The New England Farmer and Boston Rambler
Boston, Saturday, March 15, 1851
Vol. VI, No. 11
The Honey Heart Cherry Tree.
This variety is also called Sparhawk's Honey, and it was formerly called Roger's Pale Red. The Honey Heart is doubtless a native variety, and probably originated in this vicinity some sixty years ago. Mr. Samuel Hyde, an aged gentleman, of Newton (Mass); first saw it in that town, and he propagated it in his nursery, from the original tree.
His sons, and successors in the nursery business, Messrs. S. & G. Hyde, gave to this cherry the name Honey Heart, and under this appropriate appellation it has been extensively disseminated. As some authors called it Sparhawk's Honey, without sufficient authority, as we think, - for those who had first introduced had previously named it, this name obtained considerably for a while, but of late its true name is becoming prevalent.
Wait...what was that? Are we talking about Sparhawk's Cherry, Roger's Pale Red Cherry, or the Honey Heart Cherry...which one? The answer of course, is all of them, because they're all the same tree. Back in the days of the Heirloom Orchardist, the creation of a new plant variety was as easy as coming up with a new plant name. This was a common problem until pretty recently, when Plant Patents became available.
Yup, it's called a Plant Patent. Today, there are just three categories of patents available from the US Patent Office. The first is a Utility Patent, which covers the inventor on the functional aspect of a new device or process. The second is a Design Patent, which addresses ornamental design. The third is the Plant Patent, which was a difficult concept for the patent lawmakers to grasp. A Plant Patent is granted to anyone who "invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant." That definition comes right from the US Patent Office web page. I quote it because it's significant that they use the words "invents or discovers." This was a great debate for years, and one of the reasons that plant patents are a relatively recent addition to the small list of patent types. Who really creates a new plant variety, and thereby has the "rights" to it? Is it the plant breeder who deliberately bred a new cherry variety? Is it the person who just stumbles upon the nice cherry growing in his orchard and "discovers" a new variety?...or is it God? The US Patent Act goes back as far as 1790, but plant patents didn't come about until the 1930's.
Today, we still have confusion amongst different plant varieties. But it's a heck ofa lot better. Good nurseries will claim that the plants they sell are guaranteed to be "true to name." I can't find if the Honey-Heart is still available. Hmm...but Sparhawk's is listed in my 1849 edition of Thomas's American Fruit Culturist
If you're considering growing heirloom cherries, here are some suggestions: Bing, Montmorency, Van, & Morello.
