very agreeable flavor. July. But the Bon Jardinier calls "Fruit the form of an egg, very productive." it ordinary. (N. Duh.) *POND'S PURPLE. A large round purple plum of a sweet and fine flavor. It ripens early in August, and was so named by the committee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, for Mr Samuel Pond of Cambridge, who has introduced this new native kind to notice. *PRINCE'S IMPERIAL GAGE. This plum is a first rate fruit; the tree is very vigorous and upright in its growth, and extraordinary productive. The fruit is larger than the Green Gage, and of excellent quality. A single tree of this variety at Charlestown, owned by Mr Samuel R. Johnson, has for several successive years, yielded crops, which were sold at from $40 to $50 per annum. This valuable variety was raised by Wm. Prince, Esq., of the Linnæan Botanic Garden, Flushing, from a seed of the Green Gage. RED GAGE. Col. Carr. The tree grows vigorously; the fruit is of a greenish, yellow color in the shade, but of a deep red next the sun. A very luscious fruit raised from the Reine Claude. RED MAGNUM BONUM. IMPERIAL VIOLETTE, of the French. A large, oval plum, two inches to two and a half in length; deep red next the sun and covered with blue bloom; the flesh is yellowish, harsh, acid. It parts from the stone, which is sharp pointed. Good for cooking and fit for little else. August. RED PERDRIGON. Lindley. Dr Willich. An excellent plum of the first class; middle sized, roundish oval, of a fine red color. with gold dots and a fine bloom; flesh bright yellow, transparent; juice sweet and delicious. Peeled and dried it makes excellent prunes; not inferior to the White Perdrigon. August. *RED QUEEN MOTHER. R. M. A large plum; of a bright red color, covered with pale bloom; the flesh is yellow, sweet and excellent; it ripens in September. This is a very handsome and productive variety and highly deserving of cultivation. The origin of this fruit is unknown. It may prove the Isabella. - REINE CLAUDE VIOLETTE. Loudon's Mag. A new seedling variety of the Green Gage, of a purple color, equally good, and a better bearer. better bearer. It hangs longer on the tree and is the best red plum we have. The Pomological Magazine confirms this account, and adds, that it is not, like the Green Gage, disposed to crack. ROYALE. N. Duh. Pl. CCXLII. LA ROYALE, of Hooker's Pom. Lond. A large, very handsome fruit, diameter eight lines; the skin thick, of a homely dull brown red, concealed however by a thick violet or azure bloom; the flesh fine, yellowish green, firm and cracking; juice abundant, high flavored and delicious. An excellent plum. September. *ROYALE DE TOURS. N. Duh. Pl. XIII. The fruit is globular, flattened; its length eighteen lines; a red violet next the sun and covered with azure bloom; the flesh is yellow, fine, good; juice abundant and sweet; high flavored and of superior quality to the Monsieur plum; and it ripens eight or ten days earlier. July and August. *ST CATHERINE. Hooker's Pom. Lond. Pl. xxiv. A medium sized, oblong fruit; narrowest towards the stalk, broad and flattened at the summit; of a bright gold color next the sun, spotted with red, and covered with bloom; the flesh yellow, tender, sweet, and of fine flavor; stone oval, flat, it separates from the flesh. It ripens a little before the Imperatrice. Not uncommon around Boston. *SEMIANA. PRUNE SUISSE, N. Duh. PRUNE D'ALTESSE, MONSIEur Tardif. The fruit is very handsome, round, flattened; its diameter eighteen to twenty lines; color varying from bright violet to deep blackish blue, and covered with azure bloom; the flesh greenish yellow, cracking and melting, juice very abundant and delicious. Not uncommon near Boston. An excellent fruit, ripening in September. *SMITH'S ORLEANS. The tree is very vigorous and productive; the fruit is large, of an oval form and purple color; its flavor excellent; a highly esteemed variety. SURPASSE MONSIEUR. Bon Jard. p. 308. "This superb fruit was raised by M. Noisette. It is more beautiful and more perfumed than the Monsieur.” VARIEGATED PLUM. N. E. Farmer. An imported variety, sometimes called Lombard Plum, name lost. Specimens were sent to Mr Russell, August 18, 1830, from Major E. Edwards of Springfield, Mass. A remarkably large fruit; beautiful and very productive. Very showy and saleable, but not high flavored. VIRGINALE. N. Duh. Pl. xxxv. The tree is strong, vigorous and productive; the fruit is round, slightly depressed; its color yellowish, touched with violet or rose next the sun, and covered with dense bloom; the flesh is melting, juice abundant and very agreeable. It adheres to the stone. One of the best of plums. *WASHINGTON. BOLMER'S WASHINGTON. FRANKLIN. A very large globular plum, inclining to oval; greenish yellow next the sun, approaching to pale orange; and covered with a bloom and occasionally crimson specks; this plum has sometimes weighed over four ounces; its flesh is yellow, and firm, sweet and delicious; it parts readily from the stone and ripens in September. This plum is equal in flavor to the Green Gage, and a very valuable