r H E 



Canadian Horticulturist 



Vol XVII 1 



1895. 



No. 4. 



THE GRAND DUKE PLUM. 



HEN once our ten Fruit Experiment Stations are in full operation 

 we hope to be able to introduce to our readers only such new fruits 

 ' as have been well tested at these stations, and proved to be 

 worthy of notice. Our Plum station in the Georgian Bay dis- 

 trict, at Clarksburg, will this year be furnished with a full list of 

 varieties, and among them the Grand Duke, which is being 

 introduced to Canadian fruit growers by the frontispiece in this 

 number. 



The Grand Duke Plum comes to us from England, and is thus described 

 by the celebrated horticulturist, Mr. Thos. Rivers : " A seedling from the " Au- 

 tumn Compote." A very large purple plum, ripening October loth to 20th. 

 Flavor very fine, and will prove a very valuable addition to late plums, either 

 for the market or the private garden. ' 



This pium has been grown largely by Mr S. D. Willard, Vice-President 

 of the Western New York Horticultural Society, and in reply to an inquiry, he 

 writes, under date 19th Feb., 1895 • "Now as to Grand Duke plum. It so far 

 has shosvn itself entirely hardy here, is a great producer of beautiful fruit, ever^ 

 and large in size, and which, by reason of its appearance and lateness of season 

 sells well at outside prices, but the tree with us is such a poor grower in the nur 

 sery that it will scarcely become popular with the tree dealers, who, really now 

 control the sales. And purchasers expect that every variety will show the same 

 habits of growth as the Lombard, hence this, as well as many other valuable 

 varieties will not be grown to any extent by nurserymen unless it develops belter 

 growing qualities elsewhere than here " 



We have also to record the experience of a noted Ontario plum grower 

 with this variety, viz., Mr. J. K. Gordon, of Whitby, who writes as follows : 



