206 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



black, overspread with thick bloom; dots numerous, russet; stem three-quarters inch 

 long, pubescent, adhering well to the fruit; skin thin, sourish, separating readily; flesh 

 golden-yellow, juicy, coarse, rather firm, sweet, pleasant-flavored, sprightly; good; 

 stone one and one-eighth inches by five-eighths inch in size, oval or broadly ovate, 

 strongly flattened, with roughened and deeply pitted surfaces, blunt at the base and 

 apex; ventral suture narrow, strongly grooved, not prominent; dorsal suture acute, 

 with a shallow, often indistinct groove. 



Prunus triflora 



I. Xormand Cat. 1891. 2. Kerr Cat. 1894-1900. 3. Cornell Sla. Bui. 175:131. 1899. 

 4. Tex. Sta. Bui. 32:488. 1899. 



This variety is one of the earliest of the Triflora plums and although 

 the flavor is not as agreeable as that of the best sorts of its species, as Bur- 

 bank or Abundance, it is much better than that of Earliest of All, with 

 which it competes in season. Almost nothing is known regarding the 

 history and origin of Engre. It was first mentioned in 1890 in the catalog 

 of J. L. Normand, Marks ville, Louisiana, and in all probability is one of his nu- 

 merous importations from Japan. The origin of the name is not known. 



Tree of medium size, vasiform, dense-topped, productive; branches slightly thorny, 

 with numerous fruit-spurs; branchlets very short and stubby, glabrous; leaf-buds 

 plump; leaves reddish when young, oblanceolate, one and three-eighths inches wide, 

 three inches long; margin doubly crenate, with small brownish glands; petiole tinged 

 red, glandless or with one or two small, reniform glands on the stalk; blooming season 

 early; flowers appearing with the leaves, five-eighths inch across; borne on lateral 

 buds and spurs, in twos or in threes; calyx-lobes red at the margin; anthers pinkish. 



Fruit very early; about one and one-quarter inches in diameter, roundish; cavity 

 deep; color dark pinkish-red, covered with thin bloom; dots numerous, conspicuous; 

 skin astringent; flesh yellowish, tender and melting, sweet near the surface, but sour 

 next the pit, low in flavor; poor; stone clinging, five-eighths inch by one- half inch in 

 size, roundish-oval, turgid; ventral suture broad, blunt. 



ESPEREN 



Prunus domestica 



I. Mag. Hart. 15:298. 1849. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 3S0. 1857. 3. Flor. & Pom. 4, PI. 

 1863. 4. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 916. 1869. 5. Pom. France 7: No. i. 1871. 6. Mas Le Verger 

 6:65. 1866-73. 7. Lauche Deut. Pom. 12. 18S2. 



Cloth of Gold Esperen 4. Cloth of Gold 2, ■;. Drap d'Or of Esperin i, 2. Drap d'Or d'Esperen 

 3, 6, 7. Drap d'Or Esperen 4. Drap d'Or d'Esperen 5. Drap d'Or of Esperen 6. Esperen's Gold- 

 pflaume 7. Golden Esperen 5, 7. Golden Esperen 4. Golden Esperen Plum 3. 



