Fourth Report on Japanese Plums. 133 



closest observation during two or three crops seem to have behaved 

 in tliis way. For example, in our last report (Bulletin 139), we 

 thought that the Chase is identical with the Chabot. This year, 

 however, the fruit of the same trees of Chase was indistinguishable 

 from Abundance ; and yet, between Abundance and Chabot, there 

 is normally a difference of two or three weeks in the period of ripen- 

 ing, and there was this difference on our own grounds this year. 

 From tliis year's study, therefore, we are obliged to say that the 

 Chase is tlie Abundance. 



Some objection lias been raised to the supplanting of Japanese 

 names with new names. We are convinced, however, that the 

 dropping of the Japanese class-names and adjectives is legitimate in 

 the interest of perspicuity. Most of tlie Japanese names have been 

 loosely applied, and it is impossible, in many cases, to determine any 

 one variety to which the name may be said to belong. To use the 

 old name of Botan, for example, would result in perpetuating a con- 

 fusion, since any person who had a plum under the name of Botan, 

 no matter what it was, would feel justified in sending it out. When, 

 however, the different kinds of Botans are given specific names, the 

 person must distinguish his variety before it can be put upon the 

 market. The same remarks may be made for the Japanese names, 

 Hattankio, Yosobe, Sumomo and Wassu. (Wassu is probably a 

 misspelling of Wasse, or Wase, meaning early ^ There are two or 

 three Japanese names, of which Maru and Satsuma are examples, 

 which have been applied to one particular variety ; and in these 

 cases we have held to the Japanese vernacular. 



It is usually unsafe to make a general recommendation of varieties 

 of any fruit. The value of a variety lies not only in its intrinsic 

 merits, but in its adaptation to the personal likes of the grower and 

 to markets, soils, and other extrinsic conditions. However, as a 

 guide in the ciioice of varieties, I will mention those kinds which 

 now seem to me to be most valuable for general uses and con- 

 ditions. In the first list I place those which seem to be worthy of 

 general planting ; in the other list are those of secondary value and 

 those which must be further tested before they can be confidently 

 recommended. The varities are named in the order in which they 

 ripened at Ithaca in 1 899 : 



