THE BULLACE AND DAMSON. 51 



CHAPTER VI. 

 The Bullace and Damson. 



THE BULLACE AND DAMSON belong to the Plum family, but 

 they possess sufficient distinctive characteristics to be 

 treated in a separate chapter. The Common Bullace (Pru- 

 nus insititia) is a native tree, but is not very common 

 in a wild state. It forms a medium-sized tree, and 

 bears small roundish, yellow-green or white fruits, which 

 are excellent for tarts. As a rule, Bullaces are free crop- 

 pers, and well suited for planting in hedgerows. The 

 Bullace must not be confounded with the Sloe, or Black- 

 thorn (Prunus spinosa). This grows in bush form in 

 hedges, etc., and has its branches covered with spines. 

 The Damson derives its name from Damascus, where 

 the fruit was grown before the Christian era under the 

 name of " Damascenes." It seems to have been intro- 

 duced from thence into Italy about 114 B.C. When they 

 were introduced into this country we are unable to say. 

 The earliest reference to Damsons we can find is in Parkin- 

 son's " Paradisi in Sole, Paradisus Terrestris," published 

 in 1629. There he mentions two or more varieties. 

 The Damson was formerly cultivated very largely in cot- 

 tage gardens in Shropshire, Cheshire, Worcester, and 

 Hereford, and we have known individual trees to yield 

 fruit of the value of $ in one season. High prices were 

 realised for the fruit forty years ago, it being in great 

 demand for yielding liquor for dyeing purposes. The 

 latter having been superseded by chemical substitutes, 

 there is nowadays less demand for the fruit, its chief use 

 being for bottling and preserving. Many people also 

 make an excellent wine from the ripe fruit. 



Propagation. Both the Bullace and the Damson are 

 propagated by seed and by suckers. The seeds, or stones, 



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