Montmorency is the most popular Sour Cherry grown in America. No one
questions its supremacy. Probably half of the cherry trees in New York,
Sweet or Sour, are Montmorencies and at least three-fourths of all the
trees of the Sour Cherry are of this variety. It leads in the demands
for this fruit in the markets, for the cannery and for home use as a
culinary cherry. Several characters give it first place. It is surpassed
by no other Sour Cherry, in New York at least, in vigor, health and
productiveness of tree. In the last character, in particular, it is
supreme. Year in and year out, Montmorency trees are fruitful. Possibly,
too, no other Sour Cherry is adapted to a greater diversity of soils
than Montmorency, which, with capacity to stand heat and cold, makes the
variety suitable to wide variations in environment. The cherries are in
no way remarkable--not much above the average for an Amarelle in size,
appearance or quality, in all of these characters being much inferior to
Large Montmorency. The fruit has the advantage of being presentable in
appearance and fit for culinary purposes several days before it is fully
ripe and this adds to the value of the variety for the market. Brown-rot
takes less toll from this cherry than of others of its kind probably
because of relatively firm flesh and thick skin. These characters, also,
make the fruit stand handling well in harvesting, shipping and on the
markets. The preserved product, whether canned at home or commercially,
is attractive in appearance and very good. Montmorency is not a dessert
cherry but for those who like Sour Cherries it may be eaten out of hand
with relish when it is fully matured. Some maintain that the variety
falls short in the size of the tree, which is seldom more than medium,
but the head is spreading and much-branched and the fruit is borne in
clusters thickly scattered throughout the whole head so that the total
yield from a tree is greater than would be thought from its size. For
any and all purposes to which Sour Cherries are put Montmorency may be
recommended as the best in its season.
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