92 



PLUMS. 



FOTHERINGHAM. Pr. cat. Laxg. Mil. Lond. hort. cat. 



For. 



Foderingham. Sheen plum. 

 This fruit is of excellent quality, in which respect there are 

 but few which excel it ; it is of large size, the form oblong, 

 with a deep suture ; the skin is of a deep red colour, a little 

 spotted, and covered with a slight violet bloom ; the flesh is 

 white, firm and crisp, rich, juicy, and of fine flavour; it sepa- 

 rates freely from the stone, which is of large size. It ripens 

 in August. 



CHESTON. Pr. cat. Lang. Mil. For. Lond. hort. cat. 



Matchless. 



This plum is of oval form, and of a dark blue colour, with 

 a partial violet bloom ; the flesh is dark yellow, rich, and full 

 of sweet and pleasant juice. The fruit ripens in September, 

 and the tree produces abundantly. 



LARGE EARLY MONTREUIL. Pr. cat. 



Large early black. Pr. cat. 26th ed. 

 Noir de Montreuil. Duh. Lond. Hort. Cat. 

 Montr euil. Grosse noire hative. 

 Grosse noir de Montreuil. 



This plum bears much afiinity to the Damask of Tours. It 

 is sixteen lines long and fourteen in diameter. The skin is 

 dark purple, covered with bloom, coriaceous, and very acid ; 

 the flesh is firm, at first approaching a white hue, but becomes 

 yellowish when fully ripe, and has a very pleasant taste, espe- 

 cially if pains be taken to separate it from the skin, which will 

 otherwise impart to it an acid flavour ; the stone adheres but 

 very little to the flesh ; it is eight lines long, five and a half 

 broad, and three and a half thick. The principal merit of 

 this fruit is its early maturity, which takes place about the 

 middle of July; the flowers are liable to be injured by late 

 frosts. Duhamel states that the title of Grosse-noire-hative is 

 given to a round plum, of larger size than the one here de- 

 scribed, of the same colour, and nearly as early ; but whose 

 flesh is coarse and without flavour. 



