80 TREATISE ON FRUIT TREES, 



but even more because it ripens early, around the end of July. 



XVI. PLUM TREE with large, roundish, deep purple early fruit. 

 Early MONSIEUR. (PL XX. Fig. /.) 



This plum tree is a variety of the preceding one. It's very similar, even its fruit. 

 The main difference is when the fruit ripens. The early Monsieur ripens around mid-July, 

 about fifteen days before the other one. 



The fruit is big, almost round, even though it appears slightly oblong. It's 

 seventeen lignes high; its large diameter is seventeen lignes & its small diameter is 

 sixteen lignes. A not very deep groove runs along one side of it from the top to the stalk. 

 The stalk is slender, four-&-a-half lignes long and is set into a narrow & quite deep 

 cavity. At the other end of the fruit there's a small flattening that's very slightly indented. 



Its skin is deep purple, covered with much bloom and is very bitter, but it peels 

 off the flesh easily. 



Its flesh is soft, yellow verging on green. 



The juice is quite plentiful though not very flavorful. 



The pit is nine lignes long, six lignes wide, and four lignes thick. It's yellow & 

 slightly rough. It terminates in a blunt point at the end near the fruit's stalk. The 

 remainder is oval. 



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