Bullace

Bullace (Prunus insititia), a shrub or small tree, larger and much less spiny than the sloe, but very closely allied to it, as it is also to the plmn, so that many botanists regard them all as one species (see PLUM). The fruit is larger than the sloe, generally globose, and although it partakes in some degree both of the acidity and the roughness of the sloe, it is not unpleasant, especially after having been mellowed by frosts, and makes excellent pies or tarts. 'A bullace-pie is a standing dish at the harvest-home supper in the south of England, only it requireth rather more sugar than the housewife is always willing to allow.' The bullace is common in hedges, coppices, and banks in England, and in many parts of Europe, and is sparingly naturalised in the United States.