2S0 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Sept. 
THE ORCHARD AND THE GARDEN. 
FINE CHERRIES. 
The cherry, from its hardiness, freedom from disease, 
great productiveness, and early maturity, is unques¬ 
tionably one of the most desirable and valuable fruits. 
It is true, that those who have never seen the finer 
varieties in full perfection, will not esteem it; but. fine 
rich, juicy, and delicious specimens of such sorts as 
Knight’s Early Black, Downton, and Florence, will 
command a respect with such contemners, beyond the 
power of any argument. 
Another reason that the cherry is underrated is, it is 
usually eaten before ripe. Winter apples have long 
since disappeared, or become flavorless, and at the 
first reddening of the thickly loaded branches, the new 
fruit is snatched from the tree, and eaten with all the 
avidity which the long fast has occasioned. The May- 
duke, when fully ripe, is black, with deep blackish 
crimson juice; yet many who have repeatedly eaten it, 
suppose it to be only a dark-red cherry. A cultivator 
of good fruit, after trying a new cherry for successive 
years, denounced it as worthless; but at length a few, 
hidden by leaves, escaped his search till fully ripe, 
when they were found to be of the most delicious quali¬ 
ty, and the character of the nurseryman who furnished 
them, was, by a bare accident, retrieved. All varie¬ 
ties of high flavor, are greatly improved by a very 
thorough ripening. 
Modern horticulture has brought to light many fine 
varieties, yet a careful selection of a few will afford 
nearly all that is desirable of this very early and deli¬ 
cious fruit. The following will be mostly unknown to 
a large number of our readers, and may assist in di¬ 
recting the attention to the culture of the finer sorts. 
May Bigarreau. (Bigarreau de Mai, or Beau- 
man’s May .)—One of the earliest of all known cher¬ 
ries, and though of second 
size and quality, eminent¬ 
ly valuable for its pro¬ 
ductiveness and period of 
maturity. In central and 
western New - York, it 
begins to ripen about the 
first of 6 mo., (June.) It 
has sold the present sea¬ 
son in the Rochester mar¬ 
ket for six dollars per 
bushel. It is a profuse 
bearer. 
Fruit medium in size 
or rather small; good- 
sized specimens 11-16ths 
of an inch long, and near¬ 
ly 12-16ths wide, round- 
ovate heart-shaped ; be¬ 
fore fully ripe, a promi¬ 
nent angle extends from 
the ■ stem downwards. 
Skin dark reddish-black, 
or very nearly black when 
fully ripe; nearly always 
picked too soon, or when 
only dark red, and small¬ 
er, less plump, and more 
angular. Stalk one and 
a half to one and three-quarters of an inch long, set in 
a distinct narrow cavity. Flesh blackish red, of a 
mild, good, second-rate flavor. The branches on the 
young trees are nearly horizontal, slightly curved 
downward, and somewhat flexuous; the tree of free 
and vigorous growth. 
Early Purple Guigne.— Fruit of full medium 
size, ovate heart-shaped, a little irregfilar in form, an 
obtuse rib from the stem running down on one side. 
Stalk about two and a quarter'inches long, slender, set 
in a narrow distinct cavity, which is considerably 
ribbed before maturity. Color, when beginning to ri¬ 
pen, very distinctly and conspicuously dotted with pur¬ 
ple, but finally becoming, when at full maturity, a fine 
dark or i ackish crimson. Flesh dark red, tender, 
with a sweet, mild, and good flavor. Stone rather 
large. Growth of the tree peculiar—many of the 
smaller branches assuming rather a drooping position, 
and the petioles of he leaves being longer and more 
slender than those of most other sorts. 
The May Bigarreau and Early Purple Guigne, ripen 
at about the same time, or at least two weeks earlier 
than the Black Tartarian; and being at a period when 
none others have yet appeared, the flavor is usually 
regarded as quite delicious and of first quality. 
Knight's Early Black - Madison . 
Knight’s Early Black. —Fruit large, obtuse heart 
shaped, a little wavy or irregular in outline, but less 
so than Black Tartarian. Stalk rather stout, an inch 
and a half long, set in a narrow deep cavity. Skin 
nearly black, flesh blackish crimson, very tender, juicy, 
of a sweet and excellent flavor, less insipid than Black 
Tartarian, and decidedly its superior. It ripens early, 
or a little before the latter. 
Knight’s Early Black considerably resembles the 
Black Eagle, but is earlier, a very little larger, the 
stem more deeply set, and while the leaf of the latter 
is quite smooth below, that of the former is considera¬ 
bly downy in the axils of the midrib. The gro'wth of 
the branches of Knight’s Early Black is often quite 
horizontal, more so than in the Black Eagle. These 
two are evidently the finest flavored of black cherries. 
Downton. —Large, blunt heart-shaped, roundish. 
Stalk one and three-quarters to two inches long, set in 
a rather narrow hollow. Surface a little wavy, light 
yellow, intermixed with light red, in dots and shades. 
Flesh yellowish white, tender, delicate, of a sweet, 
rich, and fine flavor. 
The Downton somewhat resembles at first glance, 
in the fruit and growth of the tree, the Yellow Spanish, 
1. May Bigarreau . 
2. Early Purple Guigne . 
