162 THE CHERRY. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE CHERRY. 



Cerasus sylvestris, and C. vidgaris, Arb. Brit. Rosac&x, of botanists. 

 Cerisier, of the French ; Kirschenbaum, German ; Cinego, Italian ; Cerezo, Spanish. 



THE cherry is a fine, luxuriant fruit tree, with smooth, light 

 coloured bark, and, generally of rapid growth. The varieties 

 of the black and heart-shaped cherries are always vigorous, and 

 form fine large spreading heads, forty or fifty feet in height ; 

 but those of the acid or red cherry are of lower, more bushy 

 and tardy growth. In the spring the cherry tree is profusely 

 covered with clusters of snow white blossoms, and earlier in 

 summer than upon any other tree, these are followed by abun- 

 dant crops of juicy, sweet, or acid fruit hanging upon long 

 stalks, and enclosing a smooth stone. 



The cherry comes originally from Asia, and the Roman gene- 

 ral, Lucullus, after a victorious expedition into Pontus, has the 

 reputation of having brought it to Italy, from Cerasus, a town 

 in that province, in the year 69, B. C. According to Pliny, the 

 Romans, 100 years after this, had eight varieties in cultivation, 

 and they were soon afterwards carried to all parts of Europe. 

 The seeds of the cultivated cherry were brought to this country 

 very early after its settlement, both from England and Holland. 



USES. As a pleasant and refreshing dessert fruit, the cherry 

 is every where highly esteemed. The early season at which it 

 ripens, its juiciness, delicacy, and richness, render it always 

 acceptable. While the large and fleshy varieties are exceed- 

 ingly sweet and luscious, others which are more tender, and 

 more or less acid, are very valuable for pies, tarts, and various 

 kinds of cookery. The fruit of the Kentish or Early Richmond 

 is excellent when stoned and dried, and the Mazzard, and our 

 wild Virginia cherries, are used to give a flavour to brandy. 



The celebrated German Kirscliwasser is made by distilling 

 the liquor of the common black mazzard or gean, (in which the 

 stones are ground and broken, and fermented with the pulp,) 

 and the delicious Ratifia cordial of Grenoble, is also made from 

 this fruit. Maraschino, the most celebrated liqueur of Italy, is 

 distilled from a small gean or mazzard, with which, in ferment- 

 ing, honey, and the leaves and kernels of the fruit are mixed. 



The gum of the cherry is nearly identical with gum arabic, 

 and there are some marvellous stories told of its nutritive pro- 

 perties. The wood of the cherry is hard and durable, and is, 

 therefore, valuable for many purposes, but the best wood is 



