The Japanese Plums. 17 



varieties, in this latitude, seems to be Willard, which colors suf- 

 ficiently for market about the 15th of July in ordinary seasons, 

 and which is fully ripe for eating a week later. Ogon follows, 

 coming in about the first of August, or sometimes late in July, or 

 about ten days ahead of Wild Goose. Late in August or very 

 early in September, the Abundance is ready. Just before the 

 Abundance, a soft and handsome plum, which is either Berck- 

 man's or very close to it, has interested me upon the grounds of 

 S. D. Willard, at Geneva, N. Y. Bradshaw, alongside the above 

 varieties, ripens late in August, and Field is about a week earlier : 

 and as these two varieties are the earliest well-known market 

 plums of the Domestica type in New York, it will be seen that 

 the Willard has a great commercial advantage. Burbank ripens 

 here about the first week in September, or sometimes the second 

 week. In central Louisiana, J. L. Normand gives the following 

 as the common succession of varieties : Georgeson, ripening the 

 first daj'S in June or sometimes the last of May ; Kerr, about 

 twelve days later ; Berckmans ; Abundance ; Normand ; Burbank ; 

 Chabot ; Bailey, ripening early in July ; Satsuma ; Kelsey, two 

 weeks later than the last. Kelsey is evidently the latest of all the 

 Japanese plums yet known in this country. I have received 

 specimens not fully ripe from Central Florida as late as the 20th 

 of July, and it has been known to ripen in Georgia as late as the 

 first of October. 



As a class, the Japanese plums are long keepers. Even when 

 thejr are full}^ colored and grown and are fit to eat, some varieties 

 will keep nearly two weeks, and most of them will keep a week ; 

 and some, if not all of the varieties ripen up well if picked rather 

 green, after the manner of a pear, although they may suffer in 

 quality from such treatment. Willard, picked when beginning to 

 color on the exposed side, I have kept nine days in good condi- 

 tion in a warm room and with no attempt to preserve them : 

 Abundance picked August 24, when well colored, began to decay 

 September 2; Burbank, partly colored and picked August 24th, 

 were placed in a tight box in a warm room, and on September 

 5th they were nearly all in perfect condition and had colored well, 

 but were not even then fully ripe ; a red plum, much like Berck- 

 mans, kept from September i8th to October i. J. H. Hale, of 



