26 FLOWERS AND FRUITS. 



are to be found in the British gardens, rather more in France, and 

 ovei forty in our own. 



The dried fruit is the commercial form ; it is with us, a consider- 

 able article of trade. The prunes brought into our markets, come 

 from the south of France ; the ones generally preferred from Bor- 

 deaux ; they are derived from the Juliana of Linnaeus. The fresh 

 fruit called prune d# Saint Julieri by the French -is of an oval shape, 

 nearly an inch in length and of a deep violet color. They are 

 prepared for exportation by a careful evaporation of their watery 

 particles in the heat of an oven ; the process being finished by after- 

 wards exposing them till thoroughly dried in the Sun. The finest 

 prunes are prepared from the larger kinds ; among these the Prune 

 de Monsieur, the one represented in our plate takes the first rank. 

 The variety introduced from Germany is an inferior sort and held 

 in very low estimation ; they are somewhat smaller and more rough 

 to the tojich, and may be known by the dark, approaching to a 

 black, appearance which they present. , . , , , 



Plums have a pleasant feeble odor and a sweet mucilaginous 

 taste, just tart enough to make it the more agreeable ; this they owe 

 to the uncrystallizable sugar, malic acid and gum which they contain. 

 As this analysis gives a great quantity of the elements of alcohol, 

 the Germans have taken advantage of the fact, to make from the 

 fruit an excellent Brandy which in some districts is much employed ; 

 producing evil from good, and exactly reversing the example of the 

 Bee, which from .poisonous flowers extracts delicious and healthy 

 honey. 



Our common Beach-plum, is much prized for its fine fruit ; this, 

 is large, globular, about an inch in diameter, of, a handsome purple 

 color, with the flavor of the common plum, and quite as worthy of 

 cultivation. It loves the sea, being always found near salt-wat.er. 

 It blooms in May. blossoms small and white; the fruit ripening in 

 August and September, . 



