C E 



were foon after fpread through moft 

 Parts of Europe ; it being generally 

 eiteem'd for its Earlinefs, as being 

 one of the firft of the Tree-fruit that 

 appears to welcome in the approach- 

 ing rVuit-feafon. 



This Sort of Fruit hath been by 

 many People grafted upon the Lau- 

 rel, to which it is a Congener : but 

 what Effect it hath either in the 

 Growth of the Tree, or its Fruit, I 

 have not been yet able to under- 

 Hand ; though this Practice is as old 

 as Pliny, who fays it gives the Fruit 

 a very pleafant Bitterneis : but there 

 is little to be depended upon in the 

 Writings of the Antients, with re- 

 fpecl to the feveral Sorts of Trees 

 being grafted upon each other : very 

 few of thofe which we find men- 

 tion'd by them to have been fre- 

 quently praclifed, will fucceed with 

 us.' Nor is it owing to the Differ- 

 ence of Climate, as fome have fup- 

 pofed, who are inclinable to believe 

 whatever they find related in thofe 

 Books, efpecally in the Bufinefs of 

 Hufbandry and Gardening : but from 

 many repeated Trials, which have 

 been made with the utmoft Care, by 

 Perfons of the belt Skill, it appears 

 that no two Sorts of Trees, which 

 are of different Genus's, will take 

 upon each other. However, the Lau- 

 rel and the Cherry being of the fame 

 Genus, or fo near of Kin as to be 

 ranked together by moft Botanifts, 

 will take upon each other by Graft- 

 ing. But I have not yet feen any of 

 the Trees fo grafted, which have 

 lived to be of any confiderable Size; 

 though I have feen many Trees fo 

 grafted, which have lived a few 

 Years, but have made very poorPro- 

 grefs ; nor do I remember to have 

 feen any Fruit upon the Cherry-trees 

 which were grafted on the Laurels : 

 therefore cannot determine what Ef- 



c E 



feet this has on the Flavour of the 

 Fruit. 



There are fome Perfons who graft 

 the Duke, and other Sorts of Cher- 

 ries, upon the Morello Cherry, which 

 is but a weak Shooter, in order to 

 check the luxuriant Growth of the 

 Trees ; which will fucceed for three 

 or four Years ; but they are not of 

 long Duration, nor have I ever feen 

 one Tree fo grafted, which had 

 made Shoots above fix or eight 

 Inches long ; but they were clofely 

 covered with Bloffoms, fo may pro- 

 duce fome Fruit in a fmall Compafs: 

 but thefe are Experiments unfit to 

 be carried into general Ufe, and only 

 proper to fatisfy Curiofity : for is it 

 not much better to allow the Trees 

 a greater Share of room againft the 

 Walls, when one Tree, properly ma- 

 naged, will produce more Fruit than 

 twenty of thefe Trees, or than half 

 that Number, when they are planted 

 too clofe ; though they are grafted 

 upon the Black Cherry, or any other 

 Free -flock? 



The early, or May Cherry, is the 

 firft ripe ; fo one or two Trees of 

 this Sort may be allowed in a Gar- 

 den, where there is room for Va- 

 riety. The next ripe is the May 

 Duke; which is a larger Fruit than 

 the other, and is more valuable. 

 After this comes the Archduke; 

 which, if permitted to hang upon 

 the Tree till the Fruit is quite ripe, 

 is an excellent Cherry : but few Per- 

 fons have Patience to let them hang 

 their full time; fo rarely haVe them 

 in Perfection : for thefe mould not 

 be gathered before Midfummer ; and 

 if they hang a Fortnight longer.they 

 will be better. This is to be under- 

 ftood of the Situation near London, 

 where they ripen a Fortnight earlier 

 than in Places forty Miles diftanr, 

 unlcfs they have a very warm-mel- 



