THE CHERRY. 



{Prunus cerasus L.) 



Sauerkirsche, Weichsalkirsche, G. Ceriesier, Griottier, Fr. 



Sweet is the air with the budding haws, and the valley stretching for miles below 

 Is white with blossoming cherry-trees, as if just covered with lightest snow. 



— Longfellow: " Christus. The Golden Legend." 



The cherry-trees belong to the Rose 

 family (Rosaceae) and are thus botanic- 

 ally related to the apple, rose, pear and 

 strawberry. The numerous cultivated 

 varieties are doubtless derived from the 

 cherry whose original home was Asia 

 Minor, from which country it spread to 

 Europe and other countries many centu- 

 ries ago. The plants are trees, mostly 

 not large but handsome because of the 

 green, simple, glossy serrated leaves and 

 the beautiful numerous white flowers and 

 the attractive red fruit. PHny described 

 the plant and designated Asia as its orig- 

 inal home. About 63 B. C. the plant 

 was brought to Rome. From Italy the 

 cherry rapidly spread through Europe, 

 for it was cultivated along the Rhine 

 countries, in Belgium and in England, 

 even during the time of Pliny. Alexan- 

 der Trallianus recommended the fruit 

 very highly in the treatment of consump- 

 tion and in diseases of the liver. 



In the language of flowers cherry blos- 

 soms signify inconstancy, which is some- 

 what peculiar, since the tree and the fruit 

 are so frequently mentioned in a favora- 

 ble sense in legend and folklore. Christ 

 at one time gave Peter a cherry with the 

 admonition not to despise little things. 

 The tree is also consecrated to the Virgin 

 Mary according to a tradition. 



Cherry trees are cultivated throughout 

 all civilized countries. As with most 

 other long cultivated fruits the various 

 varieties are the product of crossing 

 (cross-pollination), artificial selection 

 and cultivation, and desirable plants are 

 perpetuated by grafting. There are va- 

 rious wild growing species of cherry, 

 which must not be confused with the 



cultivated varieties. The wild black 

 cherry (Prunus serotina) is very com- 

 mon in our woods. It is a handsome 

 tree, varying from 15 to 100 feet in 

 hight. It has a smooth bark on the 

 younger branches. The fruit is rather 

 small, fleshy portion thin and of a very 

 dark color when fully ripened. The wild 

 black cherry must not be confused 

 with the poisonous choke cherry (Prunus 

 virginiana), which is a smaller tree and 

 has red berries instead of black. Double 

 caution is necessary since the scientific 

 names are interchanged in various 

 works. There is another Eastern cherry 

 known as wild red, bird or pin cherry 

 (Prunus pennsylvanica), which also has 

 red fruit. There is also the common 

 sweet cherry. (Prunus avium). The 

 common peach (Prunus persica) and the 

 common garden plum (Prunus domes- 

 tica) are close of kin. 



The fruit of the cultivated domestic 

 cherry is the most desirable and is usu- 

 ally had in mind when cherries are men- 

 tioned. The fruit is technically a stone 

 fruit or drupe and not a berry ; the outer 

 portion of the fruit covering known as 

 exocarp is fleshy and constitutes the edi- 

 ble portion. The endocarp is hard and 

 forms the shell which encloses the seed. 

 The fresh, fully ripened fruits are rel- 

 ished most by children, as well as by 

 adults. Birds also are very fond of ripe 

 cherries. Robins are on such a keen look- 

 out for the ripening berries that the busy 

 farmer is often a total loser. These birds 

 often guard the trees jealously against 

 all intruders, clamorously alighting on 

 the very heads and shoulders of the boys 

 who presume to climb the trees to pick 

 the fruit. 



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