Ha:\-deook of Trees of the Xortiieen States 



AXD Caxada. 203 



The Sweet or Mazzard Cliprry is the most 

 abundant of the inn-'iduoe.l and naturalized 

 Clierries. It i-i a uiucli lar;;i'r tree liiau the 

 alliL-d Sour L'lierry. sonieliines attaining tlie 

 lii'ight of from 50 to 7o ft. ^\ith rounded 

 pyramidal top while young, having a eentral 

 leai'er, but with age usually becoming wide- 

 spreading. The trunks are vested in a smooth 

 r(.'diii-h brown laminated bark pecding olT in 

 trairsverse strijis, and only on very large trunks, 

 which are sometimes 2 or 3 ft. or more in 

 diameter, docs it lo«e its himinated character 

 aiul show a tendency to low scaly ridges. Its 

 native land is thought to lie regions bordering 

 on the Caspian Sea. but it is now \\iilcly 

 naturalized throughout southern Europe and 

 a considerable portion cif eastei n I niteil 

 States. The garden Cherries of wliich there 

 are many kinds are derived almost without 

 exception from this and the allied Sour Cherry. 

 Thn-r wdiicli have tlieir parentage in tliis 

 species have generally distinctly sweeter fruit 

 than the others and include the Black Tar- 

 tarian. Bald Eagle. .May Duke. Windsor. Xa- 

 poleon, etc. Varieties of the tree of special 

 value for ornament rather than for fruit have 

 been introduced, as fornrs having respectively 

 very large leaves, pyraniidial hahdt, pendulous 

 brandies, leaves variegated with yellow oi 

 white, double flowers, etc. Erom the fruit of 

 the wild tree in Europe a cordial is made and 

 from its trunk exudes a useful gum. 



Its wood in Eunipe is valunl for the manu- 

 facture of furniture. mu~ical instruments, etc.. 

 and in turnery.' 



Lrans: ^ivate-iihloDi:, slicrhtly ril)ovati\ mostly 

 rounded at base and abruiuly afuminati' at apex, 

 irregularly serrate, conduplicafi' in the laid and 

 pnhcscent at first hut finally thin, limp and dronp- 

 inir. dull dark ffrecn above, pubescent at least on 

 the vpins beneath, FUnrrr^ I'xpandini:: with tie- 

 leavi's. white, about 1 in. across in scaly uiiibcls 

 en short lateral spurs pcdiciCs sb-nrtn-. rniil 

 depressed srlnhnlar or lieart--<liape(l. from yellnw 

 to dark red with generally inicy sweet tlcsh and 

 globose pit.= 



1. A. W., Ill, 50. 



2. For genus see pp. -t40-44t. 



