210 ORIGIN OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 



this rich Roman, in the year 65 B.C. Since this error is 

 perpetuated by its incessant repetition in classical schools, 

 it must once more be said that cherry trees (at least the 

 bird-cherry) existed in Italy before LucuUus, and that 

 the famous gourmet did not need to go far to seek the 

 species with sour or bitter fruit. I have no doubt that 

 he pleased the Romans with a good variety cultivated 

 in the Pontus, and that cultivators hastened to propagate 

 it by grafting, but LucuUus' share in the matter was 

 confined to this. 



From what is now known of Kerasunt and the 

 ancient names of the cherry tree, I venture to maintain, 

 contrary to the received opinion, that it was a variety 

 of the bird-cherry of which the fleshy fruit is of a sweet 

 flavour. I am inclined to think so because Kerasos in 

 Theophrastus is the name of Prunus avium, which is 

 far the commoner of the two in Asia Minor. The town 

 of Kerasunt took its name from the tree, and it is 

 probable that the abundance of Prunus avium in the 

 neighbouring woods had induced the inhabitants to seek 

 the trees which yielded the best fruits in order to plant 

 them in their gardens. Certainly, if LucuUus brought 

 fine white-heart cherries to Rome, his countrymen who 

 only knew the little wild cherry may weU have said, 

 " It is a fruit which we have not." Pliny aflirms nothing 

 more. 



I must not conclude without suggesting a hypothesis 

 about the two kinds of cherry. They differ but Httle in 

 character, and, what is very rare, their two ancient 

 habitations, which are most clearly proved, are similar 

 (from the Caspian Sea to Western Anatolia). The two 

 species have spread towards the West, but unequally. 

 That which is commonest in its original home and the 

 stronger of the two (P. avitmi) has extended further and 

 at an earlier epoch, and has become better naturalized 

 P. cerasus is, therefore, perhaps derived from the 

 other in prehistoric times. I come thus, by a different 

 road, to an idea suggested by Caruel;^ only, instead 

 of saying that it would perhaps be better to unite them 

 Caruel, Flora Toscana, p. 48. 



