30 



478 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



constitute the main dependence in the milder fruit regions of the North, 

 maintain but an uncertain existence, and are not infrequently entirely 

 destroyed by freezing. Fruit growers of the Upper Mississippi Valley 

 in particular have sustained heavy losses in this way and have been 

 devoting careful attention to the development by selection or breed- 

 ing, or by both methods in combination, of varieties of the hardy 

 native plum of that region (Prunus americana of the botanists). 

 The result has been that a large number of wildings of greater or less 

 promise have been transplanted to gardens and christened and intro- 

 duced to the public through the medium of commercial nurseries. 

 The large majority of these have proved to be of but doubtful value, 

 but among them and the seedlings grown from them, some very dis- 

 tinct improvements over the wild type are appearing. 



One of the best of these is the variety originated by Mr. Theodore 

 Williams, of Benson, Nebr., from seed of Quaker, pollinated by Harri- 

 son Peach, the former one of the earliest introductions of this species, 

 and one of the best in quality. Brittlewood was commercially intro- 

 duced by Mr. J. W. Kerr, of Denton, Md., in 1896. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form globular, symmetrical; size large for the Americana type; 

 cavity small, shallow; stem short, slender; suture shallow; apex 

 slightly depressed ; surface smooth; color light coppery red, covered 

 with a heavy bluish-white bloom; dots numerous, minute, russet; 

 skin thick, tenacious, free from bitterness; stone oval, rather large, 

 cling; flesh yellowish, translucent, meaty, juicy; flavor mild subacid, 

 rich; quality very good. Season end of August in eastern Nebraska. 



Tree strong, spreading, vigorous; worthy of thorough testing in the 

 North. 



The specimen shown on PI. LXII was grown by Mr. Theodore Wil- 

 liams, of Benson, Nebr. 



STODDARD PLUM. 

 . [PLATE LXII.] 



Unlike the Brittlewood, which grew from planted seed, the Stoddard 

 plum appears to have been a wilding. 



It was first brought to notice by Mr. B. F. Stoddard, of Jessup, Iowa, 

 about 1875, who found it growing in the garden of Mrs. Caroline Baker, 

 of that village. Mrs. Baker states that her husband secured the trees 

 during the early settlement of the region at some point farther north, 

 presumably in the woods, on the Maquoketa River. Her belief as to 

 the locality of origin is strengthened by the fact that Mr. Elmer 

 Reeves, of Waverly, Iowa, informs the writer that he found a yard 

 in the village of Sumner full of trees of the same variety, which had 

 been brought from near the Maquoketa River. a 



Letter of Elmer Reeves, January, 1903. 



