398 BOTANY OF CROP PLANTS 



DISCUSSION OF SPECIES 



Prunus domestica. — This is a vigorous-growing tree 

 which may reach a height of 30 or 40 feet. The leaves are 

 ovate or obovate, elliptical or oblong-eUiptical; the upper 

 surface is smooth, the lower often j&nely hairy, the margins 

 coarsely toothed, and the teeth often glandular. The flowers 

 usually appear after the leaves, sometimes with them. The 

 fruit is generally globular, the skin varies in color, the flesh 

 is yellowish, and the stone free or clinging. 



This is the best known and most widely distributed species 

 of plums. It has been cultivated for 2,000 years, originally 

 coming from about the Caucasus Mountains. The first 

 colonists brought varieties of this species to North America. 

 There are now over 950 varieties of Domestic plums grown 

 in this country. These have been divided into a number of 

 groups, largely based upon fruit characteristics. These 

 groups are as follows: 



1 . Green Gages (Reine Claude) . — These are low trees with 

 dark bark which cracks deeply, with leaves doubly toothed, 

 fruit relatively small, round, mostly green or golden, and of 

 excellent quahty. The stone is either free or clinging. 

 Important varieties are Reine Claude, Bavay, Spaulding, 

 Yellow Gage, Washington, etc. 



2. Prunes. — A prune is any plum that can be cured without 

 removing the pit. All plums with a large percentage of sugar 

 make good prunes. The fruit is large, oval, usually com- 

 pressed, blue or purple, and with a firm, greenish, yellow, or 

 golden flesh, and free stone. Prunes are raised on the Pacific 

 Coast. The industry there has become a large one. Im- 

 portant varieties are Italian, German, Agen, Tragedy, Ten- 

 nant, Sugar, Giant, Pacific, and Ungarish. 



Preparation of Prunes. — In the preparation of prunes, the 



