THE PLUM. 



533 



become numerous in varieties, between which it 

 would be difficult to define the difference ; any 

 or all may be cultivated with about the same 

 amount of satisfaction. They are hardy and 

 good bearers, and admirably adapted for stan- 

 dard culture. 



Pond's seedling. — Size above medium ; form 

 roundish ; colour purple ; ripe beginning of 

 September ; branches smooth ; flesh yellowish, 

 separating freely from the stone; flavour second- 

 rate. We introduce it here on account of its 

 productiveness, and property of hanging a long 

 time on the tree. 



Heine Claude de Bavay. — Size largish ; form 

 roundish oval ; colour yellowish white ; ripens 

 end of September, and keeps long on the tree, 

 and on this account is at present, perhaps, the 

 most popular late plum of its class. A very 

 fitting sort for the orchard-house or late plum- 

 house. 



Royal. — Size medium ; form round, some- 

 times slightly ovate ; colour reddish purple, 

 covered with a remarkably thick pale bloom ; 

 flesh dullish yellow, parting freely from the 

 stone ; flavour exceedingly rich and vinous ; 

 shoots downy. Tree hardy, and a most abun- 

 dant bearer ; ripe towards the middle of August, 

 but will keep hanging on till the middle of Sep- 

 tember. Of French origin, but long cultivated 

 in this country. Synonym — La royale, excellent 

 for dwarf-standard culture. 



Royale de Tours. — Size large; form roundish ; 

 colour red in ihe shade, deep violet next the 

 sun, sprinkled with numerous yellow dots ; flesh 

 greenish and firm ; flavour exceedingly rich and 

 agreeable ; suture deep, extending more than 

 half round ; branches smooth ; ripe during 

 August. Originated or introduced from Tours 

 in France. An excellent early variety. 



Royale kdtive. — Size medium ; form roundish ; 

 colour light purple ; branches very downy ; 

 ripens beginning of August ; flavour exceedingly 

 rich; in general appearance and flavour resem- 

 bling the Purple gage. Of French origin. 



Standard of England. — Size rather large ; 

 form oval ; colour crimson red next the sun, 

 covered with violet bloom, bright red on the 

 shaded side ; flesh slightly yellow, separating 

 from the stone ; flavour exquisite ; ripens the 

 latter end of August. Originated from seed 

 about ten years ago by Mr Dowling, Woolston, 

 near Southampton. 



Victoria (Denyer's).— Size large ; form ovate ; 

 colour brightish red ; ripens about the middle 

 of September. Of English origin within these 

 late years. This is a large and very showy 

 plum, but of no particular merit as to flavour. 

 It is, however, for culinary purposes, highly 

 deserving of cultivation. It appears to us to 

 approach so closely to Sharp's emperor, and 

 Duane's purple French of America, as to lead us 

 to believe them identical, or if different, scarcely 

 so much so as to deserve a place each in the 

 same garden. Denyer's Victoria has the merit of 

 suffering less from spring frosts while in blossom 

 than any other. 



Washington. — Size large ; form roundish oval; 

 colour dull yellow, marbled with green, and 

 where exposed to the sun slightly dotted with 

 VOL. II. 



pale crimson ; suture obscure, except near the 

 fruit-stalk ; flesh firm, yellowish, parting freely 

 from the stone ; flavour sweet and luscious ; 

 wood strong and downy ; tree remarkable for 

 its strong growth and the large size of its leaves, 

 which are crumpled and glossy. Ripe towards 

 the end of August. This splendid plum is a 

 native of New York, where, and over most 

 of America, it stands higher in general estima- 

 tion than any other. " Although," says Down- 

 ing, " not equal to the Green gage and two or 

 three others in high flavour, yet its great size, 

 its beauty, and the vigour and hardiness of the 

 tree, are qualities which have brought this noble 

 fruit into notice everywhere." From America 

 it reached England in 1821. It does not appear 

 even in its native country to attain its fullest 

 perfection, if planted in a sandy soil, until it has 

 attained some age. 



The majority of the plums we have described 

 above are dessert sorts, and of the highest class ; 

 from the number some will be found adapted 

 to most situations and requirements. We have 

 omitted many well-known sorts, but all or most 

 of those we would consider no loss if expunged 

 from our gardens entirely. No argument can 

 convince us that it is expedient to retain an in- 

 ferior fruit tree in any garden, more especially 

 if occupying wall - room, nowadays, when we 

 have such a variety of first-rate sorts to replace 

 them with, merely because they have been long 

 residenters, and we have been content with the 

 fruit, inferior although it may be. We have in- 

 cluded a number of American sorts, because that 

 country is making great progress in the rearing 

 of superior kinds, the climate and the soil, par- 

 ticularly along the banks of the Hudson, which 

 is for the most part a stiff clay, being so con- 

 genial towards bringing the plum to its great- 

 est perfection. We have noticed one or two to 

 which a light soil is apparently better adapted. 



The following list includes those most esteemed 

 for preserving and drying purposes — viz. : 



Autumn compote. — A fine preserving plum 

 and abundant bearer, raised from a stone of La 

 delicieuse by Mr Rivers. It hangs on the tree 

 till the middle of October. 



Stoneless. — This curious sort was brought to 

 our notice many years ago by the late Mr Kirk of 

 Brompton. We have found it much prized by con- 

 fectioners. The kernel is destitute of stone, and 

 is enclosed in a roomy cavity by the pulp alone. 



Wine sour, or Rotherham. — A most abundant 

 bearer and hardy tree. The flavour is a peculiar 

 acid, somewhat like tart claret: hence the name. 



Saint Catherine. — A good bearer, producing 

 the most delicate kind of prunes. 



Quetsche. — This forms a considerable section 

 of preserving plums, cultivated to a great ex- 

 tent over most of the continent of Europe for 

 the purpose of drying. The German prune of 

 the shops is made from them. 



Perdrigon blue. — This and the white variety 

 furnish the Brignole prunes of commerce. 



Mirabelle. — Much esteemed for preserving, 

 and exceedingly hardy. 



Muscle, also used for preserving. — It is in- 

 ferior to most of the others, but is grown largely 

 for stocks, and will succeed as a productive 



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