344 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



differing so slightly that it is difficult, if not impossible to distinguish them in 

 the fruit, although there may be a slight difference in the habit of the trees. 

 It is a large, oval fruit, too coarse for the dessert, and chiefly valued for 

 culinary purposes. A good bearer, but not very productive on light soils. 

 The flesh adheres to the long and pointed stones. It ripens about the middle 

 of August. 



GREEN GAGE, OR REINE CLAUDE, 



is included in the amateur list only, and the number recommended to be 

 planted in a collection of one hundred trees is ten. 



This variety occupies much the same position among plums as do the Seckel 

 among pears, and the Delaware among grapes, it being generally conceded to 

 have no superior, so far as quality is concerned. It is one of the oldest varie- 

 ties of this fruit known to cultivators, and in France, to which country we are 

 indebted for its earliest history, it is known as "Eeine Claude," and it is 

 alleged to have been introduced into that country by Queen Claude, wife of 

 King Francis I., who lived in the early part of the sixteenth century. It 

 received its English name fi'om a family by the name of Gage, who, during 

 the last century, obtained this variety, among others, among the monks of 

 Chartreuse, near Paris, and introduced it into England, and having lost the 

 name of this on the journey, it was re-christened Avith the name of its intro- 

 ducer. It has long held rank as the best j)lum in England, and, so far as 

 quality is concerned, it must be admitted to have no superior in the United 

 States. The tree is a slow grower, with stout, smooth shoots, and buds very 

 much shouldered. The fruit is green, or yellowish green, and, when fully ripe, 

 slightly dotted or marbled with red. It ripens about the middle of August. 

 It has, in a few instances, very nearly reproduced itself from the seed; but 

 none of its progeny seem to have proved quite equal to the original. Like 

 nearly all our old and popular fruits, it is cumbered with numerous synonyms, 

 of which Downing, in his late edition, quotes no less than thirty-eight, and 

 these are by no means all that might be gathered up. 



huling's superb 



appears in the amateur list only, with the recommendation to plant ten trees 

 in an orchard of one hundred. 



This variety originated in Pennsylvania, on the grounds of a gentleman 

 named Keyser, about the year 1829, and hence came to be locally known as 

 the Keyser Plum. It was, however, first brought prominently to the notice of 

 the public by Dr. W. E. Huling, also of that State, and from him has received 

 its acknowledged cognomen. The earliest published description of this fruit 

 appeared in " Prince's Pomological Manual," in 1832 ; but, unfortunately, a 

 spurious variety was at first disseminated under this name, and hence the true 

 sort came very slowly to be known and appreciated. In the earlier editions of 

 Downing's work on "Fruits," it was erroneously characterized as a free-stone, 

 — a mistake that is corrected in later editions. The tree is exceedingly vigor- 

 ous, with short, blunt, downy shoots, prominently shouldered buds, and large, 

 broad, thick leaves. The fruit is very large, even larger than the Washington, 

 roundish, oblong, tapering to each end, with a shallow suture extending half 

 round; skin dull, yellowish green, with a pale bloom; flesh yellowish, fine, 

 melting, juicy, vinous, rich, excellent, adhering to the stone. It ripens about 

 the middle of August. 



