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excellent preserve when halved, stoned, and dried, either by sun 

 power or by artificial heat. An excellent wine can be made from 

 Cherries, the Duke and Morello sections being most suitable for 

 the purpose. In Europe the fresh fruit, and more especially that of 

 the wild species, is used extensively for flavouring brandy. The 

 favourite liqueurs, Noyau, Ratafia, Kirschwasser, and Maraschino, are 

 either wholly or partially obtained from Cherries. Kirschwasser is 

 made by distilling the juice of the common Black Heart Cherry after 

 it has fermented, the stones being ground up and mixed with it. 

 Maraschino, which is chiefly made in Italy, is distilled from the juice 

 of Heart Cherries after it has slightly fermented, a portion of the- 

 leaves and kernels, dried and powdered, being added with honey. 

 Ratafia" and Noyau are flavoured to a considerable extent by the 

 kernels of Cherries. Trees of all classes of edible Cherries yield 

 gum in large quantities, which is highly nutritious and almost 

 identical with gum arabic. Medicinally the bark is used as a tonic 

 and astringent by the Scandinavian races, and liquor distilled from 

 the fruit of the wild Cherry Cerosus avium is said to be used with 

 advantage in cases of convulsions. Cerasu* Padus, the Bird Cherry, 

 yields a lage proportion of prussic acid from the leaves by distillation, 

 and a decoction of the fruit has proved useful in cases of dysentery. 

 The wood of the common Cherries is hard, tough, fine grained, and 

 takes a good polish, which makes it valuable to cabinetmakers and 

 turners. The wood of the Bird Cherry is beautifully veined, and 

 though not attaining a large growth it is highly prized for fancy 

 work by European cabinetmakers. 



CULTIVATION 



The Cherry thrives to the greatest perfection in a moderately cool 

 climate, but it may be grown successfully in all but very warm 

 regions. In the warmer districts, however, the trees are not likely to 

 prove so durable and profitable as when grown in a more congenial 

 climate. Any ordinary good soil is suitable to the Cherry, which will 

 readily adapt itself to various classes. The most favourable soil, 

 however, is a rich, deep, sandy or gravelly loam, with an open sub- 

 soil. In preparing the land for planting let it be thoroughly worked 

 and stirred to the depth of at least fifteen inches, and more especially 

 if the soil is heavy and retentive. In the case of light, open land, 

 with a free sub-soil, a deep ploughing may be a sufficient working, as 

 the roots will be able to find their way down without much assistance. 

 Perfect drainage is essential, as the trees will never do any good if 

 their roots stand in soddened ground for lengthened periods. If the 

 natural drainage is insufficient it should invaria-bly be provided for 

 when the land is prepared for planting. Trees may be planted at 

 any time between the fall of the leaf and the starting of growth in 

 the spring*, but the most favourable time is from the beginning of 

 July to the middle of August, according to the locality. Strong, 

 straight-stemmed, young trees, with well-balanced heads, should be 

 selected, and these ought to be taken up with as little injury to their 



