PLUM. 217 



skinned stone-fruits. Punctured by this insect, the fruit falls 

 when only partially ripe to the ground. The best remedy 

 is said to be a hard, heavy soil, unpropitious for the workings 

 or life of the insect or its larvae. The next is to destroy all 

 the punctured plums as they fall, to jar the tree with a mal- 

 let swathed in cloth, and catch the plums on a spread cloth, 

 destroying the fruit, and to allow fowls to run in the orchard. 

 Keep the earth around plum-trees free from weeds, so that 

 insects may be more readily discovered, and the smoother 

 and harder it is kept the better. 



The Knots, Black Wart, or Black Gum, is only to be de- 

 stroyed by cutting off the infected branches and burning them. 

 This disease is thought to be the work of an insect, but noth- 

 ing has ever been demonstrated with regard to the cause or 

 causes. 



To preserve Plums, select handsome fruit, not too ripe, 

 and of a fine flavor ; mawkishly sweet fruit makes an indif- 

 ferent preserve. Pare and divide them to remove the stone, 

 keeping them as whole as possible. Weigh to their weight 

 an equal quantity of the best loaf-sugar. Crack the stones, 

 and blanch the kernels. Lay the fruit hollow upwards in flat 

 dishes, and sift \vhite sugar over them. Let them stand over 

 night. In the morning cover the bottom of the kettle with 

 the fruit, putting to them a little water ; let them simmer very 

 slowly, and spread them after they have simmered a few min- 

 utes, as before, on flat dishes. Make the sirup of the weighed 

 sugar flavored with the kernels of the plum-stones. Put the 

 plums . in glass jars, and when the sirup is only warm pour 

 it over the plums. The sirup should be clear and thick. 

 When cool, cover with brandied papers, and white paper 

 turned over and pasted down. Plums after being first sim- 

 mered are sometimes preserved in apple jelly. 



The best prunes are exported from France, and are made 

 near Tours of the St. Catherine plum, and the Prune d'Agen; 

 19 



