306 FEUIT-GROWING 



fruit is not half bad — when you have been away 

 from civilization for a few weeks, and the 

 Indians regularly gather them either to be 

 eaten fresh or for the purposes of making jam 

 of various sorts. 



Prmius pseudocerasus, the flowering cherry 

 of Japan, has been introduced as an ornamental 

 in certain parts of the country. I have a 

 number of them growing — hardly growing 

 either, living, out back of the house. Some 

 day they may get a start and surprise me, but 

 at present they are having a very hard time 

 of it. The Prunus foment osa, however, another 

 ornamental from central Asia, has made a 

 perfectly wonderful growth in the five years 

 I have had it. It is truly a "bush cherry" for 

 the many stems do not grow over six or eight 

 feet in height and form a compact shrub of 

 great beauty and possibly of some usefulness 

 for its fruit. The cherries are of medium size 

 and are said to be pleasantly acid. I can not 

 say from experience for so far the bushes have 

 failed to set any fruit, although they bloom 

 abundantly. Even though they never produce 

 a cherry I would not part with them for we 

 have nothing more enchanting in the early 

 spring. They bloom early in April before 

 almost any other shrub has had the courage 

 to swell its buds and the twigs and branches 

 are clothed in masses of softest pink. I have 



