P RU 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



P RU 



415 



of the fruit. Mr. Miller enumerates thirty, from which we 

 select the following: 1. The White Primordian : this is a 

 small, longish, white Plum, of a clear yellow colour, covered 

 over with a white flew, which easily wipes off. It is a tole- 

 rably good bearer ; and as it comes in very early, though 

 it is mealy, and has little flavour, one tree of it should be 

 admitted into a large fruit-garden. It ripens at the middle or 

 latter end of July. 2. The Early Damask, or Morocco Plum : 

 this is round-shaped, divided in the middle with a furrow 

 like a Peach : the outside is of a dark black colour, covered 

 with a light violet bloom; the flesh is yellow, and parts from 

 the stone; it ripens at the end of July, and is much esteemed 

 for its goodness. 3. The little Black Damask Plum : this is 

 small and Black, covered with a light violet bloom; the juice 

 >s richly sugared; the flesh parts from the stone, and it bears 

 well, ripening in the beginning of August. 4. The Orleans 

 Plum, is so well known that it is only necessary to say, that 

 the only reason for its being so general is, that it bears 

 abundantly, and is on that account preferred by those who 

 supply the fruit-markets, for it certainly is not an excellent 

 Plum. It ripens in August. 5. The Black Perdigron Plum : 

 this is a middling-sized and oval-shaped sort ; the outside is 

 of a very dark colour, covered over with a violet bloom ; the 

 flesh is firm, and full of an excellent rich juice. It ripens in 

 August, and is. greatly esteemed by the curious. 6. The Vio- 

 let, or Blue Perdigron Plum, is a large, rather round than 

 oval fruit, of a bluish-red colour on the outside ; the flesh is 

 of a yellowish colour, pretty firm, and closely adheres to the 

 stone; the juice is exquisitely flavoured. It ripens in August. 

 7. The White Perdigron Plum: this is of an oblong figure; 

 the outside is yellow, covered with a white bloom ; the flesh 

 is firm and well tasted. It is a very good fruit, either to ea* 

 raw or for sweetmeats, having an agreeable sweetness, mixed 

 with an acidity. It ripens at the end of August. 8. The 

 Red Imperial, or Bonum Magnum Plum, is a large oval-shaped 

 fruit, of a deep red colour, covered with a fine bloom. It is 

 very dry, but a great bearer, and excellent for sweetmeats. 

 Ripe in September. 9. The White Imperial Bonum Mag- 

 num, White Holland, Mogul, or Egg Plum, is a large, oval- 

 shaped, yellowish-coloured fruit, covered with a white bloom, 

 the flesh is firm, but adheres closely to the stone. Having 

 an acid taste, it is not so fit for eating as for baking, or 

 making into sweetmeats. It is a great bearer, and ripens in 

 September. 10. The Apricot Plum, ripens at the end of 

 September, and is large and round, yellow-coloured on the 

 outside, powdered over with a white bloom ; the flesh is firm 

 and dry, of a sweet taste, and comes clean from the stone. 

 1 1. The Dauphiny, or Large Queen Claudia Plum, has a num- 

 ber of other fantastical French names, and is one of the best 

 Plums in England ; it is of a middle size, round, and of a 

 yellowish-green colour on the outside ; the flesh is of a deep 

 green colour, and parts from the stone. It is a great bearer, 

 and has a very richly-flavoured juice. It ripens in the middle 

 of September, and is confounded by most people in England 

 by the name of Green Gage : but this is the sort that should 

 be chosen, for there are three or four different sorts generally 

 sold for it, one of which is small, round, and dry, "but later 

 ripe, and not worth preserving. 12. The Saint Catherine 

 Plum, is a large, oval-shaped, rather flat fruit, amber-coloured 

 on the outside, inside of a bright yellow colour ; the flesh 

 adheres firmly to the stone, and has a very agreeable sweet 

 taste. It ripens at the end of September, and is very subject 

 to dry upon the tree, when the autumn proves warm "and dry. 

