THE TRUE PEACH PLUM. 



115 



of pleasant sprightly flavor when fully- 

 ripe ; it separates freely from the stone. 

 Stone nearly round, very flat, and much 

 furrowed. Ripe from the twentieth to the 

 last of July. It is certainly the largest early 

 plum, and is well worthy of cultivation. A 

 moderate bearer. 



We have before us specimens of the Nec- 

 tarine Plum. Its colour, flavor, and season 

 of ripening, as we have already stated, are 

 very different from the Peach Plum. Hav- 

 ing described this fruit in our " Fruit and 

 Fruit Trees," we only add here an outline. 



Fig. 35. The Nectarine Plum. 



It is very well known in this country. The 

 Goliath, also a large purple plum, conside- 

 rably resembles it, as we find to-day on 

 again comparing the fruits together ; but 

 the Nectarine has very broad leaves and 

 almost smooth shoots, Avhile the Goliath has 

 narrow leaves and very hairy shoots. 



There is a curious bit of pomological his- 

 tory connected with the introduction of the 

 genuine Peach Plum into this country. 



The late Judge Duane imported several 

 varieties of fruit from France, twenty-six 

 years ago. On their way, as it often hap- 

 pens, some of the trees lost their labels. 



Among these was a Plum tree, which Judge 

 Duane planted in his own garden in Sche- 

 nectady. The size and beauty of this plum 

 attracted attention, when it came into bear- 

 ing ; and, having lost its name, it became 

 known in Schenectady as Duane's Plum 

 and the apricot Plum, as indeed it more 

 strictly resembles in colour a ruddy speci- 

 men of the Apricot than the Peach, though 

 very distinct from the true Apricot Plum. 



Twenty years ago, or more. Judge Duane 

 sent some grafts or trees of a Plum to the 

 late William Prince of Flushing, for this 

 fruit. Mr. Prince propagated it, advertised 

 it as in his nurseries, and sold it as Duaiie's 

 Purple French* But by some unaccounta- 

 ble mistake, only very lately discovered, the 

 French plum, that Judge Duane intended 

 to send, which was this identical Peach 

 Plum, was not sent, but instead a seedling 

 plum then growing in his garden. Mr. 

 ToMLiNsoN informs us that the Duane family 

 in Schenectady, who till the present time 

 cultivate this Peach Plum imported by the 

 Judge, suppose that the person sent by 

 him to cut the grafts, took, by mistake, 

 grafts from a natural tree standing near by. 



This natural tree is a kind of large Ame- 

 rican Magnum Bonum, well known in Al- 

 bany and Schenectady, and which, perhaps, 

 was really first raised by Judge Duane. It 

 is larger and finer than the old, or European, 

 Magnum Bonum. It is the fruit known in 

 all the nurseries about New- York, Boston, 

 and here, as Duane's Purple. Mr. Prince, 

 supposing it to be the celebrated French 

 plum which Judge Duane had sent him, 

 disseminated it among all the nurseries. 



The same plum is described b}^ us in the 

 " Fruit and Fruit Trees of America." We 

 subjoin the outline from that work. As it 



II is partially described in Prince's Pom. Manual. 



