THE CHERRY. 



267 



who, during several months of the year, lived 

 either directly or indirectly on the fruit. Soup 

 made of Cherries, with a little bread and a 

 little butter, was the common nourishment of the 

 wood-cutters and charcoal-burners of the forest. 

 Of late years the practice of planting Cherry- 

 trees by the road-side has been extensively 

 adopted in Germany ; and one may now travel 

 from Strasburg to Munich, a distance of two 

 hundred and fifty miles, through an avenue of 

 Cherries, interspersed with Walnuts, Plums, and 

 Pears. By far the greater part of the first are 

 ungrafted trees, which succeed in the poorest 

 soil, and in the coldest and most elevated situa- 

 tions. A large portion of the tract of country 

 which bears the name of Black Forest is an 

 elevated, irregular surface, with no other wood 

 than the Cherry-trees, which have been planted 

 by the road-side. 



Cherries are preserved in various ways. Some- 

 times they are simply dried in the sun, in w^hich 

 state they are much used for puddings ; they are 

 also preserved in brandy, or converted into mar- 

 malade, lozenges, &c. Fermented and distilled, 

 they furnish the liqueurs called Ratafia, Kirsch- 

 wasser, and Maraschino. Wine and vinegar are 

 also made from them ; and an oil is extracted from 

 the kernels, which is used to give the flavour of 

 bitter almonds to puddings, &c. ; the leaves are 

 also used for the same purpose. 



From the bark of the Cherry-tree an elastic, 

 but not very viscid gum exudes, which is said 

 to have many of the properties of Gum-arabic* 



* Any excessive flow of gum is very injurious to tlie tree ; and, 

 indeed, in time proves fatal. 



