62 



PLUMS. 



furrow on one side, very blunt at each end ; foot-stalk short, 

 in a narrow cavity ; skin bright yellowish ochre colour, with 

 a slight evanescent bloom ; flesh firm, juicy, sweet, abundant, 

 and rather more transparent than that of most plums. 



MONSIEUR. Pr. cat. Duh. Mil. For. Lond. hoet. cat. 



Late Monsieur. Pr. cat., 26th ed. 

 Monsieur, of the French collections generally. 

 Prune de Monsieur* Duh. Mil. 

 Monsieur ordinaire. Lond. Hort. cat. 



This variety is the one which is the most extensively kiown 

 under the title of Monsieur ; it is however very different from 

 the Monsieur or Wentworth of the English. The plum is not 

 perfectly round, being sixteen lines in length, and eighteen in 

 diameter ; the peduncle is large, seven lines long, and inserted 

 in a rather deep cavity, from which a very conspicuous suture 

 extends to the extremity of the fruit, and divides it into two 

 parts ; the skin is purple with a moderate degree of bloom ; the 

 flesh is yellowish, melting, and rather high flavoured, provided 

 the tree is in an elevated, dry, and warm soil ; inferior in point 

 of flavour, when it is in a low or wet location. The stone is 

 somewhat rough, and does not adhere to the flesh ; it is seven 

 lines long, and of the same breadth. This pltim ripens at the 

 end of July ; the tree is of strong and vigorous growth, the 

 crops are very abundant, and it is very extensively cultivated 

 in the orchards and gardens of France, where it is highly ap- 

 preciated. Tournefort gives the title of Monsieur to a yellow 

 plum, which is consequently a difierent variety from this, and 

 Duhamel states that he does not know what variety he could 

 have referred to, unless it be the Yellow Egg, {Daine Auhert 

 jaune.) The character he gives, "Prunus fructu ovato, max- 

 imo, flavo," accords with that variety. 



EARLY MONSIEUR. Pr. cat. 



Monsieur hatif. Duh. Lond Hort. cat. j Monsieur hative. 

 This fruit is nearly round, seventeen lines long, and the 

 same in diameter at the largest part, and a line less at the 



