THE PLUM. 
351 
wholesome as the peach or the pear, as, from their somewhat 
cloying and flatulent nature, unless when very perfectly ripe, 
they are more likely to disagree with weak stomachs. 
For the kitchen the plum is also very highly esteemed, being 
prized for tarts, pies, sweetmeats, etc. In the south of France 
an excellent spirit is made from this fruit fermented with honey. 
In the western part of this state where they are very abundant, 
they are halved, stoned, and dried in the sun or ovens, in large 
quantities, and are then excellent for winter use. For eating, 
the plum should be allowed to hang on the tree till perfectly 
ripe, and the fruit will always be finer in proportion as the tree 
has a more sunny exposure. The size and quality of the fruit 
is always greatly improved by thinning the fruit when it is half 
grown. Indeed to prevent rotting and to have this fruit in its 
highest perfection, no two plums should be allowed to touch 
each other while growing, and those who are willing to take 
this pains, are amply repaid by the superior quality of the fruit. 
One of the most important forms of the plum in commerce is 
that of prunes, as they are exported from France to every part 
of the world. We quote the following interesting account of 
the best mode of preparing prunes from the Arboretum Bri- 
tannicum. 
The best prunes are made near Tours, of the St. Catherine 
plum and the prune d’Agen ; and the best French plums (so- 
called in England,) are made in Provence, of the Perdrigon 
blanc, the Brignole, and the prune d’Ast ; the Provence plums 
being most fleshy, and having alw T ays most bloom. Both kinds 
are, however, made of these and other kinds of plums, in various 
parts of France. The plums are gathered when just ripe 
enough to fall from the trees on their being slightly shaken. 
They are then laid, separately, on frames, or sieves, made of 
wicker-wprk or laths, and exposed for several days to the sun, 
till they become as soft as ripe medlars. When this is the case, 
they are put into a spent oven, shut quite close, and left there 
for twenty-four hours ; they are then taken out, and the oven 
being slightly reheated, they are put in again when it is rather 
warmer than it was before, The next day they are again taken 
out, and turned by slightly shaking the sieves. The oven is 
heated again, and they are put in a third time, when the oven 
is one-fourth degree hotter than it was the second time. After 
remaining twenty-four hours, they are taken out, and left to get 
quite cold. They are then rounded, an operation which is per- 
formed by turning the stone in the plum without breaking the 
skin, and pressing the two ends together between the thumb 
and finger. They are then again put upon the sieves, which 
are placed in an oven, from which the bread has been just 
drawn. The door of the oven is closed, and the crevices are 
stopped round it with clay or dry grass. An hour afterwards, 
