CHERRY VARIETIES 305 



for many years. Due to the difficulty in secur- 

 ing stocks on which to bud the known varieties 

 of cherry, Seth planted many stones of the 

 sweet cherries then bearing in his orchards. 

 From these seedlings he secured not only stocks 

 to use in propagating nursery stock, but acci- 

 dentally originated a number of new varieties 

 that have been an important factor in the 

 development of the Oregon cherry industry. 

 Probably his two most noted introductions 

 were Republican, and Bing, both excellent 

 fruits that will perhaps be as good in other 

 sections as they have been in their home state. 



It has been indicated that the cherries of cul- 

 tivation were not native to this continent. Our 

 only indigenous cherry of any great impor- 

 tance was the wild black cherry of the forests. 

 It was valuable chiefly on account of its hard 

 dense wood which was used in cabinet making. 

 The fruit was used to a limited extent as was 

 that of the choke cherry. Even in recent times, 

 " black cherry bounce " was not entirely un- 

 known to many who were able to secure "the 

 makings." 



The sand cherry which grows along the 

 shores of our northern lakes is the most nearly 

 edible of any of our native cherries. It grows 

 in the form of a low straggling bush never more 

 than a few feet high which never by any stretch 

 of the imagination could be called a tree. The 



