36 FLOWERS OF THE WOODS AND COPSES 
And 
“Those that eat cherries with great persons shall have their eyes squinted 
out with the stones”. 
For fever on St. John’s Day it was recommended to lie naked under 
a cherry tree and shake the dew on one’s back. 
It was dangerous to climb a cherry tree on St. James's Day, as the 
chance of breaking one’s neck is great. The tree was consecrated to 
the Virgin, who wished one day to refresh herself when she saw some 
cherries hanging on a tree, and asked Joseph to gather some for her. 
He hesitated, and, mocking her, said: ‘‘ Let the father of thy child 
present them to you”. No sooner had he said this than the bough 
inclined itself to her. Christ gave one to St. Peter, reminding him 
not to despise little things. The cuckoo must eat three meals of 
cherries before it ceases to sing. 
This plant is the origin of the Morello Cherry and Kentish cherries. 
The fruit is small and acid when wild. In the fourteenth century 
ground-up cherry stones were supposed by the Doctrine of Signatures 
to cure stone. 
The wood is close, and used for cabinet-work, and for making pipes 
and cigarette-holders, as well as walking-sticks. A spirit is distilled 
from the fruit called Kirschwasser (German for cherry-water). Noyau 
and Ratafia are flavoured with the kernels, which contain prussic acid. 
From a variety grown in Dalmatia Maraschino is prepared. 
EssENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS :— 
92. Prunus Cerasus, ..—Shrub or tree, erect, 8-10 ft., leaves 
shortly stalked, doubly crenate, not drooping, glabrous, flowers in 
sessile umbels, white, calyx-tube not constricted, petals with a claw, 
fruit juicy, acid, red, round. 
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca, L.) 
The soft nature of the fruits of this wild plant, in spite of the 
harder seeds, has prevented them from being preserved as fossils. The 
present distribution is limited to Arctic Europe, N. and W. Asia, the 
Himalayas, and North America. The Wild Strawberry is general in 
Great Britain, but does not occur in S. Lincs, Mid Lancs, Stirling, 
E. Sutherland, Hebrides, though elsewhere as far north as Shetland, 
and it ascends to nearly 2000 ft. in the Highlands. It is common 
also to Ireland and the Channel Islands. 
The Wild Strawberry is a shade-loving plant, which is to be found 
