CHOKE CHERR] 231 



A periodica] has the following sketch of improved 

 choke cherries from II. Knndson, an experimenter in 

 Minnesota: "I have three improved varieties <>f «-1m >k<- 

 cherry, which I have numbered 1. :!. •'!. They all 

 differ from the <•< »nmn »n type of choke cherry, both in 

 leaf and bud, ami especially in fruit. No. .'i is the 

 greatest departure from tin- original type, ami when 

 its leaves are fully developed, is readily distinguished 

 from any other BOrl by its leaves alone. Nos. 1 ami 

 ■_' are of slender, upright growth, and attain a heighl 

 of twenty to twenty-five feet. No. :; i- of a rather 

 more spreading habit. 



"They are all thrifty growers, so far \'v<->- from di>- 

 eose, ami good annual bearers, producing the besl 

 fruit of itv dass I have ever tasted, having very little 

 of the astringency common to the race. 



"There certainly appears to be an inclination in 

 this fruit to break away from the original type, ami 

 inasmuch as the} possess in a high degree those quali- 

 •liat are found lacking in our cultivated varieties, 

 imported from Europe; viz., health ami hardiness, 

 may it not be besl tor us to turn some of our efforts 

 toward developing the native cherry, as well as the 

 native plum?" 



[JpoD the plains and westward, Prunus Virginiana 

 i- represented bj Prunus demissa, which has thicker 

 ps with lens pronounced teeth, ami mostly longer 

 racemes of better fruit. Wickson says that in Cali- 

 fornia "the wild finit i- used to some extent for mar- 

 malade. It has been cultivated to gome extent in 

 place* near it- habitat." It ha- also been used for 

 stocks for garden (merries. This western cherrj was 

 introduced into the plant trade in 1881 b) Edward 



