88 TREATISE ON FRUIT TREES. 



Its stalk is quite thick, four to six lignes long and inserts into a narrow, round, and not 

 very deep cavity. Its top is slightly flattened. It's seventeen lignes long, the same across 

 its large diameter, and sixteen lignes across its short diameter. If it survives the rainy 

 weather while it's ripening, it splits open without any loss in quality. 



Its skin has a lot of bloom on it and is speckled with tawny spots. The side in the 

 sun is dark purple bordering on black. The other side is a mixture of light purple & 

 yellow. It's leathery but it easily separates from the flesh & it has no tartness, acidity, or 

 bitterness. 



Its flesh is very light yellow, firm, tender, & delicate. 



The juice is plentiful, sweet and flavorful. 



The pit clings to the flesh at several places unless the fruit is very ripe. It's oval, 

 flattened, practically smooth, eight-&-a-half lignes long, six-&-a-half lignes wide, and 

 three-&-a-half lignes thick. 



This plum, which can be numbered among the best, ripens after the middle of 

 August. The tree is very fruitful & doesn't need to be put on espalier. 



XXIV. PLUM TREE with large, roundish-flattened pale purple fruit. 

 ROYALE. (PL X.) 



This plum tree grows into a large tree. 



The shoots are vigorous, thick and long. The bark is purple with ash-colored 

 spots. Most often it's flax-gray on the sun side & gray-green on the shaded side. 



The buds are small, very sharp, & don't lie close to the branch. 



The flowers are beautiful, thirteen lignes in diameter. The petals are six lignes 

 long, five lignes wide, and slightly concave like a spoon. 



