92 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



called "wild yellow, or red plum," "goose plum," "horse plum" 

 and "hog plum." The adjectives are obviously intended to 

 indicate inferior fruits. Prunus Allegheniensis is known as 

 "Alleghany sloe," sloe being an Old World name for another 

 kind of plum. Prunus uiaritima is the "beach plum" or "sand 

 plum", common on the seacoast and in other sandy areas. 

 Prunus pumila is also miscalled "beach plum." It is more 

 properly "sand cherry." 



Our native cherries are usually called wild cherries to 

 distinguish them from those in cultivation. The name of 

 "pin cherry," "fire cherry" and "bird cherry" belong by right 

 to P. Pennsylvanica. The first alludes to the tiny fruits borne 

 on long and slender stems and the second to the rapidity with 

 which this species springs up in many burned-over tracts. 

 "Bird cherry" and "pigeon cherry" indicate the attitude of 

 the birds to them. Small as the fruits are and insipid as they 

 may be to human palates, they are in high favor with the birds. 

 "Dogwood" applied to various species of cherry is a term loose- 

 ly applied to a variety of plants, whose fruits are of inferior 

 flavor, especially in such genera as Cornus, Rhus, Viburnuni, 

 etc. The "choke-cherry" is P. Virginiana. Any one who has 

 tasted the astringent fruits will agree that it is' well named. 

 The wild black cherry {Prunus serotina) is the "cabinet cher- 

 ry" so called because of the use of its wood by the cabinet- 

 maker. Whenever cherry wood is specified it is always from 

 this species. The names of "rum cherry" and "whiskey cherry" 

 also applied to this species may in the light of recent events 

 soon become unmeaning. It may be well to record here, 

 therefore, that the fruits and the liquids associated with them 

 were formerly compounded into a beverage known as "cherry 

 bounce" which is reported to be all that the name indicates. 



The genus Ruhus contains a variety of forms that, like 

 those of Prunus, fall into certain fairly distinct groups. Those 



