27 



PROMISING NEW FRUITS. 475 



which was named Philopena by the originator some time between 1850 

 and 1860. 



It appears to have been first described in the Report of the Secretary 

 of Agriculture for 1880 (p. -444). 



It has been propagated locally in Putnam County, Ind., and dis- 

 seminated to some extent by distribution to experimenters through the 

 Department of Agriculture. While its parentage is not known, it 

 strongly resembles in certain characters both Seckel and Louise Bonne 

 de Jersey. 



PI. LIX shows a fair- sized specimen of this fruit grown on the origi- 

 nal tree in 1901, by Mr. R. M. Ragan, at Fillmore, Ind. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form oblong pyriform, tapering sharply to the stem; size medium, 

 or slightly below; surface moderately smooth; color dark yellow, 

 lightly russeted, and showing a brownish blush on side exposed to the 

 sun; dots numerous, small, russet; cavity obsolete, stem of medium 

 length, and diameter, obliquely inserted ; basin regular, small, shal- 

 low, slightly furrowed; calyx segments small, converging; eye small, 

 closed ; skin rather thick, tenacious; core oval, of medium size, closed ; 

 seeds of medium size, plump, brown, numerous; flesh yellowish, fine- 

 grained, meat}', moderately juicy; flavor sweet and rich; quality good 

 to very good. Season, October and November in central Indiana. 



The original tree, now more than sixty years old, is still in thrifty 

 condition, bearing annual crops. It is an upright but rather strag- 

 gling grower, the young wood having a yellowish-green color. The 

 variety appears worthy of experimental planting throughout the Mid- 

 dle States. 



BELLE PEACH. 

 (SYNONYMS: Belle of Georgia; Georgia.) 



[PLATE LX.] 



The Chinese Cling group of peaches has, in recent years, demon- 

 strated its adaptability to a much wider range of climatic conditions 

 than was formerly supposed to be the case. Elberta, the best known 

 variety of this group, has already proved a successful and profitable 

 commercial sort from Georgia and Texas to Michigan and Connecti- 

 cut. Among the varieties of this group that are less widely known, 

 perhaps none possesses more valuable points than that which was 

 introduced to cultivation by Dr. S. H. Rumph about 1883, under 

 the name "Belle." The variety was afterwards catalogued by many 

 nurserymen as "Belle of Georgia." The name was published as 

 "Georgia" in the catalogue of the American Poinological Society for 

 1 >'.:>, the fact that this name had already been published for at least 

 three other varieties having, in the chaotic state of pornological nomen- 

 clature, apparently escaped notice. 



