narrowed towards the stalk, which is short. Skin deep purple, covered with a blue bloom. Flesh yellow, and separates from the stone. Juice excellent. Ripe the beginning and middle of August. Ripened at Twickenham in 1727, on a west wall, July 20. O. S., or July 31. N. S. - Langley. This Plum has been a long time in our gardens. HAKLUYT, in 1582, says, "Of late time the Plum called the Perdigerena, was procured out of Italy, with two kinds more, by the Lord Cromwell, after his travell." 3. GREAT DAMASK VIOLET OF TOUrs. Miller, No. 4. Gros Damas de Tours. Duhamel, No. 4. Branches long, downy. Fruit middle-sized, of a somewhat oval figure, about one inch and a quarter long, and something less in diameter. Skin dark blue, covered with a violet bloom. Flesh yellow, and loosely adheres to the stone. Juice sugary and pleasant. Ripe the beginning of August. 4. GROSSE NOIRE HATIVE. Duhamel, No. 3. Noire de Montreuil. Ib. Fruit middle-sized, of a somewhat oblong figure, about one inch and a half long, and one inch and a quarter in diameter. Skin of a violet colour, covered with a blue bloom. Flesh firm, yellowish when fully ripe, and separates from the stone, leaving a few detached pieces of the pulp behind. Juice sugary and brisk-flavoured. Ripe the beginning of August. 5. KIRKE'S PLUM. Pom. Mag. t. 111. Branches smooth. Fruit rather large, roundish oval, rather broadest at the base, about one inch and three quarters deep, and two inches in diameter; suture slightly depressed. Stalk three quarters of an inch long, very little sunk at its point of insertion; apex not depressed. Skin dark purple, covered with a copious azure bloom, through which appear a few golden specks: this bloom is extremely remarkable, and does not readily rub off. Flesh greenish yellow, firm, juicy, rich, and separates from the stone, which is middle-sized, irregularly and broadly oval, flattened, with a groove or channel along one face. Ripe the beginning and middle of September. This is a very handsome variety, and a most excellent bearer, both as a standard and upon a west wall, ripening something later than the Orleans. It was brought into notice a few years ago by Mr. Kirke, of Brompton, and is believed to be of foreign origin. 6. MOROCCO. Pom. Mag. t. 103. Early Black Damask. Black Damask. Black Damascus. Black Morocco. Early Damask. Langley, Pom. t. 20. f. 3. Of various Collections, according to the Pom. Mag. Branches downy. Leaves with globose glands. Fruit middle-sized, roundish, its suture moderately depressed along one side; the apex a little flattened; about one inch and three quarters deep, and the same in diameter. Stalk thick, scarcely half an inch long. Skin deep blackish purple, covered with a light blue bloom. Flesh greenish yellow, slightly adhering to the stone, juicy, rich, and high flavoured. Stone middle-sized, oval, compressed. Ripe the beginning of August. Ripened at Twickenham in 1727, on an east wall, July 14. O. S., or July 25. N. S. Langley. It is very hardy, and bears well as a standard, ripening three weeks or a month before the Orleans. 7. PRECOCE DE TOURS. Duhamel, No. 2. Hooker, Pom. Lond. t. 34. Early Tours. Hitt. p. 348. Branches downy. Fruit below the middle size, oval, about one inch and a quarter deep, and an inch in diameter. Stalk half an inch long. Skin deep purple, covered with a thick blue bloom. Flesh brownish yellow, with a few red streaks near the stone, from which it separates. Juice sweet, with an agreeable flavour. Ripe on a south wall the end of July. 8. PRUNE DAMSON. Nursery Catalogues. Branches downy. Fruit of the smallest size among Plums, oval, two inches and three quarters longitudinal circumference. Stalk half an inch long. Skin dark blue, covered with a thick pale blue bloom. Flesh green, adhering to the stone. Juice smart, but not rich. Ripe in the middle of September. There are several sorts of Damson with black fruit cultivated in England; such as the Common Black, with smooth spiny branches; Royal Damson, similar to the Prune Damson, but said to be larger; and the Shropshire Damson, with smooth