THE BLACKTHORN. Ill 



during the transit to England. The consequence was, that 

 it stood without a name until it bore fruit, when the 

 gardener very appropriately called it " Green-gage," in 

 honour of the family who had introduced it. Since the 

 revival of royalty in France, the Citizen-plum has recovered 

 its ancient name, and " Eeine Claudes " are now exported 

 in large quantities. 



The best prunes and French-plums come from Provence 

 and the neighbourhood of Tours, the quality depending 

 upon the sort of fruit used, and the care observed in the 



MAGNUM-BOX UM PLUM. 



preparation. The commoner kinds are shaken from the 

 tree and baked in an oven ; but the finer sorts are gathered 

 singly by the stems before sunrise, and laid, without touch- 

 ing one another, exposed to the sun and air several days 

 before baking, great care being taken not to remove the 

 delicate bloom with which they are covered. 



Brignoles l are the dried fruit of a tree which grows prin- 

 cipally near the town of the same name in Provence. They 

 are peeled when fresh, and dried in the sun. When the 

 ' Corrupted into Prunellas. 



