262 THE PLUM. 



some, deeply cut husk. Nut of medium size, oval, compressed ; 

 husk hairy ; shell thick ; kernel sweet and good. 



3. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE PROLIFIC. (Thomp.) Ripens early, 

 Nut of medium size, oblong, husk hairy ; shell thick. 



4. RED FILBERT. Easily known from other sorts, by the 

 crimson skin of the kernel. Fruit of medium size, ovate. 

 Shell thick. Kernel with a peculiar, excellent flavour. 



5. WHITE FILBERT. (Thomp. Lind.) Resembles the last, 

 but with a light yellow or white skin. The tree is also quite 

 bushy. Nuts ovate. Husk long and tubular. 



The English generally call those varieties with long husks, 

 filberts, (full-beards,) and those with short husks, simply nuls. 



The CHESTNUT, (Castanea vesca, W. ; Chatagnier, of the 

 French ; Castainenbaum, German ; Casiagno, Italian ;) is one 

 of our loftiest forest trees, common in most parts of the United 

 States and Europe, and bearing excellent nuts. The foreign 

 variety best known in this country, is the Spanish Chestnut, with 

 fruit nearly as large as that of the Horse-Chestnut, and which 

 is excellent when boiled or roasted. It thrives very well here, 

 but is not quite hardy to the north or east of this. One or two 

 English varieties have been produced, of considerable excel- 

 lence, among which, the Downton is considered the best. The 

 French cultivate a dozen or more varieties of greater or less 

 excellence, but though some of them have been introduced, we 

 have not yet fairly tested them in this country. 



The CHINQUAPIN, or Dwarf Chestnut, common in some parts 

 of the middle and southern states, is a dwarf species of the 

 chestnut, usually growing not more than six to ten feet high, 

 and bearing fruit of half the size as the common chestnut, with 

 the same flavour. It is worth a place in a small fruit garden, 

 as a curiosity. 



All the chestnuts are very easily cultivated in any good, light 

 soil, and may be propagated by grafting, and by sowing the 

 seeds. 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE PLUM. 



Prunus domestica, L. Rosacea, of botanists. 



Prtmier, of the French ; Pflaumenbaum, German j Prugno, Italian ; Cirudo, 

 Spanish. 



THE original parent of most of the cultivated plums of oui 

 gardens is a native of Asia and the southern parts of Europe, 



