SPÄTE AMARELLE

Prunus cerasus

This is another variety with Amarelle fruit and a Morello-like tree and is unquestionably a hybrid between varieties of the two groups. Several references from the Middle West mention Späte Amarelle as very promising but in New York, where such sorts as Early Richmond and the Montmorencies thrive, it is unpromising for any purpose. The cherries are quite too poor in quality, being very sour, and the trees too unproductive to make the variety even a poor rival of a score or more of Amarelles and Dukes with which it would have to compete in this State.

The origin of this cherry is unknown but according to Truchsess it was sent out from Hanover as Späte Morelle in 1785. In 1797, Christ mentions a cherry under this name the description of which agrees with that of Späte Amarelle. Lauche states that Truchsess received the variety from Hanover under the name Späte Morelle and later changed the name to Späte Amarelle. This cherry was grown in the Paris National Nursery under the name Cerise Amarelle Tardive and at one time was commonly grown in gardens in France. In the spring of 1883, Professor J. L. Budd of Iowa brought to America a large number of cherries from central and eastern Europe. Somehow there was confusion in the description of these imported cherries and two kinds were described under the name Späte Amarelle, one a light-fleshed sort, the other with red flesh and colored juice. The true variety has light flesh and juice and a pleasant, acid flavor and is probably identical with the old French sort, Cerise Amarelle Tardive. The cherry sometimes called Späte Morello can be no other than the Späte Amarelle.

Tree of medium size, vigorous, upright-spreading, round-topped, rather unproductive; trunk stocky, somewhat shaggy; branches smooth, dark brown overspread by ash-gray, with numerous lenticels variable in size; branchlets slender, rather short, brown nearly covered with ash-gray, smooth, with slightly raised, inconspicuous lenticels.

Leaves numerous, small, folded upward, oval to somewhat obovate, rather stiff; upper surface dark green, smooth; lower surface medium green, pubescent only on the midrib and larger veins; apex acute, base variable in shape; margin finely serrate, glandular; petiole greenish or with a slight bronze tinge, glandless or with from one to four small, globose, brown or yellowish glands usually at the base of the blade.

Buds small, pointed, plump, free, arranged singly as lateral buds and in clusters on long or short spurs; leaf-scars prominent; season of bloom late; flowers one inch across, white; borne in scattered clusters, usually in threes; pedicels three-fourths of an inch long, slender, glabrous, greenish; calyx-tube green with a tinge of red, obconic, glabrous; calyx-lobes with a trace of red, rather narrow, acute, serrate, glabrous within and without, reflexed; petals broad-oval, entire, slightly crenate at the apex; filaments one-fourth inch long; pistil glabrous, equal to or longer than the stamens.

Fruit matures in mid-season; one-half inch long, oblate, slightly compressed; cavity shallow, narrow; suture indistinct; apex roundish or depressed; color dark red; dots numerous, very small, obscure; stem slender, one and one-half inches long; skin thin, tender; flesh light red, with light colored juice, tender, tart; of good quality; stone free, roundish, flattened, with smooth surfaces; distinctly ridged along the ventral suture.