NOTICE OF TWO LARGE PLUMS. 



NOTICE OF TWO LAEGE PLUMS. 



BY M. DESPORTES, ANGERS, FRANCE. 



1. English Pond's Sf.edling. — When I was in your country, two years ago, I paid 

 a visit to Mr. Pond's garden, at Cambridgeport, Boston. I showed him the portfolio 

 which contained the drawings of all the fruits of our collection. He there perceived the 

 name of " Pond's Seedling" Pluna. Heat 

 once exclaimed that the drawing correspond- 

 ing to this name was not the genuine varie- 

 ty originated by him; that his Pond's Seed- 

 ling is smaller, and rounder, and does not 

 in the least resemble ours. Now, as he is 

 the originator of the true Pond's Seedling, 

 I concluded that ours was false. I was con- 

 firmed in this opinion when I read the de- 

 scription you give of it in your " Fruits of 

 j^merica," page 309. If we have not the 

 American Pond's Seedling, we have the 

 English one, of which the JRevue Horticole, 

 (our standard fruit gardening Journal) has 

 given a picture and description in the num- 

 ber of March 15th, 1847, page 101. This 

 variety is very different, as you will observe 

 by the sketches in oil which I send you 

 herewith, from the American one. 



The following is a description of the Eng- 

 lish Pond's Seedling, taken from a fruit 

 grown in the nurseries of Mr. Andre Leroy, 

 at Angers. 



Fruit oval, 2| inches long, 1^ inches in 

 diameter, slightly uneven about the middle 



of the length; skin violaceous red, sprink- English Pond's Seedling. 



led with many blue small dots about the stalk; dusted with light gray about the apex; 

 deeper colored on the sunny side, and covered everywhere with a nice whitish blue bloom; 

 stalk half an inch long, slender, set in open cavity ; a small suture divides the fruit in two 

 parts, one of which is more swollen than the other; flesh yellowish, thick, juicy, adher- 

 ing to the stone, slightly acidulous, very pleasant. If it is not first rate, is a good second 

 rate. 



This kind is very fertile, and always a constant bearer; very profitable both as a des- 

 sert and a cooking one. It is the largest and handsomest plum I know, not excepting the 

 fine Magnum Bonum. It weighs two and a half ounces. It ripens from the end of Au- 

 gust to the 1st of September. Tree vigorous grower; the young wood is smooth, gray 

 spotted and dotted; leaves broad, roundish, terminated lanceolate. 



[This same plum is known as Pond's Seedling in England, (see Catalogue of London 

 Horticultural Society.) It has, no doubt, occurred by some error in sending out the 

 riety from this country. The question is, what is the true name of this large plum 



