Origin: in Knoxville, Tenn., by Brooks D. Drain and Louis A. Fister, Tennessee Agr. Expt. Sta. Introd. in 1941. Plant patent 570; 2 Mar. 1943; Brooks D. Drain, assignor to the Univ. Tennesee Research Corp., Knoxville. Missionary × Blakemore; selected in 1935; tested as Tenn. 148. Tree: healthy; vigor medium, low growing; heavy bearer; produces few to many runners but fewer than Blakemore; less winter injury than other varieties grown in the same area; flower perfect, blooms medium early; resembles Blakemore. Fruit: size uniform, medium, but retains good size throughout the picking season, larger than Blakemore; conic to round conic, necked; stems long, strong, making for easy picking; hull medium light green; skin smooth, glossy, light red, very attractive; achenes sunken in flesh; flesh medium red, whitish toward core, very firm, medium juicy, subacid, sprightly; dessert quality good, ships well, medium flavor in frozen pack, desirable for preserves; ripens early, first of May at Jackson, Tenn., length of season about 1 month; resembles Blakemore.
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