544 THE FEUIT MANUAL. 



with thick blue bloom. Stalk, half an inch long, inserted in a small 

 cavity. Flesh, yellowish green, sweet, and pleasantly flavoured, 

 separating from the stone. 



A baking plum ; ripe in the end of July and beginning of August. 

 Shoots, slightly downy. This is one of the earliest plums, being nearly 

 & month earlier than Precoce de Tours. 



DAMAS DE 8EPTEMBRE (Prune de Vacance).—'Fimt, small; 

 oval, marked with a distinct suture. Skin, brownish purple, thickly 

 covered with blue bloom. Stalk, half an inch long, slender, inserted 

 in a narrow and rather deep cavity. Flesh, yellow, firm, rich, and 

 agreeably flavoured when well ripened, and separating from the stone. 



A dessert or preserving plum ; ripe in the end of September. The 

 tree is very vigorous, and an abundant bearer. Shoots, downy. 



Damas de Tours. See Precoce de Tours. 



Damas Vert. See Green Gage. 



Damas Violet. See Violet Damask. 



Damascene. See Damson. 



Dame Aubert. See White Magnum Bonum. 



Dame Aubert Blanche. See White Magnum Bonum. 



Dame Aubert Violette. See Bed Magnum Bonum. 



DAMSON. — The Damson seems to be a fruit peculiar to England. 

 We do not meet with it abroad, nor is any mention made of it in any 

 of the pomological works or nurserymen's catalogues on the Continent. 

 In America the varieties of damson are as much cultivated as with lis, 

 and that is not to be wondered at ; but it is singular that the cultiva- 

 tion of damsons should be confined to our own race. 



There are many varieties of this fruit grown in this country, all 

 originating from the native plum, Prunus insititia, from which also 

 the BuUace is derived. The only difierence between a Bnllace and a 

 Damson being that the former is round and the latter oval. Of these, 

 the following are those most worth cultivating : — 



Common {Bound Damson). — Fruit, very small ; roundish oval. Skin, 

 deep dark purple or black, covered with thin bloom. Flesh, greenish 

 yellow, juicy, and austere till highly ripened; separating from the 

 stone. 



A well known preserving plum ; ripe in the end of September. 

 Young shoots, downy. 



Pbune (Damascene; Long Damson; Shropshire Damson). — The 

 fruit of this variety is much larger than that of the Common Black 

 Damson, and more distinctly oval. The flesh adheres to the stone. 



This is a better variety than the common for preserving, and makes 

 an excellent jam ; ripe in the middle of September. The tree is not 

 such a good bearer as the common. Young shoots, downy. 



