156 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



down and the scions taken off in good time, as 

 directed, they will generally succeed. It is a 

 good plan to earth up the grafts above the clay, 



Fig. 952.— Sizes of Plums. 

 a, Washington, large. 6, Coe's Late Ked, medium, c, Coe's Mirabelle, small. 



where this can be done, as the soil helps to 

 keep the clay from drying. 



In budding, care must be taken that wood 

 and not blossom buds are inserted; and in 

 grafting, it is necessary to see that there are 

 wood buds on the scion. Occasionally it may 

 be desirable to propagate a particular variety, 

 the shoots of which have scarcely any wood 

 buds, except their terminal ones; and when 

 such shoots must be employed for scions, the 

 buds at the extremities should not be cut away ; 

 they must form the terminal bud of the scion. 



Insects, ti'c. (Plum). — See chapter on this sub- 

 ject. Bark Enemies. — Apple Mussel Scale, 

 Wceberian Tortrix. Fruit and Seed Enemies. — 

 Birds, Plum Sawfly, Red Grub of Plum, Wasps. 

 Leaf Enemies. — Plum Aphides, Red Spider, 

 Slug-worms, Small Ermine Moth, Winter Moth. 

 Stem Borers. — Stem-boring Weevils, Wood Leo- 

 pard Moth. 



Select List of Varieties of Plums. 



Angelina Burdett. — Dessert. August-September. A 

 Plum of the finest quality. Fruit medium, round, dark- 

 purple, marked with a suture ; skin thick, mottled with 

 brown ; flesh yellowish, juicy, and richly flavoured. A 

 good grower and bearer either on a wall or as a bush. 



Archduke. — Culinary. October. Fruit large, oval, 

 purple. An immense cropper and a good grower on 

 walls or fences, or as a bush. Raised by Mr. Rivers. 



Autumn Compote. — Culinary. September. Fruit hand- 

 some, very large, bright-red; skin thin; flesh yellow, 

 tender, and juicy. A hardy and productive variety, best 

 grown on a wall, as the skin is apt to split on trees in the 

 open in a wet season. 



Belgian Purple. — Culinary and dessert. Mid- August. 

 Fruit medium to large, roundish, violet -purple, with a 



copious bloom ; flesh greenish, juicy, sweet and rich when 

 thoroughly ripe. The tree has a hardy vigorous consti- 

 tution, and is a great bearer. A first-rate market variety. 



Belle de Louvain. — Culinary. August -September. 

 Fruit large, oval, deep-purple, with a thin bloom; flesh 

 firm, yellowish, juicy, and richly flavoured. A heavy 

 cropper, hardy, succeeds either on a wall, or as a standard 

 or bush. 



Belle de Septembre. — Culinary. October. Fruit large, 

 roundish, oval, reddish - purple, with light -brown dots 

 and thin bloom; flesh yellowish, firm, juicy, and fairly 

 sweet. Should be grown against a wall, as the fruits are 

 inclined to burst if grown in the open. 



Bonne Bouche. — Dessert. September. A hardy Gage, 

 suitable either for a wall or the open; very fertile as a 

 cordon. Fruit medium, greenish-yellow; flesh golden- 

 yellow, tender, juicy, of delicious flavour. 



Boidouf. — Dessert. September. Fruit large, roundish, 

 red, heavily dotted and blotched with russet, with a 

 heavy bloom ; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, with a rich 



Fig. 953.— Plum. Coe's* OoM^ti T>rop. 



Gage-like flavour. Tree hardy, a good bearer as a cordon 

 on an eastern aspect. 



Brahy's Green Gage.— Dessert. 'Late September. Fruit 



