The Plums and Cherries 



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The bark is smooth on young trees, with conspicuous, whitish, horizontal 

 slits or lenticels. On old trees it cracks and breaks off in small, thin, brittle scales. 



The twigs are reddish-brown, slender, rigid, and bitter to the taste. 



The winter buds are a light chestnut-brown, pointed or blunt-tipped, and have 



BLACK CHERRY 



U"^^ 



closely overlapping scales. The margins of the scales are not pale as those of the 

 choke cherry. 



The leaves on young trees are often broad and blunt with a sharp tip; on older 

 trees they are longer. The teeth are finely and firmly cut. 



The fruit is a juicy, reddish-black cherry, about the size of a large pea, and 

 grows in elongated clusters. It has a peculiar but not unpleasant flavour. 



The tree is nowhere abundant and its lumber is produced in small quantities 

 only. The wood is one of the most valuable of American hardwoods and is prized 

 both for its beauty of appearance and its technical qualities. It has a rich reddish- 

 brown colour, darkening with age, and a fine, even grain with a pleasing figure 

 when quarter-sawn. The lumber seasons easily, holds its shape well, takes a 

 brilliant polish and is heavy, hard, and strong. It is used for furniture, cabinet- 

 work, and decorative finish in houses, cars, boats, and vehicles. 



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