506 [Assembly 



American Institute, ) 



Fanner's Club, March 2dd, 1852. ^ 



Hon. Robert Swift Livingston, in the chair; Henry Meigs, 

 Secretary. 



Subject— r/ie Cherry Tree. 



Professor Mapes remarked, that the cherry tree was generally 

 of rapid growth. The black and heart shaped cherries are always 

 vigorous, have fine large spreading heads, forty or fifty feet high. 

 Acid and red cherry trees are of low stature, more bushy, and of 

 tardy growth. 



The cherry came originally from Asia. Lucullus brought this 

 fruit from Cera.sus into Italy in the year 69, before Christ, accord- 

 ing to Pliny; 100 years after this the Romans had eighty varie- 

 ties. It was introduced into this country from England and Hol- 

 land. 



Uses. — A good dessert fruit ; early ; the acid kinds good for 

 cooking; the Kentish and the early Richmond may be stoned and 

 dried. Our Virginia wild cherry is used to give flavor to brandy. 

 These cherries are worth four dollars a bushel in the New- York 

 market. Kirschwasser, Ratafia^ cordial of Grenoble, and Maras- 

 chino^ the favorite liqueur of Italy, are all made from the Black 

 mazzard, or jean. 



Cherry gum resembles, and is used for similar uses with the 

 gum arable. The wood is hard and durable. The Virginia, or 

 wild wood , resembles mahogany, and takes a polish. Large black 

 cherry is the fruit shade tree ; has a large sized blossom of fine 

 form, and its shade fits it for a roadside tree. Avenues of cherry 

 trees on the continent of Europe ; they are tabooed trees ; prop- 

 erty of the people. 



Soil and situation. — This tree delights in a free soil, and is there 

 long lived, even if the soil be light and thin. It bears more lux- 

 uriantly in deep loam. In over rich alluvial soils, like those of 

 the west, it runs too much to wood and bears shy ; the trunk 

 overgrowing and splitting. It is short lived in damp places. When 



