126 ANNUAL REPORT 



varieties to make room for better. The crop of this fruit the past 

 season was in many localities greater than the average, but usually 

 the fruit was below the average in size and quality. This was oc- 

 casioned by over-bearing, extreme drouth and the presence of an 

 unusual number of aphides preying upon the foliage and tender 

 twigs. 



The design of this paper is to describe and make a few com- 

 ments upon varieties, we have had an opportunity to examine or 

 test. At the Winona Fair, held during the last week in August, 

 some 15 or 20 varieties, generally of large size and fine appearance, 

 were exhibited by O. M. Lord, of Minnesota City; J. C. Kramer, of 

 La Crescent; Mr. Harrison, of Homer Ridge and others. But 4 or 

 5 of the varieties were ripe enough to be at their best. They 

 were the Cheney, Rollingstone, Harvest, Gaylord's Favorite etc. 

 At the Southern Minnesota Fair, held at Rochester, during the 

 first week in September, a still larger exhibit was made by Sias, 

 Dartt, Kramer and others, fine in appearance, but I was obliged to 

 leave before the close of the fair and did not have an opportunity 

 to give them a critical examination. At the State Fair one week 

 later over 50 distinct varieties were shown and probably ten or a 

 dozpn of then will prove worthy of cultivation. The largest plum 

 of any variety was one named the New Ulm, a seedling grown by C. 

 W. H. Heideman, of New Ulm, Minn. Mr. H. says this plum was 

 raised from seed of a wild variety growing in that vicinity. The 

 tree is six years o d and fruited heavily the 4th, 5th and 6th 

 years. It is described as being vigorous, hardy, and healthy, ir- 

 regular in form, having no well defined upright leader. Wood not 

 thorny and leaf large and thick. The specimens shown were the 

 largest natives I have seen, measuring from 2 to 1\ inches in 

 length and \\ to 1| in diameter, being oval in form. The color 

 was a deep mottled red. Skin thin and tender, flesh of fairly gt od 

 consistency, flavor excellent for eating from the hand, and I should 

 judge it would cook well. The owner states that they ripen usual- 

 ly from August 25th to September 1st, and that the specimens ex- 

 hibited were selected after the bulk of the crop had been taken off. 



The next largest variety that has come to my notice is the Cheney, 

 a large, nearly round, smooth skinned, bright red plum, of good 

 quality, and excellent for cooking and canning. The tree is a vig- 

 orous upright grower and bears fruit at the age of 3 or 4 years. 

 The fruit ripens from August 20th to 25th. It is a very distinct 

 type of the native plum and was first brought to notice by E. 

 Markel, of La Cross, Wis. The fruit when cooked, is free from 

 astringency. Well developed specimens this year, measured 1^ 

 inche3 in diameter. The Rollingstone, from O. N. Lord, is a med- 

 ium large, round, purplish red variety; season from 1st to 10th 

 of September, skin thin and when the fruit is fully ripe peels off 

 readily, leaving the flesh in a shaply mass. It is sweet and fine 

 flavored and its consistency makes it a good table fruit. The De 

 Sotos exhibited were large and fine. This variety is ex- 

 cellent for eating and cooking, season from September 10th to 

 20th. The tree is hardy and vigorous and it has become popu- 



