572 THE FEUIT MANUAL. 



medium sized ; round, sliglitly depressed at the apex, and marked with 

 a very shallow suture. Skin, thick, separating freely from the flesh, 

 of a fine clear purple next the sun, and red on the shaded side, marked 

 with several fawn-coloured dots, and thickly covered with pale blue 

 bloom. Stalk, three-quarters of an inch long, set in a rather wide 

 cavity. Flesh, greenish yellow, juicy, and melting, with a rich, brisk, 

 and pleasant flavour ; adhering to the stone. 



An excellent plum for drying or preserving ; ripe in October. The 

 young shoots are smooth. The tree is vigorous and an excellent 

 bearer. When grown against a wall the fruit wUl hang tiU it shrivels, 

 and forms a delicious sugary sweetmeat. 



This plum is often met with in the French nurferies under the name of Impera- 

 trice Violette and Altesse, hence it is that Altesse is sometimes applied to our 

 Blue Imp6ratrice. It is the Imperatrice of Merlet. The Suisse of Merlet is a long 

 plum, resembling the Red Magnum Bonum, and the flesh separating from the 

 stone. It is frequently met with in the French nurseries under the name of 

 Quetsche. 



SULTAN. — Fruit, above medium size ; round, marked with a deep 

 suture. Skin, dark purple, covered with a thick blue bloom. Stalk, 

 about half an inch long, inserted in a wide hollow. Flesh, greenish 

 yellow, adhering to the stone, fijrm, brisk, and sweet, with a pleasant 

 flavour. 



A culinary plum of great excellence ; ripe in the middle of August. 

 It bears considerable resemblance to Orleans, but the tree is a most 

 profuse bearer, and the fruit is so much earlier. Young shoots, smooth. 



A seedling, raised by Mr. Eivers, of Sawbridgeworth, in 1871. 



Sweet Damson. See Eugmie Fiirst. 



Sweet Prune. See Quetsche. 



Switzer's Plum. See Suisse. 



TARDIVE DE CHALONS.— Fruit, rather small ; round, inclining 

 to oval, and marked with a well-defined suture. Skin, brownish red, 

 thinly strewed with minute dots. Stalk, three-quarters of an inch 

 long. Flesh, firm, tender, sweet, and well flavoured, separating with 

 difficulty from the stone. Shoots, downy. 



A dessert or preserving plum ; ripe in October. 



TAY BANK (Guthrie's Tay Bank). — This is a large, round, green 

 plum, similar to the Green Gage, but very much larger, and it is later, 

 ripening in the middle and end of September. 



TOPAZ {Guthrie's Topaz). — Fruit, medium sized ; oval, narrowing 

 at the stalk, and marked with a distinct suture. Skin, fine clear yellow, 

 covered with thin bloom. Stalk, an inch long, inserted in a small 

 cavity. Flesh, yellow, juicy, sweet, and richly flavoured, adhering to 

 the stone. Shoots, smooth. 



A dessert plum ; ripening in the middle and end of September, and 

 banging till it shrivels. 



