Apkicot Growing in Western New York. 281 



Japan. Recently introduced to this country. Its chief repres- 

 entative here is the Bungoume, or so-called Bungo plum. Other 

 forms of this species in this country are the Hanahoume, Koume, 

 Gold Dust and Chinese Apricots. I have also seen it growing 

 under the name of Hattonkio plum ; and one of our leading 

 northern nurserymen sold me a tree of it under the name of My- 

 robalan plum ! The form of leaf of this Japanese species is con- 

 trasted with that of the common apricot in Fig. 6 ; and the fruit 

 and foliage of the variety known as Bungoume is shown in 

 Fig. 8. 



The Bongoume is the only variety- of this species which I have 

 known to fruit in New York. The fruit is small and poor, and I 

 do not see .sufficient merit in it to make it worth growing. P. J. 

 Berckmans, of Augusta, Georgia, writes me that the Bongoume 

 has fruited but once with him, although he has had the variety 

 several years. It usually blooms in February, and the flowers 

 are destroyed by frosts. "I am satisfied," he says, " that this 

 type of fruit is worthless where the orange is not perfectly hardy. " 

 But in common with some other plants which are injured by 

 spring frosts in the South, this species often escapes in the North 

 because of the absence of unseasonable "warm spells" which, in 

 that region, start the buds. 



This species {Pnmus Mjime) is really more valuable for orna- 

 ment than for fruit, and for this purpose it is chiefly grown in 

 Japan. Double-flowered varieties are also known in this country. 

 Professor Georgeson, who has made a particular study of fruits in 

 Japan, writes* as follows concerning this apricot, or plum, as- he 

 calls it : 



"Prunus Mume. Ui7ie and Mume of the Japanese. The 

 fruit-bearing varieties of this species do not take a high rank; 

 in fact, the fruit appears to be an incidental product rather than 

 the main aim of their culture. This is the parent of the hun- 

 dreds of varieties of the flowering plum, and the trees are culti- 

 vated for their flowers. The Japanese entertain a love for their 

 plum flowers which is akin to passionate adoration. They are 

 cherished alike in the poorest hut and in the princely man.sion. 



* American Garden, xii. 76 (1891.) 



