The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-07-17
The Cherry.

1
The cherry comes originally from
Asia. After Il victorious expedition into
Pontu<. the Roman general Lucullus
brought the Cherry from CrraSu;,a town
of that province, into Italy. Soldier
! though he WIS. this Lucuiius always
! had an eye open 10 whatever was agree
abIr in the way of food; and it is not to
be doubted that he regarded the cherry
rs one of ,!lc proudrSt Of all his trophies.
rhc cherry WAS then brought to Rome
about seventy years before Christ.
About one hundred and twenty wears
later it waS introduced into Great
Britain. From Italy it was brought also
into I'LL the other countries of Europe
in every one of which it is now IL uni
vcrSal favorite with al classes of the
people.
The Roman hortictilturisits soon in
vented other species Of the cherry, and
Pliny makes mention of eight different
varieties which were eXtant in his day.
1t shows what great things can be
wrought by cultivation and art, that
more than three hundred different varie-
ties are now specifically described in the
official catalogues.
The gum Of the cherry is almost iden-
teal with gum arabic, 1t has frequently
been utilized for food and the degree of
nutrimcnt found in it is something sur
prising. The wood of the cherry is
very beautiful and is much used for fur
niture. Some persons Of good taste ad-
mire it rs much us mahogany. 1t is
hard, compact and tough, and it pos
sesses the rare virtue of not warplng. 1t
takes on Il very high polish. Its beauti-
full reddish tint, instead of fading with
time, grows deeper and richer every
year.
The chcrry,tree is so large and beauti-
full in our own country that it is strange
that it is not planted and grown more
frequently rs IN ornamental shade tree.
In Germany the cherry tree is great
favoritc for these purposes. Many road
sides in Germany are lined with cherry
trees on both sides. You will frequently
rass through an avenue of these beauti-
full shade trees for miles at Il time.
The seeds of the cherry were brought
to America ut IN early day by colonists,
both from England and Holland. Be
sides these cultivated cherries, there is 4
wild cherry which is indigenous to this
country.
The largest and grandest cherry trees
I have ever read of are found in West
Virginia. While they grew in Germany
to be four feet in diameter and sixty and
seventy feet high, they are found in West
Virginia us large us five, six and even
seven feet through. and sometimes one
hundred feet high.
The wild cherry is more commonly
called chokebcrry. 1t grows not only in
the Eastern and Middle States, but in the
far WcSt-in Utah, Arizona and other
Rocky Mountain States; also in Oregon.
The wild cherry is great favorite with
the Indians. They make a tea of the
bark, which they greatly relish. They
also pound the bark fine, dry it in the
sun and boil it in meat brOths. They
mix it also with meal. which they make
from various roots or seeds.
Great us are the natural adaptations of
our country to the growth of the cherry.
this fruit in America has by no means ut
taincd I'LL the excellence Of which it is
capable. and it is to be hoped that those
public journals which are favorable to
horticulture will exert themselves to
stimulate their fruit growing readers to
aim ut still higher perfection in the
cherry. PNi}adclphia Times.