Fruit matures in late mid-season; three-fourths of an inch in diameter, cordate to conical, slightly compressed; cavity deep, wide, flaring; suture indistinct; apex roundish or pointed, with a slight depression at the center; color purplish-black; dots numerous, small, dark russet, inconspicuous; stem one and three-eighths inches long, adhering to the fruit; skin thin, tender, adhering somewhat to the pulp; flesh a characteristically dark purplish-red, with very dark colored juice, meaty, firm, crisp, mild, sweet; of good quality; stone semi-free, ovate, flattened, slightly pointed, with smooth surfaces, tinged with red. ELTON _Prunus avium_ =1.= _Lond. Hort. Soc. Cat._ 49. 1831. =2.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =2=:121, 122. 1832. =3.= _Pom. Mag._ =2=:92, Pl 1839. =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 186 fig. 77. 1845. =5.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 52. 1848. =6.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 75. 1850. =7.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 54. 1852. =8.= Elliott _Fr. Book_ 194 fig. 1854. =9.= Thompson _Gard. Ass't_ 528. 1859. =10.= _Ill. Handb._ 105 fig., 106. 1860. =11.= Mortillet _Le Cerisier_ =2=:91 fig. 17, 92, 93. 1866. =12.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 463 fig. 1869. =13.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =5=:196, 197 fig. 1877. _Flesh Coloured Bigarreau._ =14.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =2=:128. 1832. =15.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 182 fig. 74. 1845. =16.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =5=:192, 193 fig. 1877. Elton has been freely recommended and widely cultivated in Europe and America for the past century and probably no cherry has given more general satisfaction. The variety is distinguished by the form, color, flesh and flavor of its fruit. The cherries are oblong-heart-shaped--possibly too much drawn out for best appearance and often too oblique; the color, very well shown in the color-plate, is most attractive and makes up for any defect in shape--a dark red mottled with amber, very bright, clear and glossy; the flesh, a little too soft to ship well, is delicate and most pleasing to the palate; the flavor is peculiarly rich and luscious being hardly surpassed by that of any other cherry. The trees may be as readily told as the fruit, by the unusually dark red color of the petioles of the leaves. The branches are stout and bear the crop thickly placed close to the wood and in prodigious quantities. Unfortunately it has a fault which in America, at least, makes it almost unfit for a commercial plantation. Brown-rot, the scourge of the Sweet Cherry, attacks this variety more aggressively than almost any other sort and for this reason, while its merits can hardly be too highly spoken of, Elton must remain for most part a variety for the home orchard. The tree, perfect in most respects, is a little tender to cold. Leroy, the French pomologist, thinks it does better on Mahaleb than on the Mazzard stock.