Birds and Nature, Vol. 12 No. 2 [July 1902]

In the language of flowers cherry blossoms signify inconstancy, which is somewhat peculiar, since the tree and the fruit are so frequently mentioned in a favorable sense in legend and folklore. Christ at one time gave Peter a cherry with the admonition not to despise little things. The tree is also consecrated to the Virgin Mary according to a tradition.

Cherry trees are cultivated throughout all civilized countries. As with most other long cultivated fruits the various varieties are the product of crossing (cross-pollination), artificial selection and cultivation, and desirable plants are perpetuated by grafting. There are various wild growing species of cherry, which must not be confused with the cultivated varieties. The wild black cherry (Prunus serotina) is very common in our woods. It is a handsome tree, varying from 15 to 100 feet in height. It has a smooth bark on the younger branches. The fruit is rather small, fleshy portion thin and of a very dark color when fully ripened. The wild black cherry must not be confused with the poisonous choke cherry (Prunus virginiana), which is a smaller tree and has red berries instead of black. Double caution is necessary since the scientific names are interchanged in various works. There is another Eastern cherry known as wild red, bird or pin cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica), which also has red fruit. There is also the common sweet cherry (Prunus avium). The common peach (Prunus persica) and the common garden plum (Prunus domestica) are close of kin.

The fruit of the cultivated domestic cherry is the most desirable and is usually had in mind when cherries are mentioned. The fruit is technically a stone fruit or drupe and not a berry; the outer portion of the fruit covering known as exocarp is fleshy and constitutes the edible portion. The endocarp is hard and forms the shell which encloses the seed. The fresh, fully ripened fruits are relished most by children, as well as by adults. Birds also are very fond of ripe cherries. Robins are on such a keen lookout for the ripening berries that the busy farmer is often a total loser. These birds often guard the trees jealously against all intruders, clamorously alighting on the very heads and shoulders of the boys who presume to climb the trees to pick the fruit.

Cherry wine is made from the fleshy pulp, which has an excellent quality and flavor. Cherry syrup is the product of fermentation and filtration with the addition of sugar and is used as a flavor for cold drinks and added to medicines to improve their efficiency and to disguise the taste. By crushing and distilling the seeds cherry water is obtained. The flowers and fruit stems are employed in kidney and catarrhal troubles. Cherries may be preserved by drying or pickling. The fruits are also macerated in whisky and brandy, adding to these drinks an agreeable flavor and acidity. For this purpose the fruit of the wild black cherry is very extensively used. The bark, particularly of the wild black cherry, is extensively employed in medicine. It is a very popular household remedy for the treatment of coughs and colds in children. The gum which exudes from the incised or otherwise injured bark is also used medicinally.

Cherry wood is hard and takes a good polish. It is used in cabinet making, interior finish and for inlaid work.

Cherries are also employed by the confectioner and by the baker in making pies. The seeds (kernels, pits) are first removed. The habit of swallowing the pits is a dangerous one, as serious and even fatal troubles are caused by them.

Albert Schneider.

NASTURTIUMS

A tangle of broad, green leaves,All over the garden border;A mass of wonderful blooms,Parading their gay disorder.Petals of sunset and flame,Their orient, velvet-soft splendorAflare on long, sinuous stems,Aromatic, pale-tinted and slender.Trespassers wilful and bold,Wherever they choose they wander,Spendthrift of color and scent —Made but to riot and squander.E’en to the court of the rose,Their eager, loose tendrils outreaching;Unable to guess at her pride,Or to care for her thorn’s sharp teaching.Yet such is their charm and delight,One pauses, half ready to flout them;For O, at the mid-summer’s height,What were the garden without them?– Lulu Whedon Mitchell.