xxvi. RostCcEiE : CE'RASUS. 277 



by cuttings or seeds ; they will grow iu any common soil that is tolerably dry. 

 There is much confusion in all the species, more particularly as regards 

 those which are natives of North America ; and which, as Sir W. J. Hooker 

 judiciously observes, can only be " removed by carefully studying the plants 

 in a living state, both during the season of the blossom and that of the fruit." 

 (Ftor. Bar. Amer., i. p. 167.) 



i. Cerasophora Dec. Tlie Cherry-bearing Kinds. 



Sect. Char. Flowers produced from buds upon shoots not of the same year ; 

 and, in many instances, disposed umbellate]}'. Leaves deciduous. 



A. Species cultivated for their Fruit. 



The Cherries cultivated in Gardens, according to Linnaeus, and almost all 

 botanists to the time of 'DeCandolle, have been referred to Prunus avium L. 

 and Prunus Cerasus L. ; the former being the merisier of the French, and 

 corresponding with the small wild black bitter cherry of the English (the C. 

 sylvestris of Ray) ; and the latter the cerisier of the French, and correspond- 

 ing with the common red sour cherry of the English (the C. vulgaris of Mil- 

 ler). To these two species DeCandolle has added two others : Cerasus 

 Juliana, which he considers as including the guigniers ; and Cerasus duracina, 

 under which he includes the bigarreaus, or hard cherries. Under each of 

 these four species, Seringe, in DeCandolle's Prodromus, has arranged a num- 

 ber of varieties, with definitions to each group : but, as neither the species 

 nor the groups appear to us distinct, we have adopted the arrangement of the 

 author of the article on Cerasus in the Nouveau DuHamel, as much more 

 simple and satisfactory ; and have referred all the cultivated varieties to the 

 same species as Linnaeus ; substituting for Primus avium L., Cerasus sylvestris, 

 the synon. of Ray ; and for Prunus Cerasus L., CMrasus vulgaris, already used 

 to designate the same species in Mill. Diet., and by Loiseleur in the Nouveau Du 

 Hamel. The arrangement of the varieties, and general culture of the cherry in 

 the kitchen-garden and orchard, will be found at length in our Encyclopedia of 

 Gardening; and, in a more condensed form, in our Suburban Horticulturist. 



. 1. C. SYLVE'STRIS Bauh. and Ray. The wild black-fruited Cherry Tree. 



Identification. Bauh. Hist., 1. 1. 2. p. 220. ; Ray Hist. 1539. ; Pers. Syn., 2. p. 35. 



Synonymes and Garden Names. C. avium Mcench, N. Du Ham. 5. p. 10., Don's Mill. 2. p. 505. : 

 C. nlgra Mill. Diet. No. 2., not of Ait. ; Prunus avium Lin. Sp. 680. ; P. avium var. a. and & 

 Wittd. Banm. ed. 2. p. 308. ; Prunus avium var. $ and >y Eng. Flor. 2. p. 355. ; P. nigricans and 

 P. varia Ehr. Beitr. 1. p. 126, 127. ; Gean, Bigarreau, Corone, Coroon, Small Black, Black Hert- 

 fordshire, Black Heart, Black Mazzard, the Merry Tree of the Cheshire peasants, the Merries in 

 Svjfolk; Merisier, Merise grosse noire, Guignier, Bigarreautier, Heaumier, Fr. : Siisse Kirsche, 

 Ger. ; Ciregiolp, Itnl. 



Derivation. This cherry is called Corone, or Coroon, in some parts of England, from corone, a 

 crow, in reference to its blackness. Merry Tree and Merries are evidently corruptions of the 

 word Merisier ; and Merisier is said to be derived from the words amere, bitter, and cerise, a 

 cherry. Bigarreau is derived from bigarree party-coloured, because the cherries known by this 

 name are generally of two colours, yellow and red; and Heaumier is from the French word 

 heaume, a helmet, from the shape of the fruit. 



Engravings. Du Ham. Tr. Arb., 1. p. 156. ; Arb. Brit., 1st edit., vol. vi. ; and our fig. 447. 



Spec. Char., $c. Branches vigorous and divaricate ; the buds from which the 

 fruits are produced oblong-acute. Flowers in umbel-like groups, sessile, 

 not numerous. Leaves oval-lanceolate, pointed, serrated, somewhat pen- 

 dent, slightly pubescent on the under side, and furnished with two glands at 

 the base. (Dec. Prod., N. Du Hamel.) A middle-sized tree. Europe, in 

 woods and hedges. Height, in dry fertile soils, 40 ft. to 50 ft. or upwards. 

 Flowers white ; April and May. Drupe red or black ; ripe in July. De- 

 caying leaves of a fine red, or rich yellow and red. 



Varieties. 



1. Mermen or Merries, with black or yellow fruit. 



2. Guigniers or Geans (C. Juliana Dec.), with red or black fruit, early or 

 late, and including the tobacco-leaved guignier, or gean, of four to the 

 pound (the C. decumana of Delauny). 



T 3 



