The Miner-like Plums Described 175 



locality, Spring Creek township, Black Hawk county, Iowa. 

 Calling on Mr. Bingaman (now dead) I noticed a few young 

 plum trees standing in his garden full of these plums. T 

 bought a farm adjoining Mr. Bingaman; in the fall of 1878 

 I moved on the farm. Noticing at the edge of some timber 

 and brush, a plum tree, apparently very old, that bore these 

 plums (it is now dead), and some young trees standing at 

 some distance from the old tree, I dug up and planted these 

 young trees. From these I plucked the plums I sent you in 

 September. These trees sprouted ; so did those in Mr. Binga- 

 man's garden ; we permitted any person to take them that 

 wanted them and they were gathered and distributed over this 

 section of country and sent as far north as Minnesota, and to 

 Nebraska. Some years ago Mr. Williams of Cedar Falls, now 

 dead, came here and gathered all the trees he could get, and 

 an armful of scions. He owned a nursery at that time there. 

 I never heard anything from him after." 



PRAIRIE FLOWER. Fruit round oval; size medium to 

 large ; cavity shallow, flaring : stem medium ; suture a line ; 

 color red over light yellow ; dots many, yellow, conspicuous ; 

 bloom thin, bluish ; skin thick ; flesh yellow ; stone medium 

 large, oval, slightly flattened, cling; quality excellent; season 

 medium late. 



Introduced by Stark Brothers, Missouri, about 1884, from 

 Adrian county, Missouri. One of the best of the group. 



RACHEL. Fruit oval ; size small ; cavity shallow ; stem 

 medium long ; suture a line ; color bright red ; dots many, 

 conspicuous ; bloom blue ; skin thick ; flesh yellow ; stone 

 oval, thickened, cling; quality fair; season medium to late. 



Origin unknown. 



SURPRISE. Fruit roundish oval; size large to very large; 

 cavity small; stem medium long; suture distinct; apex 

 sometimes obscurely pointed ; color bright red ; dots many, 

 minute, yellowish ; skin thin, tender ; flesh pale yellow, fibrous, 

 firm; stone oval. double T pointed, obscurely margined, cling; 

 flavor rich ; quality extra good. 



Professor Goff, to whom I am indebted for this descrip- 

 tion, says that the tree is a good grower and promises to be 

 productive. He thinks it is the finest in quality of the native 

 plums. Recently introduced by Martin Penning, Sleepy Eye, 

 Minnesota. 



WIER (Wier's Large Red). Fruit round; size large; 

 color red ; flesh yellow ; stone cling ; quality fair to good. 



Originated by D. B. Wier, Illinois. Not favorably known. 



WILDER (Colonel Wilder). Fruit unequally elliptical; 

 size medium to large ; stem slender, persistent ; color dark 



