EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 181 



moist weather prevailing most of the time during that period, and this may in part 

 explain the lack of success in attempting to control the disease by spraying. 



Shot-hole fungus appeared on a few varieties during the season. Abundnnee. Bur- 

 bank, Ogon, Simon and Yosebe were the kinds most affected. However, in the case of 

 most varieties, spraying served to keep the foliage free from fungous attacks and the 

 leaves held on well until fall. 



In June a number of heavily loaded trees of several varieties were thinned, while 

 other trees of the same kinds were left unthinned to serve as checks on results. 

 Some varieties were thinned more severely than others in order that the effects of both 

 ordinary and severe thinning might De observed. Records were kept of the kind of 

 thinning, number of pounds of fruit removed in the case of each tree thinned, size 

 of fruit at time of thinning, length of time required to thin, etc. It was expected 

 that full notes of a similar nature would be taken when the fruit had ripened, but 

 owing to the prevalence of rot this could not be done in the case of fall varieties. A 

 detailed account of the experiment is therefore omitted. However, in a general way, it 

 may be said that thinning in nearly ^ery instance gave increased size of fruit. It 

 was also observed that there was less rot on thinned than on unthinned trees. 



EUROPEAN PLUMS. 



Among the more productive of the European varieties were Archduke, Diamond, 

 Grand Duke, Lombard, Middleburg and Victoria. The following are varieties which 

 were not included in the report of last year: 



Baker Damson. — Trees very upright, vigorous. Fruit small, roundish ovate, with 

 a slight cavity and slender stem; apex marked by a small dot; color black; flesh green- 

 ish amber, jviicy; fruit small, roundish, cling; quality good. Very good for culinary 

 purposes, but as yet quite unproductive. 



Early Red. — This variety was received from Prof. Budd of Iowa as Black Prune, but 

 is probably Early Red according to Prof. Budd's description of that variety, while 

 ^Nicholas, another of Prof. Budd's importations from eastern Euro])e. also turns out to 

 be Early Red. The trees of Early Red are upright, slightly spreading, weak, thin 

 growers. Fruit resembles Lombard quite strongly in appearance, but ripens at least 

 two weeks earlier than that variety. Form oval ; stalk three-fourths of an inch long, 

 set in a slight cavity; suture rather obscure; bloom blue, slight; color purplish red; 

 flesh firm, juicy, greenish yellow; flavor sub-acid, pleasant; quality good. Not consid- 

 ered promising. 



Engle. — Fruit roundish oval ; stalk rather short and stout, set in a narrow shallow 

 cavity; suture somewhat obscure, half around; color yellow with faint traces of green; 

 flesh firm, fine grained, yellow; pit oval, pointed, free; flavor sweet, rich; quality 

 good. A good dessert variety which this season ripened August 2. The trees are vigor- 

 ous, upright, slightly spreading. 



G. No. 4. — Received from New York State in 1890, under letters and number given. 

 Trees upright with roundish slightly spreading heads. Fruit nearly round; stem 

 about three- fourths of an inch long, slender, set in a narrow rather deep cavity ; suture 

 broad, sliallow: color very dark purple with numerous liffht specks; bloom blue, plen- 

 tiful; pit nearly round, cling; flesh very firm, juicy, tender, pale amber; quality good. 

 A poor bearer and seems to be of little value here. 



White Queen. — Received through the Division of Pomology in 1800. and fruited here 

 this season for the first time. The trees are upright, slightly spreading, vigorous. Fruit 

 roundish ovat?, slightly flattened at the base; stem about one inch long, curved, set in 

 a slight, regular cavity; suture, a line half around: apex, a dot in a sliirht depression; 

 color yellowish white, mottled and overlaid with light purple, becoming dark in 

 exposed specimens: bloom heay\% whitish; flesh yellow, juicy, tender; pit small, plump, 

 oval, cling; quality best. Ripe September 9. 



JAPANESE PLUMS. 



Burbnnk was uninjured in wood, but about twenty-five per cent of the fruit buds 

 were winter killed. However, this variety set so many buds that in spite of the large 

 number destroyed, the trees set too much fruit and required thinning. 



Berckmans bore some fruit on grafts set in 1897. The fruit is roundish to roundish 

 oblong; stalk three-fourths of an inch long, very stout, set in a broad shallow cavity; 

 suture well ninrkod. half around: color very dark rod with many golden yellow dots; 

 bloom slight, pinkish; flesh tender, juicy, yellowish: pit quite small, oval, cling; 

 quality rather low. The shoots are olive green with many gray dots. Requires further 

 tostinc:. 



Tlale was badly frozen back and all of the fruit buds were killed. The trees were 

 well cut back in pruning and made a strong growth this season. Kelsey was killed 