 It makes fine sweetmeats, and is a plentiful bearer. 13. The 

 Brignole Plum, which ripens in the middle of September, and 

 is esteemed the best yet known for sweetmeats, is a large 



VOL. II. 100. 



oval-shaped fruit, of a yellowish colour, mixed with red on 

 the outside; the flesh is of a bright yellow colour, dry, and 

 of an excellent rich flavour. 14. The Cherry Plum, so called 

 from the fruit being generally of the size of the Ox-heart 

 Cherry. It is round, red, and resembles a Cherry in the 

 length of its stalk and general appearance, so as not to be 

 distinguished at a distance. The blossoms of this tree come 

 out very early in the spring, and, being tender, are very often 

 destroyed by cold; but they afford a very agreeable prospect, 

 for, being generally covered with flowers, which open about 

 the same time as the Almonds, their appearance is most 

 beautiful, though it is to be regretted that this early blossom- 

 ing greatly diminishes the quantity of their fruit. 15. The 

 White Pear Plum, we only notice, to say, that it affords the 

 best of all stocks for budding the tenderer sorts of Peaches. 

 16. The Muscle Plum, is oblong and flat, of a dark red 

 colour, with a large stone ; the flesh being not well tasted, 

 and very thin, it is chiefly used for stocks, like the White 

 Pear Plum. 17. The Green Gage (see above, No. 11.) is the 

 finest eating Plum we have, especially when it is tinged with 

 purple. It ripens very well on standards or espaliers in Au- 

 gust and September. 18. The Damascene, vulgarly called 

 the Damson, is a small, roundish, dark-blue Plum. This 

 kind has almost universally the reputation of being more 

 wholesome than any other, and, being a great bearer, is largely 

 cnltivated in orchards, to supply the continual demand for it 

 while in season. It ripens in September. The ornamental 

 varieties of this species, are the Double-blossomed, the Gold 

 and the Silver striped, and the Stoneless Plum. Notwith- 

 standing the popular disrepute of Plums as insalubrious, 

 Woodville maintains, that when perfectly ripe, and taken in 

 a moderate quantity, they are not unwholesome; though, when 

 eaten unripe, they are more liable to occasion colics, 

 diarrhoea, or cholera, than any other fruit of this class. In a 

 medicinal point of view, they are emollient, cooling, and laxa- 

 tive, especially the dried French Prunes, imported from 

 Marseilles; for though their opening power diminishes by 

 drying, yet as they retain much of their acid, they are more 

 laxative than the other dried fruits. Hence they are pecu- 

 liarly beneficial to costive habits, and are frequently ordered 

 in decoction with senna and other purgatives. Propagation 

 and Culture. All the varieties are propagated by budding or 

 grafting upon stocks of the Muscle White Pear, or the Bonum 

 Magnum Plum ; and for the manner of raising these stocks, the 

 reader is referred to the article Nursery. Budding Plum- 

 trees is much preferable to grafting, because they are so very 

 liable to gum wherever large wounds are made. The trees 

 should not be more than one year's growth from the bud 

 when they are transplanted; for if older, they are very sub- 

 ject to canker; or if they take well to the ground, commonly 

 produce only two or three luxuriant branches. The manner 

 of preparing the ground, if for walls, is the same as for 

 Peaches ; see Amygdalus. The distance between these trees 

 should not be less than twenty-four feet against high walls, 

 and, where' the walls are low, thirty feet asunder. They 

 require a middling soil, neither too wet and heavy, nor too 

 light and dry. Those planted against walls should have an 

 east or south-east aspect, which are more kindly to them 

 than full south, on which they are subject to shrivel and 

 become very dry : and many sorts will be extremely mealy, 

 if too much exposed to the heat of the sun ; but most sorts 

 will ripen extremely well on espaliers, if rightly managed. 

 Plums are sometimes planted for standards, and some of th 

 ordinary sorts will in that case bear very well; but their fruit 

 will not be near so fair as that produced on espaliers, besides 

 being in greater danger of being bruised or blown down by 

 5 N 



