46 THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 



first of Pliny's varieties, was named after Apronius, a Roman praetor of 

 Pliny's day, there is nothing to indicate the character of the cherry except 

 the word " reddest " which means but little for it is no more possible to 

 distinguish cherries by redness than by its blackness to tell a pot from 

 a kettle. 



It is as impossible to distinguish the second variety as the first. The 

 name given is Lutatian, the variety having been dedicated, as all com- 

 mentators agree, to Lutatius Catulus, a contemporary of LucuUus, revered 

 by Romans for having rebuilt the capitol after it had been destroyed by 

 fire. It is described as " being the blackest " but whether Primus avium 

 or Prunus cerasus, sweet or sovu*, who can tell ? 



The third variety is called the CaecUian cherry, which we are told 

 is " perfectly round " — a character possessed in like degree by many 

 cherries. The name, on the authority of Latin scholars, commemorates 

 the Caecilius family, rich and powerful Romans, friends of Lucullus at 

 the time he was promoting cherry culture. 



We may be a little more certain of the identity of the fourth cherry, 

 called the Junian, and said to have been possessed of "an agreeable flavor 

 but only, so to say, when eaten beneath the tree, as they are so remark- 

 ably delicate that they will not bear carrying." Whether the name was 

 given in honor of the Roman Republican, Junius Brvitus, who died 42 

 A. D. or from Junius, the month of their ripening, cannot be said. The 

 description, as practically all agree, fits very well the French Guigne or 

 English Gean group of cherries. It is probable that " Guigne " is a per- 

 version of " Junian." 



There can be little question as to the cherry Pliny next describes, 

 "the Duracinus variety" which he says has been awarded "highest 

 rank" and to which he paid the compliment of giving it his own name, 

 for he tells us that it is "known in Campania as the Plinian cherry." 

 This hard-fleshed cherry of delectable quality can be no other than 

 a Bigarreau ^ some protean Napoleon, Yellow Spanish, Windsor or the 

 older Oxheart and Elkhorn. 



The sixth cherry is the Lusitanian, which, if the translations read 

 aright, the Belgians rank highest. Ancient Lusitania is modern Portugal 

 and the Lusitanian cherry may be the Griotte of Portugal grown from 

 time immemorial in that country. The identity of the variety is not 

 so important in this passage as is the connection that Pliny establishes 

 in cherry culture at this early time between Portugal, Italy and Belgium. 



