VARIETIES. 271 



but, usually, once a year will be sufficient. If any of the trees 

 are very much covered with these knots, it is better to head back 

 the shoots severely, or dig them up and burn them outright, and 

 it will be necessary to prevail on your neighbours, if they are 

 near ones, to enter into the plan, or your own labors will be of 

 little value. Pursue this simple and straightforward practice, 

 for two or three seasons, (covering any large wounds made, 

 with the solution of gum shellac,) and the knots will be found to 

 disappear, the curculio to the contrary notwithstanding. 



VARIETIES. There are now a pretty large number of fine 

 plums, and some most important additions have been made by 

 the seedlings raised in this country. The Green Gage still 

 stands at the head of the list for high flavour, though several 

 other sorts are nearly or quite equal to it. The Washington, the 

 Jefferson and the Columbia, are among the largest and most 

 beautiful ; and Coe's Golden Drop and Roe's Autumn Gage, 

 are very desirable for their late maturity. 



In describing plums, the surface of the young wood, when just 

 ripened, is an important character ; as it is smooth, in some varie- 

 ties, and downy, or covered with soft hairs, in others. In some 

 varieties, the flesh parts from the stone, while in others, it ad- 

 heres. And, finally, the depressed line or channel which runs 

 down one side of the exterior surface of the plum, is called the 

 suture, and the prominence or absence of this feature enables us 

 to distinguish many kinds at first sight. 



Class I. Green, White, or Yellow Plums. 



1. AUTUMN GAGE. 



Roe's Autumn Gage. 



A new plum, raised by Wm. Roe, 

 Esq., of Newburgh, of good quality, 

 a very abundant bearer, and so late 

 in its maturity, as to be valuable. 

 The tree forms a spreading head, 

 with regular, pointed, ovate leaves ; 

 the branches drooping with the 

 weight of the fruit, which is in 

 perfection about the middle of Sep- 

 tember. 



Branches smooth. Fruit medium 

 size, oval, rather broadest towards 

 the stalk. Stalk three-fourths of an 

 inch long, inserted without any de. Fig- 102. Autumn Gage. 



