USPP1097P - Peach tree - Google Patents

Description

G. MERRILL Plant Pat. 1,097

May 20, 1952 PEACH TREE Filed Oct. 2'7, 1950 QINVENTOR GranZ Merrill and; 710m ATTYS.

Patented May 20, 1952 Plant Pat. 1,097

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PEACH TREE Grant Merrill, Red Bluff, cant.

Application October 2'7, 1950, Serial No. 192,551

' 1 Claim. (cl. 47-62) grown in my breeding plot on my farm near Red Bluff, California.

Seed of the Kirkman Gem was planted in such plot during February 1943, and the parent tree .of the instant variety fruited, and was observed to be of novel character, in October 1945.

Subsequently the variety has been successfully reproduced by budding onto seedlings in test plots at Newcastle, California, and Modesto, California, together with cleft grafting onto mature Golden Jubilee trees in my orchard near Red Bluff, California. These reproductions carry forward all of the distinctive characteristics of the parent tree and its fruit.

As compared to the J. H. Hale, the present variety is a larger tree and bears fruit which ripens seven to eight weeks later, but is of comparable market quality, being further characterized by its ability to better withstand cold storage.

As compared to the Kirkman Gem, the tree of the present variety is more vigorous and larger, and bears fruit which ripens one to two weeks later; such fruit being more highly colored, and being more suited to long distant shipment, on account of lack of the soft stripe along the suture, which characterizes the Kirkman Gem.

A further feature of distinction is that the fruit of the present variety is sweeter than that of the Kirkman Gem, or the Late Kirkman (United States Plant Patent No. 920).

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the fruit as attached to a stem with leaves.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view axially of the fruit, with the stone exposed.

Referring now more specifically to the pomological details of the new and distinct variety of peach tree, the following is an outline description thereof; all major color plate identifications being by reference to Maerz and Paul Dictionary of Color.

Tree: Medium size; medium vigorous; medium upright; medium open; vase formed; productive; regular bearer.

Trunk: Stocky; medium shaggy.

Branches: Medium stocky; medium shaggy; grey-brown. LenticeZs--'medi'um quantity; medium large.

Leaves: Medium small. Length-4" to 6 average 5 width-1" to 2", average 1 Acuminate; lanceolate; acutely pointed; medium thick; smooth. Color-medium green (23-L-3) on top, with a shading of yellow; lighter green (22-J-4) on the under side.

Stem twigs.--Brown ('l-L-ll).

Margin.--Finely crenate to serrate.

PetzoZa-Medium long; medium slender.

Glands.Number of variable, mostly three to nine. Alternate; medium size; renlform. Green to yellow, mostly on leaves, some on petiole.

Stipules.0n new growth-dropping off early.

Flower buds: Medium size; medium length; ob-

tuse; free; pubescent.

Flowers: Midseason. Date of first bloom- March 9, 1950; date of full bloom-March 22, 1950. Large size; light pink.

Fruit: Maturity when described-eating, ripe. Dates of first and last picking0ctober 1, 1949 and October 1'7, 1949, respectively.

Siee.--Large. Average diameter axially- 2 average transversely in suture plane--2%"; average cheek to cheek-3".

Form-Uniform; symmetrical; globose.

Sahara-Distinct; shallow. Extends from base to apex, with slight depression beyond pistil point.

Ventral surface.-Rounded very slightly;

lipped throughout, either side.

Cavity.Elongated in suture plane, with suture showing on one side. Depthto /8, average /2; breadth-1 to 1 average 11%". Color--yel1ow under-color, with variable red blush.

Base.--Retuse.

Ape:c.Short; rounded.

Pistil point-Apical.

Skin: Medium thick; medium tough; tenacious to flesh; slight tendency to crack.

CoZor.--Bright yellow (10-J-7 shading into 11-K-8) under-color, with some red blush (7-L6+) over almost entire fruit, and additional dark red dapple (up to 7-L-6) over threefourths of surface of the fruit.

Down.-Scant; very short; rolls slightly when rubbed.

Flesh:

Colon-Yellow (9-K-6 shading into 9-L-7), fiecked with red (6-K-6) outwardly from the pit cavity.

Surface of pit cavity.-Red, fiecked with white.

Fibers.-Pink.

Amyg tldlimsoant.

Juice.--Moderate; rich.

Texture-Firm.

Fibers.-Moderate; fine; tender.

Ripens.Evenly.

Flown-Slightly acid to sweet; mild; delicate.

Aroma.--Distinot.

Eating quaZity.--Good. A well balanced combination of acid, sweet, and aroma Stone: Free.

Eibersre-Very-short; Retains ver-yiew short iiber-likeithreads at baseonly.

Size. Medium. Average lengthw- L-Egf'; average breadth-d"; averagev -thick- .ness%.

'Form.--Obovate; acuminate.

Base-Straight to slightly oblique.-

whims-Oval.

Apeiv.--.-Acumlnatei .Sides.-.Mostly -equal.

Surfacae-h-Irregulafly iurrowednear base,

ridges near base toabeyond middle.

Ridges;-- Rounded toward apex.

Pits.--'Circu1fir, toelongated.

Ventral edge.--Thick, withoutwing.

Dorsal. edge-.wlilull; shallow; fairly narrow.

Ridaea-Grooved toward base to above center on either side; interrupted. Colon-Dark tan 8-J-8) stained with red to wine color. Tendency to spZz't.--S1ight. Use: Market; local; dessert; culinary; canning;

freezing; long distance shipment. Keeping quality: Good. Shipping quality: Excellent.

compared to 'theJ H. Hale the fruit being'iequal in'market qualitybutwithstandscold storage'bet ter; and as further compared toithe 'Kirkman Gem the tree being larger and more vigorous. and the fruit beingmore highly -colored; sweeter, and superior for shipping.

GRANT MERRILL.

REFERENEES l CITED The following references are of record in the fileof thispatent:

UNITED STA'IESIPATENTS Name Date. Kirkman; "a- Feb; '7', 1950 Number Pl. Pts920

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