PLUMS. 



99 



LATE CHALONS. Pr. cat. 



Tardif de Chalons. Tardive de Chalons. N. Duh. 



This fruit is nearly oval, sometimes a little contracted at the 

 base ; it is fourteen lines in length, and thirteen in diameter ; 

 the skin is at first of a whitish j^ellow hue, with a slight tinge 

 of red next the peduncle ; afterwards at its full maturity, the 

 skin becomes wholly of a pale violet colour, covered with 

 bloom ; the flesh is yellowish, melting and very juicy ; pre- 

 vious to its attaining its full maturity, it is slightly acid, and as 

 it possesses more flavour when in that state, it is in reality 

 better than when perfectly ripe, at which period it acquires a 

 sweet taste, but is devoid of flavour ; the stone is rather rough 

 and adheres to the flesh. This plum is very late, not ripening 

 until the first part of October. It is stated in the New Duha- 

 mel, that the authors had only met with this variety in the 

 Jardin des Plantes, which shows that it is rare. 



LUCOMBE'S NONSUCH. Po.^i. Mag. 



I extract the following description of this plum from the 

 Pomological Magazine : 



" This valuable variety has been lately raised from seed by 

 Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co., of Exeter, by whom we 

 were favoured with the specimen now represented. It is un- 

 doubtedly the nearest approach that has as yet been made on 

 the part of a seedling to the famous Green Gage of the Eng- 

 lish, or Reine Claude of the French, and although it cannot 

 be said to equal, in all respects, that celebrated variety, it is 

 nevertheless entitled to a character of ver}' high excellence. 

 It bears well as a standard, is remarkably handsome, as it were 

 variegated with dull yellow and orange, and larger than the 

 Green Gage usually is. We consider it an important acquisi- 

 tion to our varieties of plums ; ripens about the end of August; 

 wood very like that of the Green Gage, strong, short-jointed, 

 smooth, brown, sprinkled in some places with a brownish epi- 

 dermis ; leaves middle-sized, ovate or broadly oval, acuminate, 



