The Damson. 71 



There are several varieties, some of them scarcely distin- 

 guishable from varieties of the Bullace, except by their 

 ripening about a month earlier. A very good one, with 

 large fruit, but not so sure to yield a full harvest as the 

 common English or round damson, is called the Shrop- 

 shire. A still larger fruit, and better flavoured, is given 

 freely by the " Frogmore " damson. The " Crittenden," 

 raised near Maidstone by Mr. Crittenden, is another 

 excellent damson. The " Farleigh " is perhaps the most 

 productive fruit, and the most repaying, of any kind in 

 cultivation. The fruit is small, but produced in thick 

 clusters, and unsurpassed for preserving. A year or two 

 ago one Kentish grower alone sent to market three 

 thousand bushels, and received for his trouble fourteen 

 shillings per bushel, or ,2,000. The yellowish variety 

 of the Bullace is the fruit sold in London as the " white 

 damson." In the neighbourhood of Colchester a variety 

 is largely grown which fruits so plentifully that the clusters 

 resemble bunches of black Hamburgh grapes. Most, if 

 not all, of the Bullaces are of good flavour, and excellent 

 for culinary purposes. Among the superior sorts may be 

 reckoned the "Essex" and the "Royal." Of select 

 dessert plums the best are considered to be Belgian 

 Purple, Coe's Golden Drop, Golden Esperen, Jefferson 

 (yellow, spotted with red), and Kirke's (purple). The 

 best greengages are Bryanston, Denniston, Superb, Reine 

 Claude de Bavay, Reine Claude du Comte Hathem, 

 Transparent, Guthrie's Late, and Oullins' Golden. 



