548 THE FRUIT MANUAL. 



quarters of an inch long. Flesh, yellowish green, juicy, briskly and 

 somewhat richly flavoured, separating from the stone. 



A dessert plum of a rich quality ; ripe the beginning of August. 

 The tree produces long, slender, and downy shoots, and is a most 

 abundant bearer. 



It is rather singular that this is not mentioned by any of the French authors of 

 the last century, nor by our countryman Miller. It was advertised by Cooper, a 

 nurseryman of Kensington, in 1 754, as being raised by him, and in the Brompton 

 Park Catalogue of that year I find it by the name of Cooper's Blue Gage. In 

 1757 it is called Azure Blue, till 1762, when the name which it has now retained 

 seems to have been adopted. 



Early Damask. See Morocco. 



EAKLY FAVOEITE [Rivers' Early Favorite; Rivers' No. 1).— 

 Fruit, rather below medium size ; roundish oval, and marked with a 

 shallow suture. Skin, deep dark purple, almost black, marked with 

 russet dots, and covered with thin bloom. Flesh, greenish yellow, 

 juicy, sweet, and of excellent flavour, separating from the stone. 



An excellent early plum, raised by Mr. Elvers, of Sawbridgeworth, 

 from Precoce de Tours at the same time as Early Eivers. It ripens 

 in the end of July ; and, if grown against a wall, it will ripen in the 

 middle of the month. Young shoots, downy. 



EAELY GEEEN GAGE (Reine Claude Hdtive). —Fmit, smaU; 

 round, and flattened at the top. Skin, yellowish green, with a red 

 cheek on one side, and strewed with a few dots. Stalk, about half an 

 inch long. Flesh, yellow, very tender, juicy, sugary, and richly 

 flavoured, separating from the stone. 



A first-rate very early Green Gage ; ripe in the end of July and 

 early in August. Shoots, smooth. 



EAELY MIEABELLE {Mirabelle Precoce).— Fruit, very small, the 

 size of a Bullace, rounder than the common Mirabelle. Skin, golden 

 yellow, with a few crimson spots on the side next the sun. Stalk, 

 half an inch long. Flesh, yellow, sweet, and with a deUghtfuI aroma ; 

 it separates from the stone, which is very small. 



A delicious little early plum ; ripe in the last week of July. The 

 tree makes a fine bush, and bears abundantly. It deserves to be gene- 

 rally cultivated. Shoots, downy. 



Early Morocco. See Morocco. 



EAELY OELEANS {Grimwood Early Orleans; Hampton Court; 

 Monsieur Hdtif; Monsieur Hdtif de Montmorency ; Keu' Orlmns ; 

 Wilmot's Early Orleans; Wilmot's Orleans). — Fruit, medium sized; 

 round, flattened at the apex, and marked with a suture, which extends 

 the whole length of one side. Skin, deep purple, mottled with darker 

 colour, and covered with thin blue bloom. Stalk, slender, about half 

 an inch long, inserted in a rather deep cavity. Flesh, yellowish green, 

 tender, of a rather flat flavour, and separating freely from the stone. 



A second-rate dessert plum, but excellent for culinary purposes ; 

 ripe in the beginning and middle of August. Shoots, downy. 



