248 



THE BLACKTHORN. 



would imply, is no longer found in a really ^yild 

 state ; and even when it is occasionally met with 

 in hedges, approaches much more closely in cha- 

 racter to the undoubtedly wild BuUace-tree, or 

 Blackthorn, than it does to the garden varieties. 

 The inference which we may safely draw from 

 this fact is, that if the yellow magmnn-homnn plum 



3IAGXUM-B0NUM PLUM. 



may be referred for its origin to the small black 

 fruit of the domesticated plum," as we find it 

 in our hedges, we have at least equal reason for 

 referring the latter to the sloe-tree. 



For many of our best varieties of plum we are 

 indebted to the French. First among these stands 



