i(i2 sysri:M.\ri(' roMoumy 



century, it has aroused niucli interest, best indieated \)y the fact 

 tliat now several vai'ieties are uu(k'r eultivation. The flesh is 

 tender and .iuie\\ and, while i^enerally astringent, plants bear- 

 injr aroinatie and i)alatable cherries are often found growing 

 wild, and some of the domesticated plants bear very well- 

 flavored fruits. The western sand clierry is remarkably produc- 

 tive, and has unusual capacity to withstand the vicissitudes of 

 the exacting climate in wliich it grows. Fruits from different 

 plants vary in size, color, and flavor, — a fact which suggests that, 

 under cultivation, amelioration will proceed rapidly. The 

 plants of this species root freely from layers or root-cuttings, 

 and are, therefore, easily j^ropagated and multiplied. 



The sand cherry makes a good stock for peaches, apricots, 

 Japanese and native plums; and, while it does not consort so 

 readily with the true cherries, yet it can be used as a stock for 

 them. On the other hand, larger fruits of the sand cherry can 

 be grown when it is budded on stocks of the American plum, 

 P. amcrivana. 



238. The Western Sand cherry a parent in many hybrids. — 

 The student in systematic pomology will find many hybrids of 

 the drupe-fruits in which the western sand cherry is one of the 

 parents. There are now hybrids under cultivation between this 

 species and the sand plum (P. angustifolia Watsoni), the Hortu- 

 lana plum (P. hortulana) , the Simonii plum (P. Simonii), the 

 Japanese plum (P. salicina), the American plum (P. ameri- 

 cana), the cherry plum (P. cerasifera) , the sweet cherry (P. 

 avium), the peach (P. Persica), the apricots (P. Arr,ieniaca and 

 P. Mume), and the common plum (P. domestica) . This species 

 seems to be the '*go-betw^een" of the many varied types of the 

 genus Prunus. 



