddish-brown covered with ash-gray, with numerous lenticels; branchlets slender, long, 

 brown partly overspread with ash-gray, smooth, with conspicuous, numerous, small, 

 raised lenticels. 



Leaves numerous, variable in size, averaging four inches long, one and three-fourths 



