(b) Flesh adhering to the stone-Lucombes Nonsuch, McLaughlin. 2. Summer shoots downy. (4) Skin dark (a) Flesh separating from the stoneColumbia, Royal Tours. (b) Flesh adhering to the stone-Mo rocco. (B) Skin pale. (a) Flesh separating from the stone-Apricot, Drap d'Or, Lawrence. (b) Flesh adhering to the stone-Huling Superb. II. Fruit oval. 1. Summer shoots smooth. (4) Skin dark. (a) Flesh separating from the stoneAgen, Czar, Fellenberg. (b) Flesh adhering to the stone-Blue Impératrice, Lombard, Pond, Prince Engelbert, Smith, Orleans (Victoria). (B) Skin pale. (a) Flesh separating from the stoneTransparent Gage, Ouillin's Golden. (b) Flesh adhering to the stone-Coe Golden Drop, Jefferson, Downton Impératrice. 2. Summer shoots downy. (4) Skin dark. (a) Flesh separating from the stone Diamond, Damson, Red Perdrigon. (b) Flesh adhering to the stone-Belle de Septembre, Goliath, Blue Perdrigon. (B). Skin pale. (a) Flesh separating from the stoneWashington, Prince Imperial. (b) Flesh adhering to the stone-Denniston Superb, White Damson. Most of the Japanese plums may be readily classified according to the following arbitrary plan, here published for the first time: I. Skin Red. 1. Self-colored; solid, dull red. (4). Flesh yellow. (a) Form round or oblate-Maru. (B) Flesh red-Satsuma. Striped, dotted, or splashed with red. (4) More or less conic and pointed-Abundance, Burbank, Berckmans, Chabot. (B) Round or oblate-Hale, October Purple. II. Skin yellow. I Form round or oblate-Ogon. 2. Form oval or compressed-Kelsey, Kerr. The Americana plums number more varieties than the Japanese plums, and almost as many as the Domesticas. It would be a great help to have an analytical key for them—that is, to have a good arbitrary classification. The varieties are so much alike, however, that many of them cannot be distinguished with certainty by the best experts living; and under such a condition it would be impracticable to attempt their separation by means of an arbitrary key. XIX THE CLASSIFICATION OF CHERRIES THE cherries seem to divide naturally into several comparatively distinct classes. These classes are so far separate and distinct that nearly every pomologist who has studied them has been able to recognize and describe them, and various pomologists are, therefore, fairly well agreed as to the limits of these different groups. There is still some disagreement, to be sure, and at many points it seems impossible to reconcile one particular classification with another; but these discrepancies and contradictions are less important than with most other classes of fruit. We have, at the outset, two distinctly dif ferent botanical species, Prunus avium and P. cerasus, giving us our sweet cherries and our sour cherries respectively. There is very seldom any doubt as to whether a given variety comes from one or the other of these species. Beyond this point we may divide the two species into several fairly well-marked groups, as will be seen from a study of the various classifications reproduced herewith. One of the briefest and best arrangements of cherries, according to their natural types, is that made by O. Thomas. This has been commonly overlooked because of its rather obscure publication in a nursery catalog.* The outline of this classification is translated and described herewith: 1. GUIGNES.-Sweet cherries, with soft flesh.Black Tartarian, Elton. 2. BIGARREAUX.-Sweet cherries, with firm flesh.Black Hawk, Powhattan. 3. MERISES." Which are recognized by the flavor, ordinarily honey-like, relieved by a slight bitterish taste, and by the aspect of the tree, which resembles the wild Merisier of the woods." Not an important group, from the cultural standpoint, as may be judged from the fact that not enough varieties are named in it to enable one to identify the group with our American varieties. 4. ENGLISH CHERRIES.-Sour-sweet sorts, "distinguished by the form of the trees, which mostly have branches strong and erect, not spreading so much as the preceding, and lending themselves much better to pruning in special forms." This description seems to characterize the so-called Dukes, and the text goes on "Guide Pratique de l'Amateur de Fruits," p. 5, 2d ed. Paris and Nancy, 1895. |