158 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



the origin of the variety, nothing is known although it is generally believed 

 to have originated in Belgium prior to 1850. 



Tree large, vigorous, round and dense-topped, not always hardy, very productive; 

 branchlets numerous, thick, pubescent throughout the season; leaf-scars prominent; 

 leaves flattened or folded upward, oval, one and five-eighths inches wide, three and 

 one-half inches long; margin serrate or crenate; petiole five-eighths inch long, gland- 

 less or with from one to two small glands usually at the base of the leaf; flowers nearly 

 one inch across, white, with a peculiar greenish and creamy tinge near the apex of the 

 petals and often splashed with pink towards the base ; borne on lateral buds and spurs ; 

 calyx-tube thickly pubescent. 



Fruit mid-season; medium to below in size, roundish-oval, purplish-black, over- 

 spread with thick bloom; flesh rich, golden-yellow, medium juicy, firm, sweet, mild; 

 fair to good; stone nearly free, of medium size, oval, flattened, often with a distinct 

 wing. 



BELLE 

 Pruniis domcstica 



I. Horticulturist 10:71. 1855. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 394. 1857. 3. Flor. & Pom. 144, 

 PI. 1863. 4. Hogg Frwji A/oH. 351, 384. 1866. 5. Mas Lc VVrgrr 6:27, fig. 14. 1866-73. 6. Le 

 Boil Jard. 341. 1882. 7. Barry Fr. Garden 410. 1S83. 8. Decaisne & Xaudin Man. Am. des 

 Jard. 4: 382. 9. Mathieu ATow. Pow. 449, 451. 18S9. 10. Garden 50:2^$. 1896. 11. Rivers Cat. 

 33. 1898. 12. Pish Hardy-Fr. Bk. 2:55. 13. Thompson Card. Ass't 4:156. 1901. 14. Waugh 

 Plum Cult. g6. 1901. 



Autumn Beauty 11. Autumn Beauty g. Belle dc Scptemhre 9, 11, 14. Belle de Septembre 

 I, 3, 4, 7, 1°. 12. 13- ('I'o^ Rouge de Septembre 3, 4, 9. Lawrence Early 9. Regina nova 6. Reitie- 

 Claude Rouge g. Reitie-Claude Rouge de Septembre 5, 9. Reine-Claude Rouge of September 2 

 Reine-CIaude Rouge de Van Mons 5, 6, 8. Reine-Claude Rouge de Van Mans 9. Reiiie-Claude Rouge 

 Van Mons 4, 9. Reine Nova (Berre) 9. Rcina Nova 2, 3, 4, 9. Rote Claude 9. Reitie Nova 9. 

 Schone September Kvnigspflautne g. Van Mons KSnigspflaume 9. Van Mons Konigspflaume S- Van 

 Mons Red 9. Van Mons' Red 4. Van Mons Red Gage 5, 9. 



Belle is an unusually large, handsome plum but unfortimatel}- is not 

 of very high quality. It is much like Pond but is brighter red, a 

 little smaller, less necked, the stem is shorter, the apex more blunt and 

 it is more of a clingstone. European authorities say that Belle is second 

 to none for culinary purposes and its handsome appearance gives it value 

 across the seas as a dessert plum. As Belle grows on the grounds of this 

 Station — it seems not to be found elsewhere in New York — the tree-char- 

 acters are quite above those in the average variety of plums and when 

 considered with the fine, late fruits, indicate that the variety might be 

 grown with profit for market purposes. It well deserves to be tried by 

 commercial plum-growers. 



Belle came from Brussels, Belgium, and was propagated by the famous 

 hortictolturist, Van Mons. Nothing further is known of its origin. 



