The Cherry-Laurel. 99 



The "laurel" always identified in story with honour and 

 triumph, and used as the emblem of victory, as when 

 chaplets are placed upon the brows of princes and con- 

 querors, is also the Bay. The confusion or carelessness 

 which led, in the sixteenth century, to the extension of the 

 name to the Prunus is much to be regretted. To restore 

 it to the Laurus nobilis, the rightful owner, is now for 

 ever impracticable, considering all the circumstances ; the 

 least that could be done would be to call the usurper 

 always, as we do here, the C/^rry-laurel. 



To describe so common a plant is scarcely needful, 

 except for completeness' sake. Every one knows the 

 large ovate-lanceolate yellowish green leaves, and the 

 fine contrast they present to the foliage of other garden 

 shrubs. When old enough to bloom, every one who has 

 the opportunity of contemplating the tree in April and 

 May, knows too, full well, how it covers itself with 

 long and erect racemes of white honey-scented flowers ; 

 followed, in propitious seasons, by clusters of rich black- 

 purple fruit resembling damsons. A " tree," by the way, 

 though we speak of it as one, the cherry-laurel does not 

 deserve to be called. At the best, it is only a huge 

 rambling shrub, disposed to be semi-prostrate. This 

 comes of the shoots elongating fast, but not increasing 

 proportionately in thickness, so that they cannot help 

 reclining. When in full fruit, the appearance is very 

 striking, the bunches bearing no distant likeness to small 

 clusters of the variety of grape called " Lady Downes." 

 Though the leaves are charged with poisonous matter, 



