40 Plums and Plum Culture 



tant account of it in this country was given by Bailey 

 in 1893.* 



The Simon plum seems to be intermediate be- 

 tween the apricot and the plums. It is most closely 

 related to the Japanese plums, which it resembles in 

 several respects and with which it hybridizes freely. 

 It is properly to be regarded as a species, though it has 

 sometimes been supposed to be a hybrid. Its charac- 

 ters and habits are not those of a hybrid, and there is 

 nothing else to indicate a mongrel origin for it. It is 

 less variable than hybrids usually are. There is only 

 one variety of it known in this country, and this is 

 commonly called, not by a horticultural name, but by 

 the botanical name of the species. 



It has been planted for market in considerable 

 quantities by a few persons. Certain growers report 

 it profitable, even in New York, though it does best 

 in California. It is frequently seen in the markets of 

 our eastern cities, coming in early in the season among 

 the first of the plums. It looks well, but the quality 

 is not good, and it does not sell rapidly. It ships well, 

 keeps well and looks well on the fruit stands; and as 

 these three qualities are of prime importance in a mar- 

 ket fruit, it will be seen that the Simon plum is a thing 

 to be reckoned with. 



Probably the greatest value of the Simon plum 

 lies in the readiness with which it blends with other 

 types in hybridization and in the good results which it 

 gives in such cases. "It is the best of all plums for 

 hybridizing," says Mr. Burbank; and his results up to 

 the present time amply illustrate this statement. The 

 poor qualities of the fruit seem to disappear in hybrid- 

 izing, and the good qualities seem to be retained. 

 The same thing cannot be said of the tree, however, 



•Cornell Experiment Station Bulletin, 5t:34. iSo^. 



