USPP2239P - Merrill - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 1963 G. MERRILL Plant Pat. 2,239

PEACH TREE I Filed Dec. 12, 1961 GRANT MERRILL WITNESS INVENTOR HUEBNER 8 WORRE L aw ATTORNEYS BWWW ilnited States Fatent i 2,239 PEACH TREE Grant Merrill, Pi). Box 392, Real Bluff, Calif. Filed Dec. 12, 19M, Ser. No. 153,938 1 Claim. (Ci. 47--e2) This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree broadly characterized by its ability to bear freestone peaches of good shipping quality which have a yellow flesh of exceptional firmness and a skin of vivid red color. p

Further characteristics of the new variety are that it r'ipens five to ten days earlier than Elberta (unpatented) and blossoms following medium chilling requirements. The present variety most nearly resembles Merrill Gemfree of United States Plant Patent No. 1,409, but is an improvement thereover in that the fruit of the new variety ripens forty to forty-five days later, the flesh thereof is more nearly free of the stone and the skin is of a brighter red color.

I originated the present variety of peach tree on my farm, near Red Bluff, Teharna County, California in the following manner: A J. H. Hale (unpatented) peach tree was crossed with Flaming Gold (unpatented) nec'tarine tree. The resulting seeds were planted and grown to maturity. Open pollinated blossoms of the resultant trees produced needs which in turn were germinated and grown. One of the seedlings resulted in a mid-season nectarine known in our seedling block as Cl8-20. Seeds from this seedling were planted and from those grew the subject peach tree which was given the seedling number L-l52. Expressed in formula the peach tree is represented, as follows: ((1. H. Hale Flaming Gold) Open) Open.

Observations on the fruit of L-l52 were made in July of 1956. A group of newly planted mixed varieties were budded in August of that year to this new variety on my farm near Red Bluff, California. The resulting growth fruited in July 1958, and the fruit and tree characteristics precisely resembled the original tree.

In the drawing, the upper drawing is a Water color painting showing a characteristic fruit bearing twig of the subject peach tree having leaves and a mature peach thereon. The lower drawing is a water color painting showing the characteristic fruit of the subject peach tree divided :on its suture plane to reveal flesh coloration and showing a pit in place therein.

Referring more specifically to the pomol-ogical characteristics of this 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

Shape: Medium size, medium vigor, medium spreading and dense, vase formed by pruning, productive, regular bearer, hardiness unknown.

Trunk: Medium stocky, medium shaggy, grey in color.

Branches: Older branches, medium shaggy, grey; younger branches, moderately smooth and brown. Lenticelsmedium size, medium large.

Leaves (Selected from midportion of vigorous unbranched terminal shoots 18" to 24" long):

Length.6" to 7 /2", average 6 Width-1V2" to 2", average 1 Form-Medium size, lanceloate, tip acuminate, me-

dium thick.

Colr.-Upper surface, medium green (22-L-5) to (22-L-7) plus yellow. Underside, lighter green (21-K-6). M-idrib, lighter yellowish green (9-- 1-1).

Class (Meader and Blake: Proc. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., vol. 37, page 206).-2 to 3. Width-length ratio- Patented Mar. 12, 1963 2 .25. Apex angle (1" from tip)37 to 40, average 38". Base angle /2 from petiole) to 98, average Margin.Crenate. Petz'0le.Medium long, medium slender. Glands-Usually two to four, average three. Opposite and alternate, reniform, green to greenish yellow, usually on petiole, sometimes on the has of leaf. Stipules.-At base of leaf, falling ofi? early. Flower buds: Hardiness unknown, medium size, truncate to obtuse, free pubescent. Flowers: Mid-season, pink, abundant fertile pollen.

Fruit Maturity when described, firm ripe to eating ripe. Size: Variable.

Axial diameter.-2 /2" to 3", average 2 1 Transverse in suture plane.2%" to 3", average At right angles to suture plane-2V2" to 3", average 2 7 Form: Globose to slightly compressed axially.

Suture.lnconspicuous, extends from base to beyond but discontinuous at apex, has slight depression beyond pistil point.

Ventral surface-Rounded, slightly lipped on one side.

Cavity.-Abrupt, elongated on suture plane with suture showing on both sides. Depth-V2" to average Breadth to average /2".

Markings-Yellow, usually with some red blush,

some with complete red blush.

Base.-Truncate to retuse.

Apex.-Rounded, pistil point apical, depressed to mucronate.

Stem.Length to /8", average A; diameter about Skin.-Med-ium thick, medium tough to tough, free when soft ripe; no tendency to crack, golden yellow (9-L-5) to orange yellow (9-1-9) to deep rose (1-K-10) with bright red (3-K-6) to red brown (7L-6) blush over half to nearly all of the surface.

Down.-Moderate, short, does not roll up when rubbed.

Flesh:

Colon-whitish yellow (9B-2) to yellow (9-L-5) to orange (9-L9) with red (3-L-4) at pit. Some red throughout flesh when fully ripe.

Amygdalin.-Moderate.

Juice-Moderately rich.

Texture-Firm, fine, meaty.

F them-Few, fine.

Ripens.Evenly.

Flav0r.-Mild, subacid.

Aroma-Distinct.

Eating quality.--Good.

Stone: Free-adheres to flesh near base in some fruits, with long fibers. i

Size.--Medium to small. Highly variable, especially in thickness. Lengthl% to 1%,, average 1 1 Breadth-% to 1 average 1".

Thickness.% to average F0rm.0bovate, tip acuminate and usually short,

occasionally quite long.

Base.-Straight to slightly oblique.

Hilum.-Oval.

Apex.-Cuspidate, few stones quite long.

Sides.M:ostly equal, few unequal.

Surface-Fitted throughout center, grooves on either side and toward base. Ventral edge.--Many small grooves interrupted. Dorsal edge.Two ridges, occasionally partial third ridge, usually interrupted near the apex, occasionally elsewhere. Colon-Tan, but usually stained reddish purple (7-E-6) plus red. Tendency to split.-Little. Use: IMarket, dessert, long distance shipping. Keeping quality: Good.

Although the new variety of peach tree possesses the described characteristics under the growing conditions prevailing throughout most of the commercial peach producing areas in California, having been first observed near Red Bluff, T ehama County, California, at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley and later-confirmed by observation of the same variety near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley of California, approximately "four'hun'clred miles farther south, it is to be understood that variations of the usual magnitude in characteristics incident to gnawing conditions, fertilization, pruning, thinning and pest control are to be expected.

Having thus decribed my new peach tree, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A new and distinct variety of peach tree, substantially as illustrated and described, characterized by its bearing of exceptionally firm, yellow fleshed freestone fruit, the skin thereof having vivid red coloring, the fruit being of good shipping quality and ripening five to ten days earlier than .the Elberta (unpatented), and further sharacterized by most nearly resembling Merrill Gem'fre'e of United States Plant Patent No. 1,409 but being an improvement thereover by bearing fruit which has 'fiesh more :free .from the stone, .is of a brighter .-red in skin coloring, and which ripens forty to forty-five days later.

No references 'cited.

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