CHERRIES. 



BLACK MAZZARD. PR. CAT. LOND. HORT. CAT. 



Mazzard, or Common Black. Coxe. 

 Bristol cherry, of Rhode-Island. 

 Prunus avium. Willd. Pers. sinop. 

 Cerasus amum. N. Duh. Decand. 

 Cerisier Merisier. Duh. | Merisier. 

 Cerisier sauvage. Hazard. 

 Common Mazard. Black honey. 



THIS is the natural species whence culture has obtained all 

 the fine varieties known by the appellations of Heart cher- 

 ries and Bigarreau cherries. It grows spontaneously in the 

 forests of France, and some other coantries of Europe, and is 

 said to be found also in Africa. Although an exotic in our 

 country, it has become so much disseminated, that thousands 

 of the trees are found growing wild in the forests of Long 

 Island. It is of rapid growth, and attains a very large size, 

 with a lofty conical shaped head rising to the height of thirty 

 to forty feet, which renders its appearance particularly grace- 

 ful. The fruit is small, being but four or five lines in diame- 

 ter and five or six in height ; its form is more ovate than 

 heart-shaped ; the skin is of a very dark red or blackish hue ; 

 the flesh is of the same colour, acid and bitterish before matu- 

 rity, but very sweet, without much flavour when perfectly ripe. 

 This variety ripens after the Heart cherries and most other 

 varieties are past, and is valuable on that account. The fruit 

 is much used in this vicinity to make cherry brandy and cherry- 

 rum, for which purpose the juice is distrained, and then 

 added to the liquor. Thousands of bushels are consumed in 

 this way, the fruit being sold at about a dollar per bushel, at 

 which price it affords a handsome profit to the owners of the 

 trees, as the crops are exceedingly abundant. The trees of 



