CHERRIES.
Four wild species of cherry grow in the woods of America, and not one has yet shown any disposi tion to become large and sweet, like the cherries of our gardens and orchards. We grow sour cherries for pies, and sweet cherries that are delicious to eat fresh out of hand. The two types are distinct, and both originated in wild species that still grow in different parts of Asia Minor, Persia, and the north of Africa. It is strange, but true that European cherries grow well with us where European plums fail, and our native cherries fail to fill the breach, as our native plums have done.
The Japanese cherries are highly cultivated varieties, but the blossom, not the fruit, has been the subject of improvement. Many varieties do not fruit at all, but have blossoms so wonderful that the whole nation turns out to view the gar dens in .May, the cherry-blossom month, one of the great national fetes of the year.