THE MYROBALAN PLUM 209 



Is still much employed for this purpose in the South. 

 A Btudy*of this new type of plum at once revealed some 

 striking botanical features, and it was found that the 

 De Caradeuc, an older plum, is very closely related to 

 n : ami the Hattie is probably to be referred to the 

 Bame group. This class differs from anj of the fore- 

 going in hal.it of tree, very early flowering, elliptic- 

 ovate, rather small and finely serrate dull leaves, gland- 

 leaf-stalks, and soft, spherical, very juicj plums 

 of a "sugar and water" character, and broad, ovate 

 stones, which are scarcely pointed and are prominently 

 farrowed on the front edge. The botanical position of 

 these plums lias been a subjecl of speculation, to which 

 I have added my full Bhare of confusion by referring 

 them to Prunus umbellata of the South. I was soon 

 convinced, however, that the De Caradeuc is a myro- 

 balan plum, ami that the Marianna is either the same 

 species or ;1 hybrid between it and some American 

 plum, possibly the Wild Goose. This seemed to he ;l 



Btartling conclusion at the time that it was first ex- 



pressed, particularly as the Marianna had come to i„- -,, 

 extensively used as a stock to replace the myrobalan, 

 which appears to be growing in disfavor. Before 

 entering into detail containing the origin of these 

 plum-, it will l.e useful to our inquiry to clear up some 

 of the history of the myrobalan plum itself. 



The myrobalan plum is a foreigner. The word 

 myrobalan (or myrobolan), a- a noun. i> used to desig- 

 nate various Bmall tropical fruits which are used in the 

 art-, chiefly foe tanning purposes. It is now com- 

 monly applied to the fruits of the species of Term in alia, 

 "f the family CombretaceaB, which are imported from 



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