Origin: in Geneva, N.Y., by R.L. Andersen, J.P. Watson, and K.G. Livermore. Valor × Iroquois; cross made in 1966; tested as NY 66.609.4; introd. in 1993. Tree: medium vigor, spreading; intermediate number of laterals; less prone to produce secondary lateral branches than Stanley; heavily spurred. Partially self-fertile; pollinized by Longjohn, Polly, and Stanley; consistently heavy yields. Fruit: 36 mm cheek to cheek, 38 mm at broad point of suture and 46 mm long; similar to Stanley in size but more round; skin dark purple with little waxy bloom, colors early. Ripens 2 to 4 days before Richards Early Italian. Excellent fresh fruit and processing quality. Nonfragmenting stone, which "pits" well in needle-type pitters; stone dimensions 25 × 17 × 9 mm, compared to Stanley's at 30 × 14 × 8 mm; suture cracks infrequent compared to Stanley.
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