XXVI. iZosA^CE.E : 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." 

 {Flor. Bor. Avier., i. p. 167.) 



i. Cerasophora Dec. The Cherry-hearing Kinds. 



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

 and, in many instances, disposed umbellately. Leaves deciduous. 



! A. Species cultivated for their Fruit. 



\ The Cherries cultivated in Gardeyis, according to Linnaeus, and almost all 



1 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. 



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



I 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 



I 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 



lauthorof the article on Cerasus in the Noiiveau DuHamel, as much more 



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



isame species as Linnaeus ; substituting for Prunus avium L., Cerasus sylvestris, 



jthe synon. of Ray ; and for Prunus Cerasus L., Cerasus 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 Encyclopcedia of 



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



] i 1. C. sylve'stris Bauh. and Ra^. The wild blackfruited Cherry Tree. 



^Jdenlification. Bauh. Hist., 1. 1. 2. p. 220. ; Ray Hist. 1539. ; Pers. Syn.. 2. p. 3.5. 

 ^^ynonymes and Garden Names. C. avium Mcench, N. Du Ham. 5. p. 10., Don's Mill. 2. p. 605. ; 

 i C. nigra Mill. Diet. No. 2., not of Ait. ; Priinus avium Li7t. Sp. 680. ; P. a.vium var. x. and /3 

 i iVilld. Bavm. ed. 2. p. 308. ; Priinus a^num var. /3 and y Eng. Flor. 2. p. 355. ; P. nigricans and 

 ' P. varia Ehr. Beitr. 7. p. 126, 127. ; Gean, Bigarreau, Corone, Coroon. Small Black, Black Hert- 

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

 j Suffolk; Merisier, Merise grosse noire, Guignier, Bigarreautier, Heaumier, Fr.; Siisse Kirsche, 

 I Ger. ; Ciregiolo, Ital. 



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 MiJrisier ; 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. 

 ^ngravings. Du Ham. Tr. Arb., 1. p. 156. ; Arb. Brit., 1st edit., vol. vi. ; and onr fig. 447. 



'pec. Char., S,-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., X. 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. 

 irieties. 



1. Merisiers 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 



