70 THE CHERRIES OF NEW YORK 



in France having been first mentioned for this purpose by Duhamel du 

 Monceau in his Traite des Arbres Fruitiers in 1768.^ 



Miller in his Gardener's Dictionary, 1754, describes the Mahaleb cherry 

 and says it was " Ctiltivated in 17 14 by the Duchess of Beaufort." This 

 seems to be the first mention of its culture in England though Gerarde 

 in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes describes it. Neither mentions 

 its use as a stock. In fact, it seems not to have been mentioned as a stock 

 in England until 1824 when Loudon in the Encyclopedia of Gardening 

 speaks of it as " the most effectual dwarfing stock." ^ 



It was not until after the middle of the Nineteenth Century that 

 the Mahaleb came into use in America, none of the hortictiltural writers 

 in the first half of the last century, as Cobbett, 1803; McMahon, 1806; 

 Coxe, 1 81 7; Thacher, 1822; Prince, 1828; Kenrick, 1833; Manning, 1838; 

 Thomas, 1846; Floy, 1846, nor Cole, 1849, having mentioned the Mahaleb 

 though nearly all speak of the Mazzard as the stock upon which cherries 

 are budded. Downing, in 1845, makes first mention of the Mahaleb as 

 a stock in the New World ;^ Thomas in his second edition, 1851, recom- 

 mends it as a stock to dwarf cherries;* Barry, 1852, says that Mahaleb 

 stock is imported from Europe;* while Elliott, in 1854, also speaks of it as 



' " So the good species and their varieties are perpetuated and multiplied by grafting upon the 

 Merisier, upon the Cerisier with round fruit, and upon the Cerisier de Sainte-Lucie [Mahaleb]. All the 

 Cerisiers succeed well upon the Merisier and it is the only subject which is suited to the high-headed trees. 

 It has the advantage of not sending forth any or very few suckers. The Cerisier de Sainte-Lucie has the 

 same advantage. It receives very well the graft of all species of cherries and adapts itself to the worst 

 soils." Duhamel Traite des Arbres Fruitiers 1:197. 1768. 



2 " Varieties of the cherry are continued by grafting or budding on stocks of the black or wild red 

 cherries, which are strong shooters, and of a longer duration than any of the garden kinds. Some graft 

 on the Morello for the purpose of dwarfing the tree, and rendering it more prolific; but the most effectual 

 dwarfing stock is the mahaleb, which, however, will not succeed in the generality of soils in Britain. 

 Dubreuil of Rouen recommends the wild cherry for clayey and light soils, and the mahaleb for soils of 

 a light, sandy or chalky nature. The stones of the cultivated cherry are commonly, but improperly, 

 substituted for those of the wild sort, as being more easily procured." Loudon Enc. of Gard. 1824:924. 



' " When dwarf trees are required, the Morello seedlings are used as stocks; or when very dwarf trees 

 are wished the Perfxuned Cherry, (Cerasus Mahaleb) is employed; but as standards are almost universally 

 preferred, these are seldom seen here. Dwarfs in the nursery must be headed back the second year, in 

 order to form lateral shoots near the ground." Downing Fruit Trees of America 1845:164. 



^ " The stocks used for this purpose (to dwarf cherries) are the " Perfumed Cherry " or Prunus 

 Mahaleb, which also possesses the advantage of flourishing on heavy clay ground. The grafts will usually 

 grow quite vigorously for two or three seasons, but they soon form dwarf, prolific bushes." Thomas 

 Am. Fruit Cult. 1849:351. 



^ " The principal stocks used for the cherry are the mazzard for standard orchard trees, and the mahaleb 

 for garden pyramids and dwarfs. 



" The Mahaleb (Cerasus mahaleb) is a small tree with glossy, deep green foliage. The fruit is black, 



