182 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
to supply the Saint-Loubes railway station, and also 7,000 
francs' worth of Plums to one Parisian jam-maker. One of the 
Bordeaux makers buys daily during the season 2,000 kilos, of 
Beine Claude^ and in years of scarcity the price rises to as much 
as 80 francs per 50 kilos. Beziers, Pezenas, and Tarascon do an 
important trade in Beine Claude ; in fact, large Plum plantations 
are to be found almost everywhere between the Mediterranean 
and the ocean. 
In reference to the Beine Claude, let us note, by the way, 
that, in Herault, growers have observed that the blossom of the 
Beine Claude de Wazon does not suffer from the effects of the 
sea winds so much as other varieties do. 
A large quantity of Plums, the Mimbelle variety being often 
the commonest, is produced by the North-east of France. 
Champagne and Lorraine send consignments to Paris, and also 
to the local markets and jam -makers. In the neighbourhood of 
Luneville the fruit is prepared on the spot before leaving the 
country. The Mirahelle is peeled, put in a sugar syrup, and 
then sent away in bottles or boxes. The villages of Amagney, 
Deluz, and Laissey (Doubs) produce a yearly average of 50,000 
francs worth of Mirahelle, and the plantations continue to 
increase. 
Nowadays the centre for the trade cultivation of the Mirahelle 
in Lorraine seems to be near the Meuse, near Saint-Mihiel and 
Verdun, between Apremont and Damvilliers. The orchards in 
the plain or on the hillside, together with the trees scattered 
about amongst the vines, have sent many hundreds of cartloads 
to one single railway station, and have thus given the Meuse 
market a high reputation amongst those merchants who trade 
chiefly in the Mirahelle, and also amongst the jam manufacturers. 
The Parisian brokers arrive at the beginning of the gathering 
season, and announce, by means of the public crier, their readi- 
ness to buy the crop, and the prices they offer. The earliest and 
the latest crops being the scarcest, are also the dearest. Thus 
first, second, and third crop Mirahelles are sold at 20, 15, and 
22 francs per 100 kilos, respectively. The buyers pack the fruit 
at once, and tlien send it to Paris. 
One would not be far wrong in estimating that at the rate of 
15 francs per hundredweight, a Mirahelle tree would yield 
1 franc at the age of G years ; 8 francs at the age of 12 years ; 
