THE WILD CHERRY TREE. 145 



to the size of a timber tree. The tree will grow in 

 any description of soil if it be dry, and not pure clay ; 

 that which it prefers being a sandy loam, or an open 

 subsoil. It is hardy, and will grow in elevated 

 situations, but attains a large size only on low 

 sheltered ground. 



Nothing hardly excels the purity and richness of 

 its blossoms in early spring, while its foliage assumes 

 gorgeous hues in autumn ; and it is a matter of 

 surprise that this tree is not more used for decorative 

 arboricultural purposes than it is. 



The tree is raised, like the garden cherry, from the 

 stones of its fruit, and the plants require to be moved 

 from the seed-bed when one year old, and trans- 

 planted into nursery lines two feet asunder, and the 

 plants six or eight inches from each other. After 

 being two years transplanted, they are commonly five 

 or six feet high. 



The stock is commonly used by nurserymen on 

 which to engraft the varieties of double-blossomed 

 cherries, and the kinds cultivated for the sake of their 

 fruit. The other varieties best known are C. pardus, 

 the bird cherry, C. scrotina, the late flowering, or 

 American bird cherry, and C. Virginiana, the Vir- 

 ginian bird cherry. These thrive best also on dry 

 ground, and are considered especially fit as under- 

 wood, all being very ornamental, in their different 

 seasons, for flowers and fruit. Those who like to 

 encourage singing birds near their dwellings, as the 

 blackbird and thrush, will find these varieties yield an 

 abundant supply of fruit for them, and they can be 

 propagated either by seed or layers. 



The variety C. mahaleb, or perfumed cherry, is 



