Phenological stages in sweet cherry with regard to pre-selection

Observations made for 8 years on 90 sweet cherry varieties (Prunus avium L.) demonstrated highly significant correlations between the time of full bloom and fruit picking in each year. Additional observations of 3 years showed highly significant correlations between the length of the terminal bud in early spring, the times of beginning of bloom, of full bloom and of fruit picking, both within one year and between the years.Highly significant correlations were also found between the bud length of varieties in the vegetative stage and that of the same varieties in the generative stage. On that account it is probable that the above mentioned relationships also apply to seedlings. If so, bud length may be a useful criterion in pre-selecting seedlings for the times of flowering and of fruit picking.No relations between autumn leaf-fall and the other phenological stages were found.