CHAPTER V. 



DWARF CHERRY. 



NATURAL FAMILY ROSACEA. 



PRUNUS. SuR-GEis-TJS, CERASUS,— TnE CnERRr. 



The Cherries, as a class, do not come within the pro- 

 posed scope of this work. But there is at least one native 

 species that is worthy of being placed among the small 

 fruits^ and I have introduced it here for the purpose of 

 calling the attention of our horticulturists to it, hoping 

 that through their efforts a new, distinct, and valuable 

 class of Cherries will be originated. 



All of the varieties of the Cherry commonly cultivat- 

 ed, are of foreign origin, and the native species have so 

 far resisted all attempts at improvement; as a general 

 thing, there appears to be no affinity between those 

 of the eastern and western continent. They will neither 

 hybridize, nor the wood unite w^hen worked one upon the 

 other. Thus the door seems to be closed against the in- 

 termingling of the superior and the inferior, and progress 

 only possible by raising seedlings of the native kinds 

 without foreign aid. 



There ^re, however, two indigenous species which appear 

 to be nearly related to the foreign, at least sufficiently so, to 

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