11 
but the D'Ente or French Prune, two of its 
synonyms. The botanical characters of 
this false Kobe De Sergent, wood, leaves, 
fruit, vary considerably from those of the 
true Kobe De Sergent or French Prune; in 
fact, if anyone in California would send to 
the great prune district of the Lot, in 
France, the home of the D'Ente or true 
Kobe De Sergent, for what some nursery- 
men in Oaliforuia are obstinately and 
wrongly calling Robe De Sergent, he would 
have but the common French Prune; and 
if* sending to the Valley of the Loire, 3U0 
miles from the Lot, and from where that 
false Robe De Sergent was obtained, he 
would not be sure to have that very kind, 
for several of the nurseries in that valley 
have, of late years, after their attention was 
called to it, replaced that false and inferior 
type of theirs,for the true and superior one 
of the Lot. There is certainly a mystery 
about that prune which we will have duly 
solved by the National Society of Horticul- 
ture of France. But whatever be the mer- 
its or defects of that prune we emphatically 
deny to it the name of Eohe De Sergent, 
which, for 200 years has been given to the 
D'Ente, under which names, Robe De Ser- 
gent and D'Ente, the French Prune is 
known in its very home. 
The Loire D'Ente or false Robe De Ser- 
gent is, like the true kind, a prolific variety; 
the fruit is oval, medium to large, with a 
well defined suture, and certainly not pyri- 
form like the true Kobe De Sergent, and 
much darker in color, in fact blue with 
heavy bloom but no little dots like the true 
kind which is reddish purple; it is earlier 
than the French Prune and dries very well 
and very dark. It is not so sweet as the 
latter but more acid. As a dessert prune it 
is greatly inferior to the French Prune or 
true Kobe De Sergent; for "sass," how- 
ever, that prune will do, and it is much 
superior to anything outside of the French 
Prune, such like Silver Prune, Fellemberg, 
^rmau and other second-class prunes. 
Pnymirol D'Ente.— This is another 
type of the D'Ente, but differing much in 
its botanical characters from the D'Ente 
proper. The fruit is large enough; well 
shaped, and dries well. It makes a very 
good stewing prune. 
Saint Catherine.— An old variety, and 
one of the most celebrated kinds. Ex- 
tensively cultivated in the valley of the 
Loire (France), where D'Ente gives poor 
results. Besides making a superior prune, 
it is also much esteemed for preserving, 
and is excellent for dessert. The fruit is of 
medium size, obovate or roundish oval, 
with a rather well marked suture on one 
side; of a golden pale yellow; overspread 
with a thin bloom, and sometimes becoming 
rose violet on the sunny side. The flesh is 
yellow, firm and juicy, adhering but little 
to the stone; (here in California we find it 
a perfect freestone), the flavor is very rich 
perfumed; one of the best prunes to eat 
fresh. It ripens, according to localities, 
from the later part of August to the middle 
of September. A vigorous grower and 
constant bearer; propagated "true from the 
root." 
The fruit, fresh, stands shipping well; 
dried it makes as good a stewing prune as 
the French or Petite prune. 
THAT NEW AND VALUABLE PRUNE 
(THE D'ENTE). 
We have concluded not to put to market this remarkable variety of Prune before 
th^tTew^va™"''' '''' 1892, decline any oVfr tre:so? 
FrenTh 'Xin"^' J'*''^ ff^ited for the last four years, is a parent of the D'Ente or 
in th. '/f, eleven years ago in an old monastery near Clairac, 
in the Valley of the Lot, in France. It is undoubtedly the largest and finest dessert 
variety of that famous prune, the D'Ente. The fruit iluni/ormh, t,'™"»»-Se more ova 
well th'ou^h'?th^„' f'T"' ^r^y '""^ ''°'°'-' reddist^.pu&ri drLs 
well, though it has to be cured with more care than the French prune and is eaual 
it dr'ilstuTtedarr''' beauty, to the very best French pru^nes oV •'imperTals '■ 
t^v i"^** '° introduce it to market, but will 
not take any orders for trees before the fall of 1892. 
