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[kim maser <kimk_maser@yahoo.ca>]

Hi Steve; The Evans cherry was named by Dr. I Evans. He found it growing here in my area. The tree he observed was originally grown just north of here in an area called Horse Hill. The tree has been grown in our area for probably 70-80 years. I live in the neighborhood were Dr. Evans first observed the tree and know the people who had the tree. They originally obtained it from friends near Horse Hill. There are several opinions on where the tree actually originated, but it is probably Eastern European or Russian in origin. In the early 1900"s there was lot of plant material imported into Canada from the Russia. It's quite hard to trace the original source of the tree. Your description of the tree and fruit is dead on. It grows very well in the Edmonton/Sherwood Park area. I dug up some suckers this spring. I also dug up suckers 4 years ago and the tree is performing very well. The University of Saskatchewan has developed some very good cherries for colder climates- Carmine jewel, Valentine, Romeo, Juliet, Rose, Crimson Passion. are some of the varieties developed for our climate.They also have a great apple breeding program and are working on honeyberries as well. If any one wants some info they can contact me.

Cheers

Kim Maser-Special Consultant Canadian Sources

loneroc <loneroc@mwt.net> wrote:

My understanding of the issue is that Evans was the name of the fellow up in
Alberta who widely distributed a cherry that had been locally grown for
decades, especially by Italian immigrants (though I may not be remembering
the immigrants' country correctly). Bill MacKentley, of St. Lawrence
Nurseries, received the plant, whether directly from Dr Evans (sometimes
spelled Euans) or not I don't know, and named the cherry after his daughter,
Bali. The rest of the world referred to the cherry by the name of its
"discoverer", who was, apparently, too modest to name it after himself, and
MacKentley continues selling it under the Bali name.

This doesn't account for the differences between the "two" cherries that the
original poster has observed. I suspect that there may have been a nursery
mix up somewhere or perhaps there is a sport involved. The plant I received
from St. Lawrence fits the written descriptions I've seen of Evans. It has
been hardy and magnificently productive here in a warming zone 3. The
cherries ripen to a medium red--they are edible, though veeery tart when
ripe. They make a beautiful pie and preserves. I always detect a certain
degree of astringency that might not appeal to some pallets. You need more
sugar in the pie than you would for most fruit in order for family members
not to sniveled, "it's too sour", though I prefer to add the extra sugar in
the form of ice cream.

I've grown Mesabi and North Star in the past. Mesabi nearly died in a cold
winter and I took it out. North Star provided a mediocre crop and the tree
was puny. I cut it down, too. Evans is, after eight or nine years, a small
tree, 12-15 feet high, and it looks like it's not going to get much larger.
The only problems that I've had with its culture is that it sends up
suckers, much as a Prunus americana does, far from the tree. I have my
plums and Evans in grass and suckers will appear in planting beds 40-50 feet
away from the mother trees--kind of a pain. The Evans does have some sort
of trunk damage on the SW side. It's not sun scald. I left a stake in the
ground next to the tree too long and the resulting wound is still there,
bubbling gum occasionally. I suspect that the original wound was infected
with something but the tree's overall health seems fine and the wound,
though getting a bit larger, seems to have stayed about the same, relative
to the size of the expanding trunk.

I would recommend the Evans cherry (it's always kind of bugged me that St.
Lawrence renamed it--maybe they had Dr. Evans permission?) to cold climate
growers. There's been nothing comparable that is hardy until the recent U
of Saskatchewan releases. Anyone tried those?

Steve H, Lone Rock, WI USDA zone 3 where Japanese beetles appeared for
the first time this month:-(

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve"
To: "North American Fruit Explorers"
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 11:07 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Bali vs Evans


> I was hoping someone would have the answer to this. I recently read a
> description of the Evans cherry and it nearly made me want to try a
> cherry tree again.
> Years ago, I tried a Northstar cherry. After it died, I planted a Bali.
> Both had the same history. They grew well and looked very promising at
> first. Later they would bloom but never produced more than a handful of
> cherries. When the trunk diameter got up to about 4 inches or slightly
> bigger, they just died.
> If, in fact, the Bali and Evans are the same, there is little point in
> planting an Evans, at least until global warming kicks in. ;-)
>
> Steve Wilson
>
> jfruth@tds.net wrote:
>
> > Someone once mentioned that Bali and Evans cherries are the same
plant
> >with different names. I have evidence to the contrary. My Evans, that I
> >bought from FEDCO, has fire-engine red fruits that are 3/4" to 7/8" in
> >diameter. A friend of mine bought a Bali from St. Lawrence Nursery. His
> >fruits are purplish and run 1/2" to 5/8". Does anyone else have access
to
> >both varieties for a comparison of my observations?
> >
> >Jim Fruth
> >Brambleberry Farm
> >Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
> >For jams, jellies & syrups:
> >www.bberryfarm.com
> >(877)265-6856 [Store]
> >(218)831-7018 [My Cell]
> >
> >
> >
>
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