N
33
THE IM PER A TR IC E PLUM.
Imperatrice. Miller’s Diet. no. 25. Hook. Pom. Lond.
no. 4. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 34.
Imperatrice Violette. Duham. Arh. Fr. ii. p . 105, tab. 116.
Well known as one of the best of our Plums
for keeping till late in the season. Its usual period
of ripening is October, when it begins to shrivel,
and will then keep, if well managed, till the middle
of December, its flavour continuing to improve.
I t requires to be cultivated on an east or west
wall, when it is a great and certain bearer.
Some doubt has been expressed of the identity
of our English Imperatrice and that of Duhamel;
but we see no reason to believe th a t they are
different.
B ranches long and slender, with blunt, flattened
eyes, and very smooth bark; the lateral shoots are
produced at nearly right angles with the main
shoots.
Leaves middle-sized, pointed at each end,
finely toothed, closely downy.
Flowers small.
F ruit oblong, blunt at each end, but tapering
rather more to.the base than to the apex. F ootstalk
VOL. I . K