426 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



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by smoothness of leaves and austerity and acidity of fruit. P. avitim 

 (Linne), the sweet-fruited Cherry-tree, seems naturally to extend as 

 far as Middle Europe, and attains a high age, when the stem may 

 acquire a diameter of 4 feet, produces no suckers and has, downy 

 more wrinkled leaves, irrespective of some few other discrepancies. 

 It afforded its fruit already to the ancient inhabitants of Switzerland 

 in pre-historic times [Heer, Mortillet], and the tree was cultivated 

 by the early Greeks also, according to historic records [A. de Can- 

 dolle]. Superior varieties were cultivated in Europe first at Lucullus' 

 time. As an orchard-tree introduced into Britain already by the 

 Romans. It is hardy in Norway in lat. 66 30' [Schuebeler], bears 

 fruit in lat. 63 30'. In the Himalayas it is cultivated up to 12,000 

 feet. In the colony of Victoria it will bear fruit at an elevation of 

 5,000 feet. In the zone of evergreen vegetation leafless for about 

 five months, like most other northern orchard-trees. Correspond- 

 ingly the annual growth becomes accelerated in winterless climes. 

 The tree enjoys everywhere a comparative immunity from insect- 

 attacks, but leaves and fruits were lately attacked severely by a 

 fungus, namely Gnomonia erythrostoma (Fuckel). According to 

 researches of Prof. A. B. Frank, the infested leaves do not drop, and 

 must be mechanically removed in winter and immediately be burned. 

 Cherry-trees have however sometimes also suffered seriously near 

 Melbourne from the attacks of the Cherry-borer, Maroga gigantella ; 

 the larvae of this insect infest occasionally also other species of 

 Prunus ; spraying with kerosene-emulsion or other insecticidal 

 mixtures while the trees are dormant, also probing holes with wire 

 dipped in carbolic acid, is recommended by Mr. French in his "Hand- 

 book of Destructive Insects." Against Selandria Cerasi, the so-called 

 Pear-slug, he recommends spraying with a decotion of Veratrum 

 album. On the whole the Cherry-tree is however less subject to 

 disease than many other fruit-trees. Pieces of mirror-glass, strung 

 on lines, will tend much to keep sparrows and other predatory birds 

 from cherries and other fruits. Cherry-stones more particularly 

 among the seeds of our ordinary table-fruits might be kept for being 

 strewed about during pleasure-excursions in forests and other unculti- 

 vated places. Here in Victoria Cherry-trees and other ordinary hardy 

 fruit-trees should also now be copiously planted in the Australian 

 Alps, to which railways are gradually approaching, so as to provide 

 these fruits and also kitchen-vegetables later in the season for the 

 lowland markets, just as reversedly the Channel Islands produce the 

 early supplies for London. California exported 60,000 cases of dried 

 or canned cherries in 1887 already. 



Prunus Chisasa, Michaux. (P. angustifolia, Marshall.) 



North-America, west of the Mississippi. On the prairies it is only 

 3 to 4 feet high. Fruit spherical, red, rather small, with a tender 

 usually agreeable pulp. Other species with edible fruit occur in North- 

 America, such as P. pumila and P. Pennsylvanica (Linne) ; but their 



