RED OR PURPLE PLUMS. 291 



covered with a thick blue bloom. Flesh greenish-yellow, pretty 

 firm, rather dry, but quite rich and sugary, adhering closely to 

 the stone. Ripens in October, and will hang, in sheltered situ- 

 ations, till the middle of November. 



The so-called SEMIANA, or Blue Imperatrice of Boston, has 

 been considered, until lately, as identical with this plum. It is 

 an acid, rather harsh fruit, only fit for preserving, and should 

 not, therefore, be confounded with the true Blue Imperatrice, 

 which is sweet and excellent. 



The growth of this spurious tree resembles that of the true 

 Imperatrice, the fruit is oval, narrowing to the stalk, which, 

 however, is scarcely more than half an inch long, very slender, 

 and set without depression. Skin dark blue, with little bloom, 

 flesh rather acid, and adheres to the stone. An abundant 

 bearer, and hangs till late frosts. 



This fruit, so well known about Boston, seems to agree with 

 the figure and description of the Imperatrice Violette of the old 

 Duhamel, and we doubt, therefore, the identity of the English 

 and French Plums of this name. Duhamel, even in the dryer 

 and finer climate of France, only says, " assez douce pour une 

 Prune tardive." This will apply to the Imperatrice or Semiana, 

 of Boston, but not to the Blue Imperatrice of the English. 



44. COOPER'S LARGE. Coxe. Thomp. 



Cooper's Large Red. 

 Cooper's Large American. 

 La Delicieuse 1 Lind. 



Coxe who first described this plum, says it was raised by Mr. 

 Joseph Cooper, of New-Jersey, from a stone of the Orleans. 

 He considers it as a fine large plum, but exceedingly liable to 

 rot upon the tree, and we learn from Mr. Ives, of Salem, that 

 the same complaint was made by former cultivators of this sort 

 in his neighbourhood, where it is now nearly abandoned. It 

 seems to be scarcely known now in this country that is to say, 

 in gardens* as we have made diligent search for it, the last 

 two years, without being able to obtain the fruit of the true 

 sort. 



Lindley describes a plum, La Deliceuse, as having been 

 brought from New-Jersey about 1815, and which was sold by 

 Mr. Kirke, for a guinea a plant. And Mr. Thompson gives 

 this fruit as identical with Cooper's Large. We hope another 

 season to be able to compare the two. 



Thompson's description of the Cooper's Large is as follows. 



* Some nurserymen here, we regret to say, do not scruple to fill large catalogues 

 with the names of varieties which have no corresponding existence in their 

 grounds. 



