PROMISING NEW FRUITS. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form globular to globular oblate; size medium to large; cavity of 

 medium size, deep and abrupt; stem of medium length, rather slender; 

 suture shallow, except at apex, which is slightly depressed; surface 

 golden yellow, lightly blushed with carmine when well ripened and 

 covered with thin bloom; dots numerous, russet or gray; skin moder- 

 ately thick, tenacious, rather acid, and when picked prematurely quite 

 bitter; stone small to medium, oval, cling; flesh yellowish, translucent, 

 with yellow veins, tender and juicy, yet firm enough to endure ship- 

 ment well; flavor rich, subacid, pleasant; quality good to very good. 

 Season medium, about July 20 to 30 at Augusta, Ga. ; reported by Mr. 

 Bur bank to ripen through a period of five or six weeks during July 

 and August in Sonoma County, Cal. 



Tree dwarfish and compact, with small foliage, resembling its 

 Chickasaw rather than its Japanese parent in these respects, a good 

 bearer, and apparently hardy throughout all but the coldest plum 

 districts. It is apparently particularly well adapted to the South 

 Atlantic and Gulf States. 



The specimens illustrated on Plate LXII were grown at Augusta, Ga. 



DAMSON PLUMS. 

 [PLATE LXIIT.] 



In the effort on the part of commercial fruit growers and nursery- 

 men to secure plums of large size and bright color that are suitable 

 for dessert use in the fresh state as well as for cooking, the value of 

 this important group of culinary plums has been largely overlooked 

 in recent years. The production of damsons has lagged behind that 

 of other plums, so that it m&y well be questioned whether the total 

 product of this type now available in our markets is as large as it was 

 twenty-five years ago. The market demand for the fruit continues 

 strong in practically all city markets, so that the average wholesale 

 price of damsons is considerably higher in most of them than that of the 

 Domestica, native, or Japanese plums. This is especially true of the 

 later ripening varieties, the fruit of which is available for domestic 

 preserving after city families return from their country outings. As 

 the damsons are adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions and 

 are. as a rule, quite regularly productive, the present outlook appears 

 to favor an increase in their commercial planting in the districts where 

 they are known to succeed. This is especially true of varieties and 

 districts that yield fruit which can be marketed after September 15 in 

 the larger cities. 



The varieties chiefly grown in this country are the "Common," 

 "Cluster," "French," and "Shropshire," the last named being by 



