. Cyclopedia of hardy fruits. Fruit; Fruit-culture. MEZEL NAPOLEON 149 less as it grows on the grounds of the New York Experiment Station. The trees are not fruitful, the cherries are small, the flavor is none too good, and the fruit is not resistant to brown-rot,—four fatal defects for a com- mercial cherry. This variety is reported to have sprung from a pit of a Mazzard tree, and was introduced about 1890 by Black and Son, Hightstown, New Jersey. Tree vigorous, healthy, unproductive. Leaves numer- ous, 41/^ inches long, 2^^ inches wide, long-oval, leathery ; margin coarsely and doubly serrat
. Cyclopedia of hardy fruits. Fruit; Fruit-culture. MEZEL NAPOLEON 149 less as it grows on the grounds of the New York Experiment Station. The trees are not fruitful, the cherries are small, the flavor is none too good, and the fruit is not resistant to brown-rot,—four fatal defects for a com- mercial cherry. This variety is reported to have sprung from a pit of a Mazzard tree, and was introduced about 1890 by Black and Son, Hightstown, New Jersey. Tree vigorous, healthy, unproductive. Leaves numer- ous, 41/^ inches long, 2^^ inches wide, long-oval, leathery ; margin coarsely and doubly serrate, glandular; petiole IV2 inches long, thick, with 2-5 very large, reniform, red glands. Flowers early; IV4, inches across, in scat- tering clusters in twos and threes. Fruit midseason; small, cordate, compressed ; cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt; suture an indistinct line ; apex depressed ; color black ; dots small, numerous, obscure; stem slender, 1V4 inches long, adherent to the fruit ; skin thin, ten- der ; flesh red, with dark-colored juice, tender, meaty, crisp, aromatic, mild, sweet; fair to good in qualitj'; stone free, ovate, flattened, blunt-pointed, with smooth surfaces, tinged with red. MEZEL. P. avium. Bigarreau de Mezel. Great Bigarreau. Mezel seems to have made a stir in pomological circles in the nineteenth century by reason of the great size and beauti- ful appearance of the cherries. Although on the recommended list of the American Po- mological Society, frequently spoken of in the pomological works of the day, and offered by some nurserymen, not many trees of this va- riety are now growing in the country. From the literature, it may be gleaned that the fruits pleased the eye more than the palate; and that the trees, while vigorous and healthy, were not productive. At any rate, after a de- cade or two of much advertising and what would seem to have been a very thorough trial, Mezel failed to receive approbation from cherr>'-growers, and has now almost pass
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectfruitculture, bookyea
