318 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



halves equal; cavity very shallow and narrow, abrupt; suture indistinct; apex round- 

 ish or depressed; color clear currant-red, with thin bloom; dots few, medium to large, 

 whitish, somewhat conspicuous, clustered about the apex; stem very slender, three- 

 quarters inch long, glabrous, adhering poorly to the fruit; skin tough, cracking under 

 unfavorable conditions, separating readily; flesh deep yellow, juicy, fibrous, tender 

 and melting, sweet next the skin but sour at the center, of pleasant flavor; fair to good 

 in quality; stone clinging closely, five-eighths inch by three-eighths inch in size, narrow, 

 long-oval, turgid, smooth, flattened and necked at the base, abruptly sharp-tipped at 

 the apex; ventral suture acute, inconspicuous; dorsal suture blunt, faintly grooved. 



PURPLE GAGE 



Prunus domestica 



I. Pom. Mag. 3:129, PI. 1830. 2. Land. Hort. Soc. Cat. 152, 153. 1831. 3. Downing Fr. 

 Trees Am. 308 fig. 127. 1843. 4. Poiteau Pom. Franc. I. 1846. 5. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 339. 

 1849. 6. Ant. Pom. Soc. Cat. 54. 1852. 7. Ann. Pom. Beige 3:71, PI. 1855. 8. Thompson Card. 

 Ass't 519, PI. i. 1859. 9. Hogg Fruit Man. 477. 1866. 10. Pom. France 7:No. 9. 1871. n. Mas 

 Le Verger 6:3 fig. 2. 1866-73. 12 - Cat. Cong. Pom. France 367. 1887. 13. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 

 452. 1889. 14. Guide Prat. 155, 364. 1895. 



Blaue Reine-Claude 10, n, 13 incor., 14. Die Violettf Konigin Claudia 13. Die Violette Konigin 

 Claudie i. Die Violette Koning Claudie 3. Die Violette oder blaue Renoclode 10, 14. Die Violette 

 oder Blaue Reneclode n, 13. Purple Gage 2, 8, 10, n, 12, 13, 14. Prune Reine Claude Violette 

 4, 10. Reine-Claude Alex. Dumas 14. Reine-Claude Violette 2, 7, 8, n, 12, 14. Reine-Claude 

 Violette i, 3, 5, 9, 13. Violet Queen Claude 3, 5. Violet Gage 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 14. Violette Reine- 

 Claude 13. Violet Gage 2. Violette Queen Claude 13. Violet oder Blaue Reneclode 13. 



Purple Gage is worthy of attention as one of the best flavored of all 

 purple plums. In all but color of fruit it is a true Gage, to say which is 

 a sufficient characterization as to quality. In size it averages larger than 

 most of the Gages or Reine Claude plums, and in color is a rich dark purple 

 as attractive as any of the purple plums. Another good quality of the 

 fruit is that of hanging to the tree until it shrivels at which time it is richest 

 in flavor. Unfortunately the trees, while averaging very well in other 

 respects, are not productive and the variety cannot be recommended for 

 money-making though it well deserves a place in home orchards. 



Purple Gage is a European variety of unknown origin, though in 

 the Catalogue descriptif des fruits adoptes par le Congres pomologique 

 for 1887, it is said to have been raised by M. Galopin of Liege, Belgium. 

 As it was not mentioned by Duhamel in his Traite des Arbres Fruitier s 

 in 1768, it is thought to have been unknown at that date. English and 

 American authors generally apply the name Purple Gage .to this variety 

 but in continental countries the name Reine Claude Violette is most common. 

 It was imported into America early in the last century and in 1852 was 



