VARIOUS SPECIES OF FRUITS 173 



pomologists as merely a botanical variety of americana being a native 

 from Newfoundland to northern Ontario and southern Manitoba 

 and to the tops of the mountains as far South as the Garolinas and 

 Tennessee, is specially valuable in cold sections where other Plums, 

 even the other American species > fail. They are noted for hardiness 

 of wood and buds, toughness and pliability of branches which with- 

 stand wind and snow, and earliness of fruiting, hence certainty of 

 ripening even in short seasons. 



Still another species (P. munsoniand) common from central 

 Tennessee to northern Texas, has produced varieties of probably more 

 importance than any other natives for the South. Some of them are 

 also valuable even as far North as southern Michigan. Though 

 nearly all are clingstone some are valuable for dessert and many for 

 cooking. 



AMERICAN GROUP 



(Species names in parentheses refer to preceding general discussion 

 of the American Plums.) 



CHENEY (P. nigra). Valuable only in coldest sections where better 

 varieties are tender. The medium-sized, reddish, clingstone fruits are 

 mid-season and ripen during a long period. Only moderate quality. 



DE SOTO (P. americana). One of the best American Plums because of fair 

 tree growth, prolificacy, hardiness and moderate quality freestone fruit. 



FOREST GARDEN (P. hortulana miner i). Widely disseminated in the 

 Middle West. A late red, medium-sized, spicy-flavored, clingstone var- 

 iety, scarcely of dessert quality but excellent for preserving. Tree 

 sturdy, hardy, precocious and of variable prolificacy. 



HAWKEYE (P. americana). A satisfactory clingstone, mid-season variety 

 for eating raw or cooked, but very susceptible to brown rot. Trees 

 hardy, prolific, very straggling. 



MAQUOKETA (P. hortulana mineri). One of the best American culinary 

 Plums. Trees hardy even in Minnesota. Fruits late, short season, 

 small, red, rather strong flavored, clingstone. 



MILTON (P. munsoniand). A large, early, short season, dark red variety, 

 rather free from rot. The yellowish, very juicy flesh, .clings firmly to 

 the stone. Trees medium size, hardy, healthy, prolific. 



MINER (P. hortulana mineri). A standard in its group and widely dis- 

 tributed, especially in the northern limits of Plum growing. Trees 

 sturdy, healthy and prolific. Fruit rather late, medium size, dull red 

 with pale yellow juice, flesh of good quality, especially for culinary 

 purposes, clingstone. Must be cross-fertilized or will not bear. 



ROLLINGSTONE (P. americana). A medium-sized, rather dull red, mid- 

 season, culinary, almost freestone variety, with short period of ripening. 

 Tree rather dwarf, crooked, unkempt. 



STODDARD (P. americana). A mid-season, medium-sized, red, plingstone 

 variety, with dark yellow, juicy flesh, sweet near the skin and tart at 

 the cling pit. Tree large, sturdy and prolific. 



