248 STATE POMOLOGICxVL SOCIETY, 



seed of a Green Gage, impregnated with the pollen of the Egg Plum. Mr. 

 Downing says, in his description of this fruit ("Fruits and Fruit Trees," page 

 904) : " Requires a warm late season to ripen it, north of 41° of latitude." This 

 remark cannot be held applicable to Southern or Western Michigan, since 

 (doubtless on account of our insular position) we are enabled to grow, with a 

 good degree of success, many of the products of a considerably more southern 

 latitude; besides which, actual results have already demonstrated that, so far 

 as these regions are coneernetl, there has been, so far, no serious difficulty in 

 ripening this plum certainly and satisfactorily. 



The tree is moderately vigorous; branches smooth, and it proves at least 

 sufficiently productive. Downing describes the iruit as follows: "Fruit of the 

 largest size, oval (we would say ovate), with a well marked suture, on one side 

 of which it is a little more swollen than on the other, the outline narrowing to 

 the stalk. Skin light yellow, with a number of rich, dark-red spots on the 

 eunny side. Stalk nearly an inch long, rather stiff, set on the end of the fruit. 

 Flesh yellow, rather firm, adhering closely to the stone, which is quite pointed. 

 Flavor rich, sweet and delicious. Very good. Last of September." 



BAVAY's green gage, or KEINE CLAUDE DE BAYAT, 



is recommended by the society, to be planted as a portion of the family orchard, 

 in the ratio of fifteen in one hundred, and also by amateurs at the rate of thir- 

 teen in the hundred ; and we may indulge in the remark that, to our appre- 

 hensions, it is about an even question whether it would not be preferable to 

 add it also to the market list, or even to substitute it for Coe's Golden Drop, 

 on that list. We have followed Downing, in designating the seasons of the 

 ripening of varieties, and he gives the season of this as a little later than that 

 of Coe's Golden Drop; but our personal experience with the two, in the same 

 plat, and running through a number of seasons, would show little difference 

 between them, and if any, that the Bavay is possibly a little earlier than the 

 other. We fruited it from some of the first scions distributed after its import- 

 ation into America. 



We quote the following, from a letter to the Horticulturist, in April, 1847, 

 by S. B. Parsons of Flushing, Long Island : 



" When in Brussels, some two years since, I visited the nursery of Bavay, at 

 Vilvorde, near that city. Among several new fruits, I found the new plum. 

 Reine Claude cle Bavay, of which he kindly presented me with a colored en- 

 graving. This plum was produced from the seed of the old Reire Claude, by 

 a Belgian gentleman named Esperin ; and I translate from the Bevue Horlicole 

 the following description, which is much more detailed than any I could pos- 

 sibly give from recollection: 



"This plum is more uniform than round; it is longitudinally marked by 

 little violet colored veins, on a yellowish ground, sometimes accompanied by 

 little spots of the same color, and covered with a waxlike and scarcely appar- 

 ent bloom. Its flesh adheres slightly to the stone. The habit of the tree is 

 similar to that of old Reine Claude (Green Gage), the wood is a little grayish, 

 the branches are vigorous and the leaves are large and a beautiful green color. 

 This plum, although very good, is not equal to the old Reine Claude; but its 

 chief value is the season of its maturity. This last year, notwithstanding the 

 great heat we have experienced, it did not ripen till the 29th of September, — 

 a time when no fruit of the old Reine Claude can be found remaining." 



It will be borne in mind that this is a European description, given in advance of 



