"My selfe with divers others have sundry other sorts in our
gardens, one called the Hart Cherry, the greater and the lesser;
one of the great bignesse, and most pleasant in taste, which we
call _Luke Wardes_ Cherry, because he was the first that brought
the same out of Italy; another we have called the Naples Cherry,
because it was first brought into these parts from Naples: the
fruit is very great, sharpe pointed, somewhat like a man's heart
in shape, of a pleasant taste, and of a deepe blackish colour when
it is ripe, as it were of the colour of dried bloud."
Gerarde's Hart is probably one of the Heart cherries, while "Luke Wardes
Cherry" is one of the oldest named Sweet Cherries known in England,
having been mentioned by Parkinson and other of the herbalists as well
as in this list.
"We have another that bringeth forth Cherries also very great,
bigger than any Flanders Cherrie, of the colour of Jet, or
burnished horn, and of a most pleasant taste, as witnesseth
Mr. Bull, the Queenes Majesties Clockmaker, who did taste of the
fruit (the tree bearing onely one cherry, which he did eat; but my
selfe never tasted of it) at the impression hereof. We have also
another, called the Agriot Cherry, of a reasonable good taste.
Another we have with fruit of a dun colour, tending to a watchet.
We have one of the Dwarfe Cherries, that bringeth forth fruit as
great as most of our Flanders Cherries, whereas the common sort
hath very small Cherries, and those of an harsh taste. These and
many sorts more we have in our London gardens, whereof to write
particularly would greatly enlarge our volume, and to small
purpose: therefore, what hath beene said shall suffice. I must
here (as I have formerly done, in Peares, Apples, and other such
fruites) refer you to my two friends, Mr. _John Parkinson_, and
Mr. _John Millen_, the one to furnish you with the history, and
the other with the things themselves, if you desire them."
One can only roughly surmise as to what the cherries mentioned in this
paragraph are with the exception of the Agriot which is, if the synonymy
of several European pomologists be correct, the Griotte Commune, a sort
supposed to have been brought from Syria by the crusaders and to have
been recorded under the last name in France as early as 1485.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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