374 SYSTEMATIC POMOLOGY 



Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, productive. 

 Fruit late; 2^2 by 2 inches in size, elongated-oval or slightly obovate, 

 halves unequal; cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt; suture wide; apex flat- 

 tened, depressed or with a short blunt tip; color purplish-black, with thick 

 bloom ; dots numerous, small, brown ; stem % inch long ; skin separating 

 readily; flesh golden-yellow, juicy, firm, sweet, mild; good; stone clinging, 

 sometimes tinged red, irregularly oval, slightly flattened, rough. 



Graup 3. Fruits Reddish-purple or Reddish 



576. Pond (Fig. 206). Hungarian. — Pond is preeminent 

 among plums for its large fruits, which are 

 distinguished also by their form and color, 

 both being pleasing as well as distinctive. 

 The eye is pleased w^ith the plum, but the 

 palate is sadly disappointed, for at best it is 

 not even second-rate. The fruits, however, 

 ship and keep well. The trees are satisfactory 

 in most regions, though small and not always 

 productive. This variety was obtained from 

 seed by a Mr. Pond, an English grower of 

 fruits, as long ago as 1831. 



Tree of medium size, vigorous, upright, hardy, va- 



„ ^^^ _ riable in productiveness. Fruit late, season short ; 2 



Fig. 206. Pond. • v, v i o, . , . . , ' . ^. .^, 



inches by l-^ inches in size, obovate, frequently with 



a neck, halves equal; cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt; 

 suture shallow, often a line ; apex roundish ; color reddish-purple to purplish- 

 red, overspread with thick bloom ; dots numerous, small, reddish-brown, 

 obscure; stem thick, % inch long, heavily pubescent, adhering well to the 

 fruit; skin tough, separating readily; flesh golden-yellow, dry, fibrous, firm, 

 mild, not highly flavored; fair in quality; stone semi-free to free, long-oval, 

 flattened, the surfaces roughened and deeply pitted, tapering towards the 

 base and apex. 



577. Agen (Fig. 207). French Prune. Petite Prune. — Agen 

 is largely grown for prune-making, several qualities admirably 

 fitting the fruits for curing. The plum has a high percentage 

 of sugar and solids, so that it cures readily into a firm, sweet, 

 long-keeping prune, which, in cooking, needs little sugar; the 

 plums are uniform in size; the trees bear regularly and abun- 

 dantly ; and the crop hangs well on the tree. Besides making 



