THE ROSE, POME, AND DRUPE FAMILY. 481 



Later Rivers. Below medium size ; round ; dark purple, 

 almost black; juicy; rich and good; one of the latest Plums. 

 November. 



Rivers' s Early Damson. A seedling from St Etienne Plum ; 

 a charming addition to Damsons. Early in August. 



Sultan. A seedling raised from Belle de Septembre. Large ; 

 round ; deep red ; very productive. Middle of August. 



The Czar. A very large early purple Plum ; ripening about 

 the end of July; rich and good; very productive. This Plum 

 will prove very valuable to all planters ; it is as large as the 

 " Black Diamond," and the tree is hardy and robust in growth. 

 The fruit is not liable to crack like the Early Orleans. 



Crittenderfs Prolific Damson. This was raised many years 

 ago by Mr J. Crittenden of East Farleigh, and is said to 

 possess extraordinary bearing qualities as compared with the 

 sorts usually grown, so much so, that of late years many growers 

 have done away with the Prune, Shropshire, and other Dam- 

 sons, and introduced Crittenden's, which is so popular in the 

 district that every year a stock of it is raised from suckers, 

 which can be had in any number. Its free-bearing character 

 and its qualities as a fruit are well attested; when the fruit 

 begins to swell, the branches have in many cases to be propped 

 up, to prevent their breaking. 



Pyrus. A genus of Rosaceous fruit-trees indigenous to Eu- 

 rope and Northern Asia, the wild forms of P. communis (Pear) 

 and P. mains (Apple) having given rise to thousands of culti- 

 vated varieties. Those interested in the many forms of wild 

 and cultivated Pears, Plums, Peaches, and other hardy fruits, 

 should see the beautifully-engraved plates in the ' Jardin Fruitier 

 du Museum,' a magnificent work transcribed in the best of all 

 languages from specimens in a good national garden Jardin 

 des Plantes by Professors Decaisne and Riocrieux. The 

 Apple, more especially, is one of the most valuable and whole- 

 some of all our cultivated fruits ; and, like the Orange of Italy 

 and Spain, its value is increased owing to the length of time 

 its fresh fruits may be had in perfection that is, all the year 

 round ; indeed, one variety called the " French Crab " will keep 

 two years, and seedlings or cross-bred varieties from this variety 

 ought to give us a race of valuable keeping Apples. Apples 

 and Pears are propagated from cuttings much more readily 

 than is by many supposed; and some varieties which form 

 knaurs on their branches, as the " Bur Knot," strike root so 

 readily that large branches three to four feet in length may be 

 taken off and put in for cuttings with success. These large 



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