The planters manual, being instructions for the raising, planting, and cultivating all sorts of fruit-trees, whether stonefruits or pepin-fruits, with their natures and seasons very useful for such as are curious in planting and grafting / by Charles Cotton.

Of the different kinds of Stone-Fruits.

ANd first, concerning Cherries, there is no great Observation to be made, by reason there are not ma∣ny kinds of them, and those to every one sufficiently known. Of which there are principally these five sorts.

• Cerises precoces, or the early May-Cherry.
• Cerises Hatifs, the early Hasting-Cherry.
• Cerises a feüille de sauge, which I take to be the Duke-Cherry.
• ...

• ... Grosses Cerises a court queüe, perhaps our Carnation-Cherry.
• Cerises tardifs a longue queüe, the Clu∣ster-Cherry.

Of these the Precoces seem to be but of late years taken notice of, or at least in request, and not considerable for any thing, if not for being ripe the soonest of all other fruits; which yet, to make more early, are to be grafted upon the Hasting-Cherry-stock, and planted to the utmost benefit of the Sun, in Espalliers against a Wall, to the end that the extraordinary heat may yet advance their maturity.

The Guigne, or Guscon-Cherry, the Bigarreau, or motley-Cherry, and the Griote, or Crab-Cherry, are of the same nature with the other Cherries, and therefore merit no particular Observa∣tion, if not that Cherries and Griotes are very proper for Shrubs and Dwarf-Trees, as we have already observed in the Chapter of Shrubs and Bushes; but the Bigarreaux and the Guignes, do not prosper so well that way, by

reason the Trees run too much into wood, and therefore would be raised in Standards. Of Guignes there are three sorts, white, red, and black, which are called Hearts; but of Bigar∣reaux and Griotes, we know but one kind of each only.

Of Apricots we know no more than two or three sorts, namely the little Musk Apricot, another whose Almond or kernel is sweet, and the ordinary Apricot; all which require a very great shelter and security from the weather, and are more proper for Es∣palliers, than either Dwarf-trees or Standards. There are many more dif∣ferent kinds and sorts of Plumbs, than of Cherries and Apricots, of which these are the chief.

• Petit Damas noir de Tours, the little black Damson.
• Gros Damas noir, the great black Damson.
• Petit Damas blanc, the little white Damson.
• ...

• Gros Damas blanc, the great white Damson.
• Damas gris musque.
• Damas violet ordinaire, the violet Plumb.
• Gros Damas violet.
• Damas verd.
• Damas gris violet.
• Damas gris blanc.
• Perdrigon blanc.
• Perdrigon violet.
• Brignoles violettes.
• Grosse Imperiale, the great Imperial Plumb.
• Imperiale Tardive.
• De Gaillon.
• d'Attilles de Gouvar.
• d'Attilles du Mans.
• Prunes de Naples, autrement
• Damas gris de Caihan.

All which sorts of Plumbs are exceed∣ing good to eat raw, and these that fol∣low, proper for Prunella's and sweet∣meats.

• Moyens de Bourgongne, an excellent preserving Plumb.
• ...

• Mirabelle, sainte Catherine.
• Diapree de la Roche Courbon.
• Prunes d'Apricot, de Tours.
• Mirabons transparans.
• Montmirot, d'Attille jaune.
• l'Isle verd.

All these Plumbs prosper very well, both in Dwarf-Trees and Standards. But the Perdrigon is by much the most delicate of them all, and therefore deserves to be planted in a good Sun in Espalliers.