THE WASHINGTON PLUM.
Washington Plum. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 270.
The origin of this variety is remarkable. The
parent tree was purchased in the market of New
York, sometime in the end of the last century. I t
remained barren several years, till, during a violent
thunder-storm, the whole trunk was struck to the
earth and destroyed. The root afterwards threw
up a number of vigorous shoots, all of which were
allowed to remain, and finally produced fruit. I t
is therefore to be presumed, th a t the stock of the
barren kind was the parent of this. Trees were sent
to Robert Barclay, Esq. of Bury Hill, in 1819 ; and
in 1821 several others were presented to the Horticultural
Society by I)r. Hosack.
I t is certainly not surpassed in richness of flavour,
beauty, and other good qualities, by any. In flavour
it is fully equal to the Green Gage and Coe’s
Golden Drop ; and the beauty of its foliage, which is
very remarkable, is quite unlike the usual shabby
aspect of a plum-tree.
Our drawing was made from specimens communicated
by Mr. Barclay, — by whose Gardener, Mr.
David Cameron, we are informed th a t it fruits
equally on an east and west w a ll; it has been tried