200 



GIANT 



GOLDEN BEAUTY 



another of these plums is the Weedsport Ger- 

 man Prune, so like the Rochester type as to 

 be hardly worth distinguishing. Latz is an- 

 other distinct strain; it is larger, thicker, and 

 broader than the 

 type here de- 

 scribed, and is 

 more of a cling- 

 stone. All of these 

 German Prunes are 

 characterized b y 

 large, hardy, vig- 

 orous, healthy, 

 productive trees, 

 characters so 

 marked that one 

 can say at once 

 that it is the tree 

 that gives the Ger- 

 man Prune its 

 great value. The 

 fruit is excellent 

 for all culinary 

 purposes, especially 

 for canning, and 

 cures into a small 

 but very good, 

 tart, meaty, free- 

 192. German Prune. stone, elastic 

 (XD prune. The chief 



objection to the 



plum for these purposes is that the fruits run 

 small. This variety is likely to remain a 

 standard for some time, but will eventually 

 be superseded by one haying a larger fruit. 

 German writers say that this variety originated 

 in Asia, whence it was brought during the 

 Crusades to Europe. 



Tree large, vigorous, round, dense-topped, hardy, very 

 productive. Leaves obovate, 1% inches wide, 3 inches 

 long, thin, velvety ; apex abruptly pointed or acute ; 

 base acute; margin finely serrate, with small glands; 

 petiole % inch long, pubescent, tinged with red, gland- 

 less or with 1 or 2 small, globose glands. Flowers 1 

 inch across, inconspicuous on account of their greenish- 

 yellow color, which characterizes the variety. Fruit 

 late, ripening period very long; 1% by 1 incn > oval > 

 swollen on the ventral side, halves unequal ; cavity very 

 shallow, narrow, flaring ; suture a faint line ; apex 

 pointed ; color purplish-black ; bloom thick ; dots nu- 

 merous, small, brown, inconspicuous, clustered about 

 the base ; stem % inch long, adhering well to the fruit ; 

 flesh yellowish-green, juicy, firm, sweet, mild, with 

 pleasant flavor ; good to very good ; stone free, flattened, 

 obliquely long-oval, pointed at the apex and base, with 

 rough and pitted surfaces. 



GIANT. Fig. 193. P. domestica. Giant 

 Prune. The fruit of Giant is distinguished by 

 large size and attractive color. Unfortunately, 

 it is inferior in quality, a disappointment to 

 all, for with Agen as a parent of the variety, 

 high quality was to be expected. In quality, 

 as in all fruit-characters, Giant resembles the 

 male parent, Pond. The flesh is coarse, fibrous, 

 lacking in juice, clings more or less to the 

 stone, and rots quickly. The trees lack some- 

 what in both vigor and productiveness. In- 

 troduced as a prune, it was supposed that this 

 variety would prove a great boon to prune- 

 makers, but it does not cure well and is now 

 hardly used for drying. It is unfortunate that 

 a plum so attractive cannot be recommended, 



but it is doubtful whether it is worth planting 

 on a commercial scale. Giant was grown by 

 Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, California. Stock 

 was first offered for sale in 1893. 



193. Giant. (XD 



Tree medium in size and vigor, round, dense-topped, 

 hardy, productive. Leaves obovate, 2% inches wide, 



3 % inches long ; apex abruptly pointed ; margin serrate 

 or crenate, with small, dark glands ; petiole % inch 

 long, tinged red along one side, sparingly pubescent, 

 glandless or with 1-4 greenish-brown glands. Flowers 

 1% inches across. Fruit midseason ; 2 by 1% inches, 

 obovate, slightly necked, compressed, halves unequal ; 

 cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt ; suture shallow ; apex 

 roundish or depressed ; color purplish-red ; bloom thin ; 

 dots numerous, small, russet, inconspicuous ; stem 1 

 inch long, thinly pubescent, adhering to the fruit ; flesh 

 light golden-yellow, coarse, fibrous, firm, sweet, mild ; 

 fair in quality ; stone semi-clinging, long-oval, flat- 

 tened, with rough and pitted surfaces. 



GOLDEN BEAUTY. P. hortulana. Honey 

 Drop. Missouri Apricot. Golden Beauty is 

 of little value. The plums are so small and 

 the quality so poor that the variety is not 

 worth planting. It is true that the firm, juicy 

 fruits are very good for table use, in jellies in 

 particular, and that they may be shipped long 

 distances; but these characters cannot offset 

 the handicap of small size and poor quality. 

 Golden Beauty was found wild by a German 

 on the Colorado River in western Texas during 

 the Civil War. 



Tree medium in size, vigorous, irregular in habit, 

 spreading, low, dense, hardy, variable in productiveness. 

 Leaves folded upward, narrowly oval, 1% inches wide, 



4 inches long, thin; margin irregularly and doubly cre- 

 nate, with small, dark brown glands; petiole % inch 

 long slender, green, glandless or with 1-8 very small, 

 globose, blackish glands. Flowers % inch across, white, 

 blooming season late. Fruit very late; 1 inch in 

 diameter, round, compressed, halves equal ; cavity 

 shallow, narrow, flaring ; suture a line ; apex round ; 

 color orange-yellow, mottled, overspread with thin 

 bloom ; dots characteristic, numerous, large and small, 

 yellowish, conspicuous, producing a mottled appearance, 

 clustered about the apex; stem very slender, % inch 

 in length, glabrous, adhering to the pulp ; flesh golden- 

 yellow, juicy, coarse, fibrous, tender, mildly sweet, with 



