374 



THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



Fruit late, ripening season of medium length; about one inch in diameter, roundish, 

 compressed, truncate at the base; cavity rather deep and wide, abrupt; suture a line; 

 apex flattened or depressed; color deep amber-yellow, sometimes with faint pink blush 

 on the exposed cheek, overspread with moderately thick bloom; dots numerous, white, 

 inconspicuous; stem one-half inch long, covered with scant pubescence, adhering 

 strongly to the fniit; skin thin, astringent, slightly adhering; flesh deep golden-yellow, 

 juicy, coarse, fibrous, firm, sour; poor in quality; stone clinging, five-eighths inch by 

 one-half inch in size, ovate, turgid, blunt at the base, acute at the apex, slightly 

 roughened; ventral suture broad, blunt, shallowly furrowed; dorsal suture with a wide, 

 shallow groove. 



WHITE DAMSON 



Primus insilitia 



I. Parkinson Par. Ter. 578. 1629. 2. Quintinye Com. Card. 67, 69. 1699. 3. M'Mahon 

 Am. Card. Cal. 588. 1806. 4. Coxe CuU. Fr. Trees 238, fig. 15. 1817. 5. Lond. Hort. Soc. Cat. 

 146. 1831. 6. Prince Pom. Man. 2:88. 1832. 7. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 287. 1845. 8. Floy- 

 Lindley Guide Orch. Card. 300. 1846. 9. Thomas Am. Fruit CuU. 334. 1849. lo- Elliott Fr. 

 Book 430. 1854. II. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 190, 214. 1836. 12. Hogg Fruit Man. 385. i856. 

 13. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 932. 1869. 14. Waugh Plum Cult. 131. 1901. 



Frost Plum 6, 13. Late Cluster 6, 13. Late White Damson 6. Late Yellow Damson 7, 9, 

 10, 13. Shailer's White Damson 7, 10, 12, 13. Shailer's White Damson 5. Small Round Damson 

 5. White Damascene 4. White Damascene 6, 7, 10, 13. White Damask 2. White Damson 6. 

 White Prune Damson 7, 8, 10, 13. White Winter Damson 6, 13. White Winter Damson 3. Winter 

 Damson 6. Yellow Damson 9. 



This old plum, known since the beginning of the Seventeenth Centviry, 

 is chiefly of historic interest. Downing thought this a very desirable addi- 

 tion to our list of plums but nearly all other pomologists who have seen 

 the fruit of the variety think it of small importance. Unfortunately it 

 is not in the collection at this Station and can be neither recommended 

 nor condemned from first hand knowledge. This pltom was first noted in 

 America by M'Mahon in 1806, and fifty years later it was added to the 

 American Pomological Society list of promising varieties. For some reason, 

 perhaps for its color, it has never become so well known as the purple 

 Damsons. Perhaps from the division of Prunus insititia made in The 

 Plums of New York, this variety should be known as a Mirabelle rather 

 than as a Damson. The following description is a compilation: 



Tree vigorous, very productive; branches long, slender. Fruit matures the last 

 of September, season long; small, oval, pale yellow sprinkled with reddish-brown dots, 

 covered with thin bloom; flesh yellowish, sprightly, pleasant flavored; good to very 

 good; stone clinging. 