variety of American origin. WHITE MAGNUM BONUM. IMPERIALE BLANCHE, Duh. EGG PLUM. WHITE MOGUL, WHITE HOLLAND, of the English. An oval fruit of extraordinary size; of a yellow color covered with pale bloom; the flesh yellow, firm, acid and austere ; it adheres to the stone which is oval, and very pointed. This plum is excellent for cooking or preserves, and suitable for nothing else. Early in September. WHITE PERDRIGON. Mr Hooker, Branches downy; a middle sized oblong fruit, tapering from the stalk; of a pale yellow, with red spots next the sun; and covered with white bloom; flesh yellow, rich, saccharine, separating from the stone. Last of August. WILMOT'S NEW EARLY ORLEANS. in Hort. Trans. vol. 111. p. 392. Raised by Mr John Wilmot. Earlier than the New Orleans; as early as the Morocco, and Precoce de Tours, as large as the Old Orleans, and more juicy; a certain bearer; a fruit above the middle size, round, its suture deep; dark purple next the sun and covered with bloom; the flesh greenish yellow, of excellent flavor, sweet combined with a pleasant acid; it separates from the stone. Mr Hooker considers this plum as decidedly superior to any of its season at present cultivated. Its beautiful appearance will obtain it a preference in the market. SLOE. Loudon. PRUNUS SPINOSA. A thorny tree, a wild plum of Britain. The fruit is small, very black and astringent. The ripe fruit is excellent to preserve; unripe, the inspissated juice forms the German acacia, and affords an ink, almost indelible for marking on linen. The juice is used mixed with various wines, to communicate the dark red color, and rough taste of port wine. The leaves are employed to adulterate the tea of China. CULTIVATION, &c. The plum tree flourishes best in a rich, sandy loam, neither too dry nor too moist. A cold, wet, clayey soil, or a dry, sandy situation, is not deemed so favorable. The varieties of plum are inoculated on the plum stock. Those raised from the seed are preferred, and some varieties will flourish on the peach stock; but this is not deemed so suitable for a very high northern latitude. The mode of pruning, and the distances to which the trees should be set asunder, varies but little from that of the peach. The plum from its possessing a very smooth skin, is extremely liable to the attacks of the Curculio; for the modes of prevention, see Curculio, in the former part of this work. Particular varieties of the plum tree, are also liable to be attacked by a worm, which causes large black bunches to be formed on the limbs. Some varieties, however, are exempted from this disease. The remedy is easy, and consists in separating every bunch, every badly affected branch, or even tree, and committing them to the fire. No affected tree should be suffered to exist near the orchard. In this way, and in this alone, the worm and the disease may be exterminated with certainty and but little trouble. 213 CHERRY.—(Prunus Cerasus.) THE cherry is a tree of medium size; the branches are shining, of an ash color; the leaves are ovate, serrated; the flowers are white and produced in umbels; the fruit is a roundish drupe, of a yellow, red, or black color, and shining; of a sweet or acid flavor; it encloses a smooth stone. The native country of the cherry has been assigned to Asia. It was brought to Rome before the Christian era, by Lucullus, from a town in Pontus, called Cerasus, hence its name. USES. The cherry is a highly esteemed summer dessert fruit. It is also extensively used in cookery, in pies, tarts, &c. The dried fruit forms an article of luxury and food. In the forests of the mountains of the East of France, says Bosc, where the Merisiers formerly abounded, great quantities were dried, and constituted an important article of food during the winter, of the Charboniers, a half savage, but kind and hospitable race. Their soups were prepared by boiling the dried fruit in water, with bread, a small portion of butter being added. From the juice a fine wine is prepared. The Kirschenvasser or Kirswasse of the Germans, is identically the celebrated Marasquin of Venice, which was fabricated so extensively on the mountains of ancient Macedon. It is prepared by distillation from the fermented juice of the Merisiers or Mazzards, a portion of the bruised stones being added. But when other varieties are used, the more acid varieties, five or six per cent by weight, of sugar, is added to the juice. The Mazzard cherries, the Morillos, and the fruit of the Virginia cherry, are steeped in brandy or rum, to improve its quality and flavor. The gum which exudes from the cherry tree, is stated to be in every respect equal to gum arabic, and is so extraordinary nutritive, that according to Hasselquist, more than a hundred men were kept alive during a siege of nearly two months, with no other sustenance than a little of this gum gradually dissolved in the mouth. The wood of the cherry tree is hard and tough, and is much used by the turner and cabinet maker, especially the Virginia cherry, which is capable of receiving a fine polish, and has reddish streaks resembling mahogany. |