NEW PLUMS AND PRUNES 127 



I first came across this enormous fruit on a tree 

 with the Beach plum foliage and blooming habits, 

 the branches literally hanging in ropes of gigantic 

 fruits, I could hardly believe my own eyes. 



The fruit begins to ripen here early in July, 

 and when ripe it is a deep crimson, covered with 

 a thin pale bloom. The flesh until fully ripe is 

 very firm and solid, but it breaks down quickly 

 when ripe. It is honey-yellow, with a pale green- 

 ish tinge. The quality is good. The fruit is 

 fragrant, and as large as the Kelsey, Wickson, 

 Climax, or any other plum known in 1905. 



It is found necessary to thin the green fruit 

 carefully, otherwise the tree would be crushed 

 with its weight of fruit. It has been grafted into 

 numerous older trees, and appears to be a strong 

 grower. Having originated from such an un- 

 usually hardy wild stock on one side, it will no 

 doubt produce a crop of fruit almost anywhere. 

 In itself, however, this will never prove of much 

 commercial value, as it lacks firmness of texture. 



THE BEACH PLUM IN OTHER COMBINATIONS 



The wild Beach plum was also crossed with 

 my Combination plum, which has in its ancestry 

 plums of almost every type. The resulting seed- 

 lings were not as good as had been anticipated, 

 but two were very much liked by a well-known 



