370 SYSTEMATIC POMOLOGY 



they are often capricious to soil and climate, do not always bear 

 well, seem to be susceptible to diseases, are preyed upon by 

 insects, and suffer from dry or hot weather. Italian Prune 

 originated in Italy at least a century ago. 



Tree vigorous, upright, low-topped, hardy, productive. Fruit late; 2 by 

 1% inches in size, long-oval, enlarged on the suture side, compressed, halves 

 unequal; cavity very shallow and narrow, abrupt; suture shallow; apex 

 bluntly pointed; color purplish-black, with very thick bloom; dots numer- 

 ous, small, light brown, conspicuous; stem inserted at one side of the base, 

 1 inch in length, pubescent; skin thin, tough; flesh yellow, juicy, firm, 

 subacid, aromatic; very good to best; stone free, irregular-oval, flattened, 

 roughened and pitted, neck at the base, abruptly tipped at the apex. 



569. German Prune (Fig. 199) is one of the oldest plums 

 under cultivation. The variety comes almost 

 true to seed, and is often propagated by 

 planting pits, a practice wiiich has produced 

 many strains. The most commonly grown 

 German Prune in the United States is the 

 Rochester strain, from trees of which the 

 following description was made. All Ger- 

 man Prunes are characterized by large, 

 hardy, vigorous, healthy, productive trees, 

 characters giving the variety its great value. 

 The fruit is excellent for all culinary pur- 

 poses. This variety is likely to remain a 



^^ _ standard for some time, but will eventu- 



FiG. 199. German „ , -, n i -, . 



Prune. ally be superseded by one having a larger 



fruit. German writers state that this variety 



originated in Asia, whence it was brought during the Crusades 



to Europe. 



Tree large, vigorous, round, hardy, very productive. Fruit late, ripening 

 period very long; 1% by 1 inch, oval, swollen on the ventral side, halves 

 unequal; cavity very shallow, narrow, flaring; suture a faint line; apex 

 pointed; color purplish-black; bloom thick; dots numerous, small, brown, 

 inconspicuous, clustered about the base ; stem % inch long, adhering well to 

 the fruit; flesh yellowish-green, juicy, firm, sweet, mild, with pleasant 

 flavor; good to very good; stone free, flattened, obliquely long-oval, pointed 

 at the apex and base, with rough and pitted surfaces. 



570. Quackenboss (Fig. 200). — The fruits of Quackenboss 

 possess to a high degree the characters which make a good mar- 



