THE JEFFERSON PLUM. 



Jefferson. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xi. p. 23. 



Few vai'ieties of plums, — certainly none of our American seed- 

 lings, — have had a higher reputation than the Jefferson. It has been 

 pronounced nearly or quite equal to the Green Gage, — that almost 

 unsurpassable standard of excellence, — by some of our pomologists, and 

 in consequence of such an eulogium in its favor, it has been extensively 

 sought after, and introduced into many of the finest collections of 

 this fruit, with the expectation that it would supplant that old and 

 deservedly popular and esteemed plum. But as the trees have come 

 into bearing this expectation has not been reahzed. The Jefferson 

 proves, indeed, to be a most excellent variety, superior to many others 

 of the same season, but it cannot be ranked with the Green Gage. It 

 possesses, however, great beauty, and, in this respect perhaps, it equals, 

 if it does not surpass, any other variety ; it has the same delicate yellow 

 skin as the Washington, but this is blotched and marbled, in the most 

 beautiful blending of tints, with crimson, lake and rich purple. It has 

 also the excellent characteristic of hanging long upon the tree without 

 rotting. Summing up all its qualities, — size, beauty and fine flavor, — 

 it must claim a prominent place among our plums, answering as a very 

 good substitute for the Green Gage when that variety is gone, though 

 falling a little short of it in excellence. 



The Jefferson was raised by the late Judge Buel, of Albany, and the 

 original tree was, a few years since, growing upon the grounds occupied 

 by him. The date of its origin we have not seen stated, but we pre- 

 sume it must have been twenty-five or thirty years ago. In looking 

 over a list of fruit trees, presented to the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society by Judge Buel, in 1829, we find one tree mentioned simply as 

 " my plum ;" and as we are not aware of his ever having raised any 

 other variety of merit, we presume that it was the Jefferson. In 1841, 

 trees were presented to the London Horticultural Society, in whose 

 garden it fruited in 1845. It is now very generally disseminated 

 throughout the country. 



The Jefterson is not a very rapid growing tree, having much of the 

 habit of the Green Gage ; it does not come into bearing so soon as 

 some other varieties, but, when full grown, it produces abundant crops. 



Tree. — Moderately vigorous, upright, branching low, with diverging 

 shoots, forming an irregular, rather compact head ; annual shoots of 

 moderate growth. 



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