184 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. 



admit of being hybridized with it, as the flowers are very 

 similar and the wood of the two unites very readily. One 

 of these, Prunus Pennsylvanica^ is a tall species, and does 

 not come within the scope of this work; but a dwarf one, 

 P. pumila, described by Dr. Gray as follows : 



" Smooth, depressed and trailing, six to eighteen inches 

 high; leaves obovate-lanceolate, tapering to the base, 

 somewhat toothed near the apex, pale underneath ; flow- 

 ers two to four together; fruit ovoid, dark red. Rocks or 

 sandy banks; Massachusetts northward to Wisconsin, and 

 south to Virginia along the mountains." 



The above is merely a general description of the species, 

 but it varies considerably in different locations and soils. 



It is just twenty years since I first became acquainted 

 with this species while examining the wild fruits of North- 

 ern Michigan, and by referring to my diary of 1846, I 

 find the following notes : 



" August 3d, 1846. Thunder Bay Islands, Lake Huron. 

 Visited Hat Island, and found Dwarf Cherry, (Cerasus 

 pumila,) very abundant. The plants growing on the 

 beach in almost pnre sand; bearing stems depressed with 

 the weight of fruit ; wonderfully productive. 



Fruit one-half inch long, and three-eighths broad ; dark 

 purple, nearly black, sweet, but rather insipid. Suckers 

 abundant from the underground stems or roots." 



At the time referred to above, I supposed this species 

 was confined to the shores of the lakes, but have since 

 learned that it is widely distributed over the Northern 

 States. A few years ago, through the kindness of Prof. 

 George Thurber, I received some Cherry seeds from Utah 

 Territory, and from them raised plants which appear to be 

 of the same species as the one described by Dr. Gray, as 

 P. pumila, and also found by myself at Hat Island. 

 There is, however, considerable difference in the growth 

 of the plants ; the one grown from the seeds obtained 

 from Utah being more erect, none of the branches trailing 



