344 THE PLUM. 



firm, juicy, rich, nearly first-rate. Shoots vigorous, straight, 

 glossy reddish purple ; leaves dark green, crimpled. Ri- 

 pens the last week of summer. Productive in nearly all 

 soils. Long Island. 



Hovey considers this identical with Cooper's Plum, of Coxe 

 and others. 



Nectarine. Large, regular, roundish; skin purple, bloom 

 blue ; stalk half an inch long, stout ; flesh dull greenish- 

 yellow, often tinged with red, rather coarse, rich, acid, 

 partly adhering to the stone. Rather early. Shoots 

 nearly smooth, leaves broad. Quite distinct from the 

 Peach Plum of the preceding class. 



ROYAL TOURS. (Syn. Royale de Tours.) Large, roundish, 

 suture deep, half round, one side swollen ; a white de- 

 pressed point at apex; skin red in the shade, deep violet 

 in the sun, bloom copious, blue ; stalk half to three-fourths 

 of an inch long, cavity narrow; flesh greenish- white, 

 rather firm, juicy, rich, high-flavored, adhering closely 

 to the large, oval, flattened stone. Quite early; shoots 

 quite downy. Valuable for its earliness and good quali- 

 ty. The genuine sort is very rare. French. 



Section II. Fruit medium in size. 



BLUE IMPEHATRICE. (Syn. Imperatrice.) Size, medium, 

 obovate, narrowed to the base in a somewhat obconic 

 neck ; skin deep purple, bloom copious, blue ; stalk three- 

 fourths of an inch long, slightly sunk ; flesh greenish- 

 yellow, rather firm, not juicy, rich, sugary; ripening very 

 late, and hanging till nearly winter. 



The variety known erroneously as the Semiana or Blue Im* 

 peratrice of Boston, and disseminated as such, differs from 

 the true Imperatrice in its shorter and smaller neck, much 

 shorter and not sunk stalk, and more acid flavor. It is 

 very productive, and a good very late culinary sort. 



Blue Perdrigon. (Syn. Violet Perdrigon.) Medium in 

 size, oval, slightly narrowed at base, skin reddish, be- 

 coming purple, with many brown dots ; bloom whitish, 

 very copious ; stalk three-fourths of an inch long, cavity 



