eir
habits of fear and quiet, when there is a noise about, are greatly in
favor of their destruction by this method. This is somewhat laborious,
but is a sure remedy, and will pay well in all plum-orchards, large or
small. After two or three years of this treatment, there will be few or
none of those insects left.

_Uses_ of the plum are various. The fine varieties, well ripened, are a
good dessert-fruit; for sweetmeats and tarts they are much esteemed;
they are one of the better and more wholesome dried fruits. The foreign
ones are called prunes, and are an article of commerce. With a little
care, we can raise much better prunes than the imported. Like all
fruits, they are better for quick drying by artificial heat. The French
prunes, the process of drying which is minutely described by Downing in
his fruit-book, are no better than our best varieties, quickly dried by
artificial heat in a dry house, or moderately-heated oven. All dried
fruit is much better for having become perfectly ripe before picking. It
is a great mistake to suppose unripe fruit will be good dried.

[Illustration: Lawrence's Favorite.]

_Varieties_ are numerous, and many of them ought to be forgotten, as is
the case with all other fruits. We give a small list, containing all the
good qualities of the whole:--

_Bleecker's Gage._--A hardy tree and sure bearer. Time, August.

[Illustration: Imperial Gage.]

[Illustration: Egg.]

_Imperial Gage._--This is an American variety. It is of a lightish-green
color, and excellent flavor. Season, July at the South, and September at
the North.

_Egg._--The above cut represents one of the egg-plums, of excellent
quality in all respects. There are many of this name.

_Lawrence's Favorite._--This is a fine plum, of the gage family. It was
raised from the seed of the green gage; its qualities are seldom
surpassed.

_Washington._--This is a very good plum for high latitudes. At the South
it is too dry.

[Illustration: Green Gage.]

[Illustration: Jefferson.]

_Green Gage._--With fifteen synonyms. Excellent.

_Jefferson._--One of the very best. Time, last of August.

_Denniston's Purple, or Red._--Vigorous grower and very productive.
Time, August 20.

_Madison._--A hardy, productive, and excellent October plum.

The foregoing varieties, with the little black damson-plum, so hardy and
productive, and so much esteemed for preserving, will answer all needful
purposes. You will find long lists in t