A STUDY IN PLANT VARIATION 



247 



The next to ripen, and the first at Cape May Point, are the large blues 

 which are fully matured by August fifth, and continue until about 

 August twenty-fifth. They ripen gradually on the bush like our cul- 

 tivated plum, and there may be found on any of the bushes fruits in all 

 degrees of maturity. The yellows, however, differ from the others in 

 this respect, as the fruits appear to all mature about the same time. 

 As the blues ripen, they first turn pinkish on one side and this gradually 

 deepens into a deep red. At this stage, they closely resemble the large 

 red variety, and could easily be mistaken for them if they matured at 

 the same time, but in about four days they will have turned to a dark 

 blue and are now covered with a light waxen bloom. About the time 

 that the blues are fully matured, the yellows begin to produce abundant 

 fruits, which are characterized by their sweet, pleasant taste. The 

 large purple variety ripens next, followed shortly by the red. Finally, 

 about the last of September, the small purple ripens, the coarsest and 

 smallest fruited variety. They are by far the richest in tannin and 

 decidedly unpleasant to the taste. Usually frost overtakes them before 

 they attain what may be termed ripeness. 



VARIETY 



PERIOD OF MATURATION 



Large Blue 



Small Blue (1) 



(2) 



Large Purple.. 



Small Purple... 



Large Red 



Small Red 



Large Yellow.. 

 Small Yellow.. 



Aug. 

 Aug. 

 Aug. 

 Aug. 

 Sept. 

 Aug. 

 Aug. 

 Aug. 

 Aug. 



5— Aug. 25 



10— Aug. 30 



1— Aug. 20 



15— Sept. 5 



1— Oct. 1 



25— Sept. 15 



25— Sept. 15 



10— Aug. 30 



10— Aug. 30 



The fruit is subject to the sting of an insect, the plum weevil or plum 

 curculio as it is sometimes called. The stinging occurs either when the 

 blossom is on or shortly after it has fallen. The very young fruits can 

 then readily be detected when punctured by the insect, owing to a mass 

 of mucilage exuding from the wound. The blues and the purples are 

 the most generally attacked, and often more than half of the fruits are 

 stung. The reds are occasionally attacked while the yellows are seldom, 

 if ever, stung. Contrary to expectation, only a few of the stung fruits 

 fall to the ground, while the majority of them remain upon the bush 

 even to maturity. There results from the sting a hard black core of 

 hardened mucilage, which becomes a localized center for the secretion 

 of tannin, and this gives to the fruit a most unpleasant taste. 



