710 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART IIL. 
The fruit, though nauseous to the taste when eaten fresh from the tree, gives 
an agreeable flavour to brandy; and is sometimes added to home-made wines. 
In Sweden and Lapland, and also in some parts of Russia, the bruised fruit is 
fermented, and a powerful spirit distilled from it. A strong decoction of the 
bark is considered by the Finlanders as antisyphilitic. Sheep, goats, and swine 
eat the leaves: cows are fond of them, but horses refuse them. (Lin.) In 
Britain, the principal use of the Cérasus Padus is as an ornamental tree; and 
few make a finer appearance than it does, either when in flower, in April and 
May ; or in August, when covered with its pendent racemes of black fruit. It 
comes into flower a little before the ornamental crab trees, and about the 
same time as the Sorbus aucuparia and the Acér platandides. ‘ 
Soil, Situation, Propagation, §c. The bird cherry prefers a dry soil; but it 
will not thrive on such poor ground as the perfumed cherry. It will grow in 
almost any situation; but, to attain a timber-like size, it requires the shelter 
either of a favourable locality, or of adjoining trees. The species is propa- 
gated by seeds, which should be treated in all respects like those of C. Mahdleb. 
The red-fruited variety, which is properly a race, will frequently come true 
from seed; as, doubtless, will the early-flowering and late-flowering varieties, 
which may be observed in copse woods where this tree abounds. C. P. 
bractedsa Ser., which is a very remarkable variety, and one which deserves a 
place in every collection, both on account of its large racemes of flowers and 
its fruit, will most certainly be continued by grafting or budding. 
Accidents and Diseases. The leaves of the bird cherry seem to be more 
relished by the caterpillars of moths and butterflies, than those of other 
species of the genus. This may be observed where plants occur in the neigh- 
bourhood of London, where they may frequently be seen, in the beginning of 
June, almost entirely denuded of leaves, while other species of Cérasus around 
them have their leaves uninjured. In Belgium, where the tree is particularly 
abundant in the natural woods, and where the caterpillars are collected at 
certain seasons, in conformity with the provincial laws established for the 
preservation of forests, this tree is always found much more injured by them 
than any other. Hence, a writer in a Bavarian agricultural journal recom- 
mends planting in orchards one bird cherry in every square of 100 or 200 
yards ; to which tree, he says, all the moths and butterflies will be attracted, 
and on which they will deposit their eggs. The appearance of the bird 
cherry, he says, will soon become hideous, but the fruit trees will be safe. 
(See Gard. Mag., vol.i. p.81.) 
Statistics. The largest bird cherry tree that we know of in the neighbourhood of London is at 
Syon, where it is 36ft. high, with a trunk 1lin.indiameter. In Cheshire, at Eaton Hall, 14 years 
planted, it is 17ft. high. In Durham, at Southend, 20 years planted, it is 22 ft. high In Worcester- 
shire, at Croome, 40 years planted, it is 35 ft. high. In Scotland, in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, 
15 years planted, it is 22 ft. high; in Banffshire, at Gordon Castle, it is 40 ft. high ; in Clackmannan- 
shire, in the garden of the Dollar Institution, 12 years planted, it is 15ft. high; in Perthshire, at 
Taymouth, 18 years planted, it is 30 ft. high, The Rev. Dr. Walker mentions, in his Essays on Na- 
tural History, two hag-berries growing together in the parterre below the terrace at Drumlanrig, in 
Nithsdale, in 1773. They were then about 70 years old, about 40 ft. high, and the trunk of the largest 
measured 8 ft. in circumference. The trees were at that time vigorous ; but, on our sending to en- 
quire after them in 1834, we found they no longer existed, and that the time when they fell, or were 
cut down, was unknown, In Forfarshire, at Kinnordy, there are some large specimens. 
€ 23. C. vircinta‘na Miche. The Virginian Bird Cherry Tree. 
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. p, 285. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 539.; Hook. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. 
p. 169. ; Don’s Mill, 2. p. 515. 
Synonymes. Prinus ribra Att. Hort. Kew., 1st ed., 2. p. 162., Willd. Abb., 238. t. 5. f. 1.; P. argita 
Bigelow in Litt. ; Cerisier de Virginie, Fr.; Virginische Kirsche, Ger. ; Wild Cherry Tree, Amer. 
Engravings. Willd. Abb., 238. t. 5. f.1.; Michx. Fl. Arb. Amer., 2. t. 88. ; our fig. 418.; and the plate 
of this species in our Second Volume. 
Spec. Char., §c. Leaves oblong, acuminate, doubly toothed, smooth; the 
petiole bearing about 4 glands. Racemes straight, petals round. Fruit red. 
Different from the Prinus virginiana of Miller, which is C. (v.) serétina. 
(Dec. Prod., ii. p. 539.) A tree, attaining a large size in Virginia, Carolina, — 
and Canada. Introduced into Britain in 1724, and flowering in May and 
June. 
- Description, §c. This tree, which is seldom found, in England, higher than 
30 ft. or 40ft., grows, on the banks of the Ohio, to the height of 80 ft. or 

