Cherry picked

[fredpuli47]

When did the expression 'to cherry-pick', meaning to select only the bits of a document or account which is favourable to your argument ,first come into use ?
And what does it refer to ? Are cherries fruit which ripens progressively, so many are not yet ripe when a few are , and so the grower has to be selective? Or are they the best fruit on a cake ? Or is there some other origin for the saying?

[Dunloptyre]

compliments of google,
this might answer your question.

Cherries grow on trees, of course, and picking them, done in part from above the tree, can be tricky. Since about 1945, "cherry-picker" in a literal sense has meant the type of mobile hydraulic crane now often used by utility crews working on poles. "Cherry-picking," however, is also a figurative reference to the laborious (and usually at least somewhat selective) process of picking each cherry by hand. "Cherry-picker," meaning a person who picks only the best or easiest opportunities, first appeared a railroad slang in 1940. The verb "to cherry-pick" is much more recent, dating to about 1966.

[swedeheart]

Over here (in Sweden) we say 'pick the raisins from the cake'. It may be used in a negative sense like in your example fredpuli, but you could also say something like "his lecture won't be very relevant to my interests but I'll go anyway, I'll just pick the raisins from the cake".

Not an answer to what you where actually asking but I thought it might be interesting to you anyway.

[swedeheart]

Were, not where! Why can't I proofread without the preview!

[scotman]

Cassell's Dict. of Slang gives one meaning for cherry-picker as

[1950s], a seducer of virgins.

which could have some sense of taking the best bits

[fredpuli47]

LOL @ scotman. Yes, 'cherry' does have another slang meaning !