THE PLUM. 907 



ered with a liglit bloom. Stalk rather stout, in a narrow, rather deep 

 cavity. Flesh greenish yellow, a little coarse, juicy, sweet; separates 

 from the stone. Good. Eai'ly Aiigust. 



Croft's Early. 



Fruit small, reddish blue. Flesh yellow, dry, devoid of flavor: 

 August. (Elliott.) 



Cruger's Scarlet. 

 Cruger's. Cruger's Seedling. Cniger's Scarlet Gage. 



Raised by Henry Cruger, of New York. Tree of free growth. 

 Branches long, downy, very productive. 



Fruit rather larger than a Green Gage, roundish oval, with an obscure 

 suture. Skin, when fully exposed, a lively red, but usually a bright 

 lilac, covered with a thin bluish bloom, and speckled with numerous 

 golden dots ; in the shade it is pale fawn-colored on one side. Stalk 

 half an inch long, set in a shallow depression. Flesh deep orange, not 

 very juicy nor rich, but with a very agi'eeable, mild, sprightly flavor. 

 It hangs well after ripening. Good. Last of August. 



Damson. 



Common Damson. Puii^le Damson. 



Black Damson. Early Damson of many. 



The common oval Blue Damson is almost too well known to need 

 description, as every cottage garden in the country contains this tree, 

 and thousands of bushels ax'e annually sold in the market for preserves. 

 The tree is enormously productive, but in the hands of careless cultiva- 

 tor's is liable to be rendered worthless by the knots, which are easily extir- 

 pated if the diseased branches are regularly burned every winter or 

 spring. Branches slender, a little thorny and downy. 



Fruit small, oval, about an inch long. Skin purple, covered with 

 thick blue bloom. Flesh melting and juicy, rather tart; separates pai*- 

 tially fi-om the stone. September. 



As the Damson is frequently produced from seed, it varies somewhat 

 in character. 



The Shropshire or Prune Dajison is an English purple variety, 

 rather obovate in figure, but little superior to our common sort. The 

 Sweet Damsox resembles the common Damson, and is but slightly acid. 



The Late Black Daaisok, Late Purple Damson, Prince's Early 

 Damson, Small Red Damson, Small White Damson, Large White 

 Damson, are also varieties not of sufiicient value or distinctness to ren- 

 der separate description necessary. 



The Winter Damson is a valuable market sort from its extreme 

 lateness. It is small, round, purple, covered with a very thick light 

 blue bloom. Flesh greenish, acid, with a slight astringency, but makes 

 good preserves. It bears enormous crops, and will hang on the tree till 

 the middle of November, six weeks after the common Damson, unin- 

 jured by the early frosts. 



