310 



13, that there was a great variety of this fruit 

 in Italy ; and it is not long, says he, since 

 the country about Grenada and Andalusia 

 began to graft plums upon apple stocks, 

 which were called apple plums ; others upon 

 almond stocks, which he calls a clever device, 

 as it produced both fruits, the stone being like 

 the kernel of an almond. Those grafted upon 

 nut-stocks, he states, retained the form of the 

 mother graft ; but they got the taste of the 

 stock wherein they were set. 



The wild sloe and bullace are indigenous 

 to this country, and in all probability the 

 only kinds that are natives ; but, like the 

 wild crab-apple, they have furnished stocks 

 for every variety of their own species ; and 

 this fruit appears to have been attended to 

 in early days, if we may judge from the 

 variety that Gerard had in his garden at 

 Holborn, in 1597- " I have," says he, " three 

 score sorts in my garden, and all strange and 

 rare : there be in other places many more 

 common, and yet yeerely comrneth to our 

 handes others not before knowne. The great- 

 est varietie of these rare plums, are to be 

 found in the grounds of Master Vincent 

 Pointer, of Twicknam." 



The Damson, or Damascene plum takes its 

 name from Damascus, where it grows in great 



