CORNELL UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 217 



iruits are more or less flattened, as is well shown in Fig. 1, usually oblong 

 and truncate or somewhat flattened at the ends, and are commonly marked 

 with a distinct suture. All the varieties have a light purple bloom. 



The Texan form of P. Americana, known locally as the Hog plum, 

 appears to differ somewhat from the northern forms, and it may be a dis- 

 tinct species. It has the glands, both of calyx and leaf-stalks, of the P. 

 nigra form and the rounded stones of true P. Americana,. The plant is 

 not in cultivation, however, and need not be further discussed here. 



Prnnus Americana was founded over a century ago by Humphrey 

 Marshall. His description, particularly of the leaves, is peculiarly 

 characteristic of the wild plum of the north. It is as follows: 



"Prunus Americana. Large Yellow Sweet Plum. This generally rises 

 to the height of 12 or 15 feet, spreading into many stiff branches. The 

 leaves are oblong, oval, acute pointed, sharply sawed on their edges and 

 much veined. The flowers generally come out very thick round the 

 branches, often upon thick short spurs; and are succeeded by large oval 

 fruit with a sweet succulent pulp. We have a great variety of these grow- 

 ing naturally in a good moist soil, with reddish and yellowish fruit, but 

 differing much in size, taste, and consistence." 



West of the Mississippi there is a form of Primus Americana with 

 conspicuously pubescent and often glaucous leaves and shoots. This is 

 the variety mollis, a plant which is commonly supposed to be confined to 

 Texas and its northern borders. It certainly grows as far north as Iowa. 

 The varieties known as Wolf and Van Buren belong here. 



The following cultivated varieties belong to Prunus Americana: 



1. Avifiricnn Eaple. — Fruit and flowers unknown to me. Leaves rather large, the 

 stalks glandular. Introduced in fall of 1h89 and spring of 1890 by Osceola Nursery Co., 

 Osceola, Missouri. C. 



2. Benty''s Choice. — Fruit large, round-oblong, red-purple or red-blue, skin medium 

 thick: flnph Arm, of high quality: cling, the stones broad, flat and smooth, like those of 

 Weaver; flowers large, conspicuously stalked in large clusters. ( alyx lobes reflexed, 

 glandless, smoath or nearly so on the insidn. Late. Originated under cultivation in 

 southern Texas by Lee Beaty. T. V. Munson says that it appears to be a hjbrid 

 between Prun-ns Americana and P. domestica. Ripens at Denison, Texas, from the 

 first to the middle of August. 



3. Black Haiok. — Known to me only from a record in Bulletin 4, Iowa experiment 

 station, by R. P. Speer (Feb , 1889), in which "a nameless variety found in Black Hawk 

 county, and a very large and beautiful free-stone plum, which was furnished by Mr. 

 Slater of Story county," was tested as to culinary qualities in comparison with Miner, 

 Weaver, Bassett, Rollmgstone. Moreman, Wolf. De Soto and Maquoketa. "The decis- 

 ion of all who tasted the same was that the Maquoketa and Black Hawk plums were 

 equally good and much better than any of the other kinds except the [^e Soto, which 

 was marked good, but second in quality. The skins on the Maquoketa and Black Hawk 

 plums were so thin that they disappeared almost entirely while being cooked." I do 

 not know that the variety has been introduced. Presumably P. Americana. 



4. Brainerd, in cultivation in Minnesota (O. M. Lord), probably belongs to this 

 species. 



5. Chenpy. — Fruit large to very large, round-oblong, scarcely flattened, dull purplish 

 red, skin thick; flesh firm and sweet, good to very good; cling, the stone very flat and 

 smooth with rather rounded ends; flowers n<U large, the calyx lobes glandular, smooth 

 insid-^; leaves medium, long-pointed, leaf-stalks glandular. Early for the group, ripen- 

 ing even in Minnesota by the middle of August.. One of the best varieties. Found in 

 Morman Ravine, a few miles below La Crosse, Wisconsin, and introduced by E. Mark- 

 ley, La Crosse. C. 



6. Chippeui'^y. —Fvnii small to medium, oblong, deep red, the skin medium thick; 

 flesh firm and sweet; stone free, small, strongly convex on the sides and pointed, 



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