COMMON CHERRY-TREE. 261 



years, and acquires a spherical head, eight or ten feet in height, and ten or 

 twelve feet in diameter, with the extremities of the branches drooping to the 

 ground, flowering and fruiting during almost the whole summer. 



Geography and Hisfory. Tlie Cerasus vulgaris is regarded by all ancient 

 authors, as a tree of Asiatic origin; but whether it is truly indigenous to any 

 part of Europe, several modern writers difler in opinion. Pliny states that it did 

 not exist in Italy till after the victory which LucuUus won over Mithridates, 

 king of Pontus, sixty-eight years before the Christian era. He tells us that, '- In 

 twenty-six years after liucullus planted the cherry-tree in Italy, other lands had 

 cherries, even as far as Britain, beyond the ocean." He mentions eight kinds of 

 cherries as being cultivated in Italy, at the time he wrote his " Natural History," 

 which was A. D. 70. " The reddest cherries," says he, " are called apron ia ; the 

 blackest, act/a; the Cajcilian are round. The Julian cherries have a pleasant 

 taste, but are so tender that they must be eaten when gathered, as they will not 

 endure carriage." The Duracine cherries were esteemed the best,* but the Pic- 

 ardy and Portuguese cherries were most admired. The Macedonian cherries 

 grew on dwarf trees ; and one kind is mentioued by the above-named author, 

 which never appeared ripe, having a hue between green, red, and black. He 

 mentions a cherry that was grafted, in his time, on a bay stock, which circum- 

 stance gave it the name of laurca ; this cherry is described as having an agreea- 

 ble bitter flavour. "The cherry-tree," continues he, "could never be made to 

 grow in Egypt, with all the care and attention of man." According to Abbe 

 Rosier, Lucullus brought into Italy only two superior varieties of cherry ; the 

 species which were the origin of all those now in cultivation, being, before his 

 time, indigenous to Italy, and to the forests of France, though their fruit was 

 neglected by the Romans. It is affirmed by Faulkner, in his " Kensington," 

 that the cherry was introduced into Britain about A. D. 53. Gerard, in his 

 *' Herbal," published in 1597, figures a double and a semi-double variety of 

 cherry; and, of the fruit-bearing kinds, says there are numerous varieties, 

 among which he mentions the "morello or morel," and the " Flanders or Kent- 

 ish cherries." At present, the common cherry is extensively cultivated as a 

 fruit-tree, throughout the temperate regions of the civilized globe ; but it does not 

 thrive in very high latitudes, nor within the tropics, unless grown at considerable 

 elevations. It is found in Russia as far north as latitude 55 or 56 ; and ripens 

 its fruit in Norway and East Bothnia, as far as latitude 63. It is also found in 

 the north of Africa, and on several islands in the Mediterranean, but it does not 

 attain so large a size in the last-named places as in higher latitudes. 



The introduction of the common cherry into the United States, dates back to 

 the earliest periods of their settlements. Some of the oldest trees of this species, 

 known to exist in this country, are on the estate of Mr. Lemuel W. Weils, in 

 Yonkers, New York, and at Point Pleasant, Bristol, Rhode Island, on the estate 

 of Mr. Robert Rogers. Those of the latter place are said to have been planted 

 over two hundred years. 



kS'o//, Sid/alioji, Propagation, <^'c. The same as recommended for tiio Cerasus 

 sylvestris (gean.) 



Accidents, Diseases, S^c. The common cherry-tree is not particularly liable to 

 be broken by high winds, nor by excessive weight from snow or ice; but, as a 

 fruit-tree, its branches are frequently broken by carelessness in those who gather 

 the fruit. Like its congener, the gean, it is subject to the flowing of gum from 

 the woimded parts. Several species of wood-pecker, (Picus,) are said to be par- 

 ticularly fond of picking holes in this tree, in search of worms. On this subject, 



* It was the opinion of Loudon that tlie Julian and Duracine cherries, mentioned by Pliny, were vari- 

 eties of the Cerasus svlvestris. 



