The Japanese Plums Described 133 



variety. Persons buying trees of Abundance should take great 

 pains to get them true to type. 



Babcock. — A small and inferior type of Abundance. First 

 described under the name Babcock by Bailey (Cornell Bulletin 

 62:19) but more recently referred by him to Abundance (Cor- 

 nell Bulletin 175:142). The true Abundance should always 

 be planted in preference to this variety. 



Berckmans (True Sweet Botan, White-fleshed Botan).— 

 "Fruit of medium size, round-oblong, with a tendency to 

 have a blunt point, more or less angular in cross-section, the. 

 suture not prominent; color deep bright red, especially when 

 exposed to the sun, more or less yellow-splashed on the shaded 

 side ; flesh firm and sweet, cling or semi-cling, becoming dry 

 and insipid when fully ripe. Ripe this year on the 4th to 6th 

 of August with the earliest trees of Abundance. In 1896, it 

 also ripened with Abundance or just ahead of it. In 1897, <the 

 same trees ripened two weeks later than Abundance. It is an 

 upright grower, with yellowish-green, rather small foliage. 

 It is readily distinguished from all other Japanese plums which 

 I know by the dry and mealy character of the ripe fruit. 



"We doubt if the Berckmans is of sufficiently high quality 

 to recommend it for general planting, since the Abundance 

 occupies the same season. Some of the trees which have 

 passed for Berckmans are Abundance. The true Berckmans 

 is distinguished by its dry flesh." — Bailey, Cornell Bulletin 

 175:138, 1899. 



Berger (Strawberry, Ura-Beni, Uchi-Beni). — "Small and 

 cherry-like, flattened endwise, with a distinct suture; color 

 bright light red, with prominent bloom : flesh firm and meaty, 

 yellow, free from the very small pit and with no astringency 

 or almond flavor, the skin not tough nor sour ; ripe this year 

 on the 17th and 18th of July. This is one of the most distinct 

 of all the Japanese plums. It has the flavor of some of the 

 Domestica varieties. The handsome little fruits fall when 

 ripe and should be caught on straw or hay spread underneath 

 the tree. The plums are not much larger than very large 

 cherries, and coming after the sweet cherries are gone, they 

 seem to piece out the cherry season. The tree is a distinct and 

 upright grower, with rather narrow and light colored leaves, 

 and the fruits are borne well down on the older wood. We 

 believe that the Berger is well worth growing in every home 

 garden." — Bailey, Cornell Bulletin 175:132, 1899. 



Biery. — Fruit globular ; size medium ; cavity deep, 

 abrupt, narrow ; stem short ; suture a trace ; color yellow 

 blushed with red, patched with russet; dots minute, russet; 

 skin thin, separates easily from the flesh ; flesh yellow, tender, 



