No. 63.] 271 



R. I. Greening — " Roundish.'''' Downing. 



" Flattened at base and summit." Kenrick. 

 Priestly — " Form ohlong.^^ Kenrick. 



*' Roundish.'^ Downing. 

 Pennock — " Flat.'" Downing. 



" Roundj rather oblong." Manning. 

 Yellow Harvest — " Roundish.''^ Downing. 



" Flat.'''' Mannings Coxe. 

 Ribston Pippin — " Of a Jlat form." Manning. 



" Roundish." Downing^ Bridgman. 

 " Globular." Kenrick. 

 Old Newington peach — " Flowers of small size." Prince. 



" Flowers large." Lindley. 

 Madeleine pear — " Stalk an inch long." Lindley. 



'^ Very long, often two inches." Prince. 

 It may be remarked that form, color, and other characters may va- 

 ry; though it is believed the average of specimens in the average of 

 seasons, cannot greatly differ. But there is one quality, which in the 

 midst of change and discrepancy, is always resorted to as a final and 

 decisive test. This is the flavor^ which is indeed the great distin- 

 guishing point in all varieties of fruit. But strange as it may seem, 

 not one quarter of all the descriptions in books state whether a fruit 

 is even sweet or sour., and some which do, contain such palpable er- 

 rors that the statement is of no value. For instance, the Alexander, 

 Summer Queen, and other decidedly sour apples, are described as 

 " sweet'''' by some of our authors; and the term " sugary," applied to 

 rich sour apples is common both here and in England. A few addi- 

 tional instances are given: 

 Imperial Violet plum — " Sweety and of a rich taste." Prince. 



" Harsh.) acid." Kenrick. 

 Madeleine pear — " Flesh melting, buttery, sweet." Lindley. 

 " Taste sugary." Coxe. 

 " With a most agreeable acid." Manning. 

 Yellow Egg plum — " Rather sweet., with but little flavor." Prince. 



" Flesh sprightly, juicy and fine." Coxe. 

 '■^ Acid and austere." Kenrick. 

 At the same time that this most important character is thus over- 

 looked, others common to all varieties of one species are carefully 

 noted. It is well known for instance that one of the universal marks 

 of the plum (and some other stone fruits,) is a suture.) extending ge- 

 nerally half way round, and opposite to one edge of the stone. This 

 suture is sometimes nearly obselete or only a single line on the sur- 

 face, and at others a deep furrow; and simply naming the suture is 

 no character at all. The following are from an American work: 

 Orleans — " One side of the fruit marked by a suture." 

 Wilraot's Orleans — " A suture running through one side." 

 Jacinthe — " Divided on the side which is parallel with the edge of 



the stone by a suture." 

 The covering denominated bloom, it is also known, is common in 