branches, but not spiny. These are much alike in figure, but they differ a little in size, and possess different degrees of merit. This latter quality, however, depends upon the manner in which the tree has been propagated; the soil and situation in which it grows; and the health and vigour of the tree itself. Damsons raised from suckers, and planted in hedge-rows, or grown among nut-bushes, or crowded among and under other trees, can never be expected to produce such fine, thick-fleshed, high-flavoured fruit, as those which are grown upon sound healthy standards, in proper situations, unincumbered with coarse strong-growing trees. 9. VIOLETTE HÂTIVE. Nursery Catalogues. Violet. Langley, p. 92. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 262. Early Violet. Ib., No. 263. Branches numerous, slender, downy. Fruit small, oval, rather pointed at the apex, and compressed towards the stalk; about one inch and three eighths long, and an inch in diameter. Suture shallow, in some extending from the stalk to the apex. Stalk half an inch long, slender, inserted in a small shallow cavity. Skin purple, when fully ripe of a deep blue or violet colour, and covered with a thin blue bloom. Flesh Flesh green, and adheres to the stone. Juice sugary, with an agreeable acid. Ripe the beginning of August. Ripened at Twickenham in 1729, on a west wall, July 15. O. S., or July 26. N. S. Langley. An old Plum, cultivated by John Tradescant before 1629. It is a most excellent bearer, and ought to be planted in the garden of every poor cottager throughout the kingdom. It might then not unaptly be called the Cottager's Plum. SECT. II.-Green-fruited. 10. GREEN GAGE. Langley, p. 94. t. 24. fig. 4. Hooker, Pom. Lond. t. 38. Dauphine. Duhamel, 25. t. 11. Grosse Reine Claude. Ib. Abricot Vert. Ib. Verte Bonne. Ib. Branches smooth. Fruit middle-sized, round, having a narrow suture extending from the stalk to the apex. Stalk half an inch long, a little bent, and inserted in a small funnel-shaped cavity. Skin yellowish green, but when fully exposed to the sun of a purplish colour, marbled with russetty muddy red. Flesh yellowish green, very melting, and separates partly from the stone, leaving part of the pulp behind. Juice abundant, saccharine, of the richest and most exquisite flavour. Ripe on the open standard the middle of August. Ripened at Twickenham in 1727, on an east wall, July 30. O. S., or August 10. N. S. This is, without exception, the best Plum in England; and when grown upon a healthy standard, and fully exposed to the sun, although not so large, is much richer than when produced against a wall. It is also a hardy and most excellent bearer. A plant of this sort was sent from France by the Earl of Stair to the second Duke of Rutland, by the name of Green Spanish. The name of Green Gage is said to have originated from the following accident:The Gage family, in the last century, procured from the Monks of the Chartreuse at Paris, a collection of fruit trees. When they arrived in England, the ticket of the Reine Claude had been rubbed off in the passage. The gardener being from this circumstance ignorant of the name, called it, when it bore fruit, Green Gage. Vide Hort. Trans. Vol. i. Appendix, p. 8. by the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. 11. LITTLE QUEEN CLAUDE. Miller, No. 16. Petite Reine Claude. Duhamel, No. 26. Branches slender, downy. Fruit small, of a roundish figure, having a small suture, and being a little more swelled on one side than on the other, about one inch and a quarter deep, and a little more in diameter. Stalk half an inch long, inserted in a small hollow. Skin yellowish green, covered with a thick bloom. Flesh pale yellow, and separates from the stone. Juice rich and well flavoured. Stone oval, with an obtuse point. Ripe the end of August. 12. LUCOMBE'S NONESUCH. Pom. Mag. t. 99. Branches smooth. Fruit extremely like a Green Gage in colour, but more streaked with yellow, covered with a fine glaucous bloom, generally compressed in the direction of its suture, which is the reverse of the usual |