Handbook of Treks of the Northekx States axd Cj 



200 



The Canada Plum attains the height of 20 

 or 25 ft. and its trunk is occasionally 10 or 12 

 in. in thickness. It develops a broad or rounded 

 top of many stiff and more or less contorted 

 branches and small somewhat zigzag brancii- 

 lets. 



In the month of May its heretofore bare and 

 blackened branches suddenly burst into a pro- 

 fusion of flowers and is at once aswarm with 

 myriads of bees, gathering their first h;uv('>t 

 of the summer from its abundant nectar. At 

 this season it is a beautiful and conspicuous 

 object. 



Its orange and red fruit ripens in August 

 and is valued both for immediate eating and 

 for preserves and jellies. The qualitj^ of fruit 

 varies considerably and some attention is being 

 paid by pomologists to propagating and im- 

 proving the better varieties. The Purple Yo- 

 semite, Quaker and Weaver Plums are of this 

 origin. 



The vpood is heavy, a cubic foot when abso- 

 lutely dry weighing 43.17 lbs., hard and very 

 close grained. 1 



Leaves oval or ovate-oblong, mostly rounded or 

 tapering at base, acuminate, unequally crenate- 

 serrate, somewhat rugose, at maturity glabrous 

 dark green above paler and prominently voinod 

 beneath : petioles with dark glands near the leaf- 

 blade. Floircrs about 1 in. across in o-4-tlower(>d 

 lateral glabrous umbels ; calyx lobes glandular- 

 serrate and glabrous inside; petals white, ovate- 

 orbicular with short claws. Fruit oblong-ovoid, 

 about 1 in. long, with thick yellow or reddish 

 skin and oval compressed thick-walled pit. sharply 

 and prominently ridged on the ventral edge and 

 slightly grooved on the dorsal. 



1. A. \V., IV, 81. 



