THE PLUM ] 349 



The fruit is middling or small, roundish or oval, yellow. 

 The flesh is very juicy, very sweet and of good flavour, 

 sometimes partly adherent to the stone. Strikes well 

 from cuttings and is usually grown from its own suckers, 

 It is cultivated here and there, and is met with growing 

 half-wild or naturalised in old gardens. Its suckers are 

 also used as stock for other varieties. Matures in 

 July. 



3. THE SMALL DARK VIOLET PLUM. (M.=flruna 

 seuda helud). The tree is very vigorous, and when full 

 grown bears heavy crops. The leaves are ovate, dark 

 green. The fruit is middling or small, and round, the 

 colour is dark violet almost black, covered with a thick 

 whitish bloom. The flesh is deep yellow, rather firm but 

 very tender and excessively sweet, for which reason the 

 fruit is often preyed upon by birds, and is well separated 

 from the stone. This is another ancient plum frequently 

 found growing half wild in old gardens and is always pro- 

 pagated directly by cuttings or suckers, these being also 

 used as stock for other plums. 



4. THE LARGE ROUND VIOLET PLUM. (M. = G&ain 

 il bakra or ghambakrct). The tree is vigorous and fairly 

 productive, with large roundish ovate leaves. The fruit 

 is large, round, with a shallow groove, and its colour is 

 dark claret or purple violet. The flesh is thick, yellow, 

 juicy, fairly sweet and acidulous, partly adhering to the 

 stone. It is a fine table plum, and is also good for 

 drying. Matures in July- August, and keeps well. 



5. THE LARGE OVAL RED PLUM. (M. Ghambakrd 

 tauualia or pruna di frati foamra). The tree is fairly 

 vigorous and very productive, with oblong lanceolate 

 leaves. The fruit is large or very large, oval or ellyp- 

 tical with a shallow groove, of a violet red colour. The 

 flesh is thick, fairly juicy, sweet and of a good flavour, 

 well detached from the stone which is long and pointed 

 at both ends. This is a beautiful table plum of good 



