322 pliny's NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XV. 



with nearly all the berries. From white, some of the berries 

 pass to green, the olive and the laurel, for instance ; while in 

 the mulberry, the cherry, and the cornel, the change is to red ; 

 and then in some to black, as with the mulberry, the cherry, 

 and the olive, for instance. 



CHAP. 30. (25.) — NINE VARIETIES OP THE CHERRY. 



The cherry did not exist in Italy before the period of the 

 victory gained over Mithridates by L. Lucullus, in the year 

 of the City 680. He was the first to introduce this tree from 

 Pontus, and now, in the course of one hundred and twenty 

 years, it has travelled beyond the Ocean, and arrived in Bri- 

 tannia even. The cherry, as we have already stated, 75 in spite 

 of every care, it has been found impossible to rear in Egypt. 

 Of this fruit, that known as the " Apronian" 76 is the reddest 

 variety, the Lutatian 77 being the blackest, and the Csecilian 78 

 perfectly round. The Junian 79 cherry has an agreeable flavour, 

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

 so remarkably delicate that they will not bear carrying. The 

 highest rank, however, has been awarded to the duracinus 80 

 variety, known in Campania as the " Plinian" 81 cherry, and in 

 Belgica to the Lusitanian 8 ' 2 cherry, as also to one that grows 

 on the banks of the Ehenus. This last kind has a third 

 colour, being a mixture 83 of black, red, and green, and has 

 always the appearance of being just on the turn to ripening. 

 It is less than five years since the kind known as the " laurel- 

 cherry" was introduced, of a bitter but not unpleasant flavour, 



75 He must allude to what lie has stated in B. xii. c. 3, for he has no- 

 where said that the cherry will not grow in Egypt. It is said that the 

 cherry is not to be found in Egypt at the present day. 



76 The gnotte cherry of the French, the mazzard of the English. 



77 A variety of the mazzard, Fee thinks. 



78 Some take this for the Cerasus Juliana, the guignier of the French, 

 our white heart ; others, again, for the merisier, our morello 



79 It is most generally thought that this is the Cerasus avium of bota- 

 nists, our morello, which is a very tender cherry. 



fclJ Or "hard berry," the Primus bigarella of Linnaeus, the red biga- 

 roon. 



81 Fee queries whether it may not have received its name of " Pliniana " 

 in compliment to our author, or one of his family. 



82 Hardouin thinks that this Portuguese cherry is the griotte, or maz- 

 zard. 



biJ No such cherry is known at the present day. 



