The Canadian Horticulturist. 



319 



Simon Plum I wish to say that I am 

 always open to conviction. M\- 

 present opinion is based upon the 

 specimens I have seen, and I em- 

 phatically state that I have never 

 measured one with a greater diameter 

 than one and one-fourth inches. If 

 the gentleman, growing such large 

 and delicious specimens of this fruit, 

 will send me» samples next year I will 

 take great pleasure in giving this 

 variety the full benefit of all the good 

 opinion it rarely earns. This much 

 and nothing more. The illustration 

 I criticised shows the fruit to be from 

 two to two and one-fourth inches in 

 diameter, and, according to the state- 

 ment of A. B. Dennis, of Iowa, in 

 your October number, the fruit grows 

 in that State to twice the size of the 

 illustration, which would make them 

 from four to four and one-half inches 

 in diameter. Perhaps the gentleman 

 is talking about pumpkins. I offer 

 $100 each for specimens of Simon 

 Plum measuring four inches in diam- 

 eter, — H. E. Van Dhman, Pomolo^^'ist, 

 U. S. Dipt, of A<^riculture, Washing- 

 ton, 1). C, Oct. loth., iSSg. 



Prunus Simoni. — Three vears ago 

 we set out a row of Simon's plums, 

 using one-year-old plants. Intending 

 to train them laterally on wires, they 

 were set at an angle of over forty- 

 five degrees, putting nearly all the 

 stem under ground. As they started 

 upright shoots from the stem, they 

 were permitted to grow with a 

 view to test the bush plan. At this 

 time they are bushes, rather than 

 trees, with several stems, and with 

 branches to the ground. In this 

 form they have stood the recent test 

 winters almost perfectly, and are now 

 quite well loaded with fruit which is 

 now (July 5) mucli larger in size than 

 anv plum and wholly free from cur- 

 culio or gouger marks. 



As it has been said that the fruit 

 has no value, I will state that in \uv 

 opinion the authors of such state- 

 ments have only tried it for dessert 

 use. for which its flesh is too firm 



and its flavor not the best. When 

 used for canning or stewing, it has 

 the peach flavor without the peach 

 bitter. When better known, I think 

 it will be prized for culinary use on 

 the northern border of the peach 

 belt.— J. L. Hi'DD. 



The Peach of South Africa. 



Sir, — I have relatives who live in " Trans- 

 vaal," the Dutch republic of South Africa, 

 who tell me they have peaches of a very 

 excellent kind, which when full grown and ripe 

 weigh from nine ounces to one pound each. 

 They have sent a number of the peach 

 stones from the above place to my son 

 William, in Cape Town, to be forwarded to 

 me, but as there is no express or parcel- 

 post, my son has just sent me one in a letter 

 and asks how he can send them, as there is 

 nothing from Cape but letter or mail post, 

 at letter rate it would cost much, so I 

 suggested, as he was well acquainted with 

 most of the captains and chief officers of the 

 S.S. lines, he might pack them and send 

 them to my son in England and so get them 

 through him as best we could. I shall 

 hear in due time if he has done so. I enclose 

 you the one he sent. Should you feel at all 

 interested in the stone or not, please let me 

 know. My wife's sister wrote a good deal 

 about this kind of peaches, telling of their 

 weight and their beautiful color and flavor. 

 — W. S. Rawbone, 5 Maitland Place. Toronto. 



This stone is being carefully 

 planted, and should it prove in On- 

 tario what it is in South Africa, our 

 readers will soon know all about it. 

 — Editor. 



New Peaches— Centennial and Smith's 

 Extra. 



Sir, — Find herewith samples of Wealthy 

 — extra si/e and medium, also sample of 

 Centennial peach and also what I call 

 Smith's Extra Late. It is about a week 

 later than ordinary Late Crawford ; in other 

 respects similar. There is also one sample 

 of Steven's Rareripe which we are picking 

 now. It is Old iVIixon in appearance, but 

 ten days later A. M. Smith, ist Oct. 1889. 



The Centennial Peach is certainly 

 of striking appearance, being very 

 large ; this specimen measuring over 

 nine inches in circumference, 

 roundish in form, of yellow skin with 

 crimson cheek, the flesh yellow of good 

 quality, but, unfortunately a cling- 

 stone. No doubt, however, that its 



