Handbook of Trees of the Northeen States and Canada. 



263 



The Sweet or Mazzard Cherry is the most 

 abundant of the introduced and naturalized 

 Cherries. It is a much larger tree than the 

 allied Sour Clierry, sometimes attaining the 

 height of from 50 to 75 ft. with rounded 

 pyramidal top while young, having a central 

 leader, but with age usually becoming wide- 

 spreading. The trunks are vested in a smooth 

 reddish brown laminated bark peeling oflF in 

 transverse strips, and only on very large trunks, 

 which are sometimes 2 or 3 ft. or more in 

 diameter, does it lose its laminated character 

 and show a tendency to low scaly ridges. Its 

 native land is thought to be regions bordering 

 on the Caspian Sea, but it is now widely 

 naturalized throughout southern Europe and 

 a considerable portion of eastern United 

 States. The garden Cherries of which there 

 are many kinds are derived almost without 

 exception from this and the allied Sour Cherry. 

 Tliose which have their parentage in this 

 species have generally distinctly sweeter fruit 

 than the others and include the Black Tar- 

 tarian, Bald Eagle, May Duke, Windsor, Na- 

 poleon, etc. Varieties of tlie tree of special 

 value for ornament rather than for fruit have 

 been introduced, as fornjs having respectively 

 very large leaves, pyramidial habit, pendulous 

 branches, leaves variegated Avith yellow or 

 white, double flowers, etc. From the fruit of 

 the wild tree in Europe a cordial is made and 

 from its trunk exudes a useful gum. 



Its wood in Europe is valued for tlie manu- 

 facture of furniture, musical instruments, etc., 

 and in turnery. i 



Leaves ovate-oblong, slightly obovate, mostly 

 rounded at base and abruptly acuminate at apex, 

 irregularly serrate, condupllcate in the bud and 

 pubescent at first but tinally thin, limp and droop- 

 ing, dull dark green above, pubescent at least on 

 the veins beneath. Flowera expanding with the 

 leaves, white, about 1 in. across in scaly umbels 

 on short lateral spurs pedicels slender. FniH 

 depressed globular or heart-shaped, from yellow 

 to dark red with generally juicy sweet flesh and 

 globose pit.' 



1. A. W., HI, 56. 



2. For genus see pp. 440-441. 



