Account of the Ickworth Imperatrice Plum. 523 



or disposed circularly. The Flesh is greenish amber, partly 

 adhering to the stone, juicy and very rich when allowed to hang 

 till it begins to shrivel and part from the tree. The stone is 

 rather small. The tree is of a hardy vigorous growth, and ap- 

 pears likely to be an abundant bearer as a standard ; the shoots, 

 are glabrous ; the leaves oval or obovate, crenated, smooth, shin- 

 ing, dark green. The fruit ripens in the beginning of October, 

 and forms one of the finest late plums for the dessert ; more especi- 

 ally as it may be kept in a fresh state for a considerable time, if 

 placed in a dry situation, ready for use, and secure from the storms 

 or even frosts, which frequently render the maturity of later hanging 

 varieties, such as Coe's Late Red, very precarious. It will more- 

 over ultimately attain the condition of a prune, for a fruit enclosed 

 in paper when gathered and laid on a shelf, was found in that con- 

 dition the following Midsummer. It is easily distinguished from 

 other varieties by the unusually abundant tracing on its surface, 

 which likewise indicates a superior amount of richness. A little of 

 such marking is frequently seen on its female parent, the Impera- 

 trice Violette ; and occasionally on the Quetsche, of which there 

 are several varieties which furnish the German prunes of the shops ; 

 those persons however who prepare them give a higher price for 

 the fruit on which the above indication appears, than they do for 

 such as are of a uniform violet colour. 



Mr. Knight has been eminently successful with regard to the 

 object he had in view in raising this plum and its allied varieties. 

 His wish was to produce a fruit containing sufficient saccharine 

 matter to preserve it without being reduced to a dry, or nearly dry 

 state, as the French prunes frequently are. In order to effect this 

 he raised many plants from the Imperatrice Violette and pollen of 

 Coe's Golden Drop, " one of which," he observes, " appears capable 

 of being long preserved without any material trouble. In the 

 Autumns of 1829 and 1830, I selected a few plums of this variety 



