Cherry tree `Large Red`

Abstract

A hardy tree from `Hardy Giant` × `Berryessa`, of medium size and vigor, with spreading, pendulous brances at right angles to the main scaffolds; requires little pruning. Leaves are large, ovate, abruptly acuminate, acutely pointed and have medium coarsely crenate margins. Crops are even from year-to-year with uniform fruit placement on branches and throughout the tree. Blooming is later than `Ruby`, slightly later than `Garnet`, and with `Bing`, at Lodi, Calif. Fruit stem character varies with rootstock. Fruit matures evenly, is uniformly very large, has firm meaty flesh, and evenly ripens to dark red skin, flesh and juice at Lodi on about May 17 for a single pick. Flavor of the semi-free stone fruit is excellent with high but balanced soluble solids and moderate acidity. Eating quality is best.

I claim: 
     
       1. A new and distinct variety of cherry tree, substantially as illusrated and described, being of medium vigor, tending to be dwarfing and quite pendulous, lateral branches at right angles to the main branches, tree habit very open, spreading, self shaping, requiring almost no pruning up to the tenth year, numerous pendulous second year small twigs on older trees, right angled lateral twigs emanatig from large branches, the fruit being very large and uniform in size the length of the branch, fruit being almost round in the transverse cross section and slightly less round in the suture plane, crop very evenly distributed throughout the tree, having high soluble solids with very moderate acidity even on green speckled fruit, red spots on pinkish green to light red background which blend in when the fruit colors to a dark solid red, having a fairly long fruit stem of medium thickness and with fruit that is physically easy to remove from the tree by pickers; when compared with Garnet, a more precocious tree, fruit that is a slightly less firm, lighter red flesh and juice at maturity. picking ripe two to three (2-3) days later, having a similar chilling requirement, being much more precocious, bearing earlier on small trees and having more crack resistance in wet weather; when compared with Bing, ripens three (3) days earlier, is slightly less firm, has larger size with equivalent crop levels, longer stems, considerably more crack resistance in wet weather, higher soluble solids and very much less acidity at the same stage of ripening, very much larger size with the same crop load, rounded transverse cross section as opposed to the flattened ventral surface of the Bing fruit, rounded apex as opposed to a more pointed fruit of Bing, with less spurs and almost no suture in the hotter Central Valley of Northern California.