THE CHERRY. 



269 



The Turks have the tubes of their pipes, which 

 are from four to seven feet long, made of Cherry 

 stems.* Like the Ash, it burns very well as fire- 

 wood in its green state ; but if kept two or three 

 years, and then used as fuel, it smoulders aw^ay 

 like tinder, without producing much heat. 



The double -flowered Cherry is a favourite or- 

 nament of our gardens and lawns in spring, when 

 its numerous snow-white flowers present a beauti- 

 ful appearance. Like many other double flowers, 

 it produces no fruit ; but the structure of its 

 blossoms is particularly interesting to the physio- 

 logical botanist, illustrating, better perhaps than 

 any other plant, the fact that the seed-vessel, 

 among other compound organs, is a m.etamor- 

 phosed or transformed leaf, altered in structure 

 and functions, so as to perform offices in vegeta- 

 ble economy entirely different from those of the 

 true leaf. In the double Cherry it appears to 

 return to its primitive form ; for in the centre of 

 each flower is a minute leaf, exactly similar to 

 those of the branches, notched and veined in the 

 same manner, and even folded together like the 

 young stem leaves. Other double flowers, beside 

 those of the Cherry, occasionally present the 

 same appearance, especially Roses ; but in all 

 these the phenomenon is an irregular mode of 

 growth, whereas in the Cherry it is constant. 



The Cherry is a favourite tree of the Wood- 

 pecker, who perforates its trunk for the sake of 

 feeding on the larvae of insects, and hollowing 

 out his nest: but the remarks made at page 151 

 are equally applicable to the case of this tree. 



^ The best are made of the Mahaleb, or Perfumed, Cherry. 



