210 



MYROBALAN 



OCTOBER 



for its tree-characters, yet these average well 

 with those of other plums, and, with those of 

 the fruit, make a variety quite above the 

 average, giving it a place among the best 

 commercial sorts. Monarch was grown by 

 Thomas Rivers, Sawbridgeworth, England, and 

 was introduced by the originator in 1885. 



Tree of medium size and vigor, upright-spreading, 

 open-topped, hardy, productive. Leaves broadly oval, 

 wide, thick, stiff ; apex abruptly pointed ; margin ser- 

 rate or crenate, eglandular ; petiole short, thick, heavily 

 pubescent, tinged red, glandless or with 1 or 2 large, 

 reniform or globose, greenish-brown glands. Flowers 1 

 inch across, white. Fruit late ; 2 inches by 1 % inches 

 in size, round-oval, halves unequal ; cavity deep, narrow, 

 abrupt ; suture shallow ; apex flattened ; color dark 

 purplish-red, with russet flecks scattered over the surface, 

 with thick bloom ; dots numerous, small, reddish-brown, 

 conspicuous ; stem thick, % inch long, pubescent ; skin 

 thin, tender, astringent, separating readily ; flesh golden- 

 yellow, juicy, fibrous, tender, aromatic ; good ; stone 

 clinging, long-oval, turgid, roughened and pitted, pointed 

 at the base, blunt at the apex. 



MYROBALAN. P. cerasifera. American 

 Cherry Plum. Cherry. Cherry Plum. Red 

 Mirabelle. Virginian Cherry. Myrobalan is 

 a group name rather than a varietal one. 

 Plums of this group are grown from seeds, and 

 many varieties have appeared during the last 

 three centuries differing in color, shape, stone, 

 and many minor characters. The strains with 

 red and reddish-purple plums, round in shape, 

 are apparently the most numerous, although 

 there are frequent references to the white 

 Myrobalan and to heart-shaped fruits in this 

 group. For a further discussion of these plums 

 see P. cerasifera. The Myrobalan plums are 

 used largely as stocks in the propagation of 

 plums and closely allied plants; occasionally 

 the fruits are used for culinary purposes. 



NAPLES. P. domestica. Beauty of Na- 

 ples. Naples, although seldom found in or- 

 chards in the East, is offered by several eastern 

 nurserymen. It is of the Yellow Egg type but 

 far inferior to that well-known variety. It is 

 doubtful if Naples should have a place on 

 the list of plums for either home or commercial 

 orchards. The variety seems to have been 

 first described in 1892, but when, where, and 

 by whom originated does not appear. 



Tree vigorous, rather productive, hardy, healthy. 

 Fruit ripens late, medium to large, oval ; suture shallow 

 but distinct ; cavity small ; skin thin, tender, golden- 

 yellow mottled with red in the sun and more or less 

 sun-freckled ; bloom thin ; flesh light yellow, firm, 

 sweet, mild, rather insipid ; quality fair to good ; in- 

 ferior to that of many standard plums ; stone rather 

 large, oval, round, clinging tenaciously. 



NEWMAN. P. Munsoniana. Newman is 

 one of the oldest, but still one of the standard 

 varieties of its species. Its fruits are charac- 

 terized by a firm, meaty flesh, which fits them 

 well for shipping and storing; the plums are 

 attractive also in shape and color, but are too 

 small and too low in quality to make the 

 variety a first-rate one. The trees are large 

 and vigorous, and in all respects very satis- 

 factory orchard plants. Both fruits and trees 

 are usually reported as fairly free from dis- 

 eases and insects. The origin of this plum is 

 uncertain; it was first described in 1867. 



Tree large, vigorous, spreading, low and flat, dense- 

 topped, hardy, productive. Leaves lanceolate, peach-like, 

 1 ^4 inches wide, 4 inches long, thin ; apex taper-pointed ; 

 base acute ; margin finely crenate, with small, amber 

 glands ; petiole slender, 1 inch long, pubescent on one 

 side, reddish, glandless or with 1-4 very small, globose, 

 yellowish-red glands. Flowers %, inch across, tinged 

 yellow in the buds, changing to white on expanding, 

 odor disagreeable. Fruit midseason ; 1 inch in diameter, 

 oval, halves equal ; cavity shallow, narrow, flaring ; 

 suture a dark red line ; apex depressed ; color bright 

 currant-red, with thin bloom ; dots grayish, conspicuous ; 

 stem slender, 1 inch long, glabrous ; skin thin, very 

 tough, astringent ; flesh deep yellow, juicy, tender, melt- 

 ing, sweet next to the skin, tart at the center ; fair in 

 quality ; stone clinging, long-oval, turgid, necked at 

 the base, blunt-pointed at the apex, with finely pitted 

 surfaces. 



NEW ULM. P. americana. Snooks. New 

 Ulm is worthy of attention because of its large, 

 handsome, well-formed fruits, further distin- 

 guished by a peculiar flavor, suggesting that of 

 the mandrake. The flesh is a little too juicy 

 for pleasant eating, but the fruits ship well, 

 as the tough, thick skin firmly holds its con- 

 tents. The fruits, however, do not keep well, 

 for, despite the thick skin, the spores of brown- 

 rot find entrance, and the plums rot badly. 

 The trees are hardy and productive, but ill- 

 shaped and hard to manage in orchard or 

 nursery, for which reason the culture of the 

 variety is discouraged by nurserymen. New 

 Ulm was raised by C. W. H. Heideman, New 

 Ulm, Minnesota, about 1890. 



Tree spreading and drooping, low, dense-topped, 

 hardy, productive. Leaves drooping, oval, 2 inches 

 wide, 4 */& inches long, thin ; apex taper- pointed ; base 

 abrupt ; margin coarsely and doubly serrate, eglandular ; 

 petiole slender, % inch long, pubescent, tinged with 

 red ; glandless or with 1-3 globose, greenish-brown 

 glands. Flowers showy on account of the numerous 

 pure white petals, 1 inch across. Fruit midseason, 1*4 

 inches in diameter, round-ovate ; cavity shallow, very 

 narrow ; suture a line ; apex pointed ; color carmine 

 over a yellow ground, with thin bloom ; dots very nu- 

 merous, russet ; stem % inch long, glabrous ; skin thick 

 and tough, astringent ; flesh golden-yellow, juicy, fibrous, 

 tender and melting, sweet, with a strong aromatic 

 flavor ; good ; stone adhering, oval, flattened, blunt at 

 the base, pointed at the apex, with smooth surfaces. 



OCTOBER. P. salicina. October Purple. 

 October is the nearest approach to a good late 

 plum in its species, but because of several 

 faults falls considerably short of filling the 

 need. The fruits are large, attractive, suitable 

 for dessert, good for culinary purposes, hang 

 well to the tree, and keep and ship much better 

 than those of the average Japanese variety; 

 but they are not far enough from mediocrity to 

 make the variety desirable. The trees are well 

 shaped, usually robust and healthy, and the 

 fruit is well borne on lateral spurs distributed 

 over the old wood; but they are tardy in 

 coming in bearing, and cannot be depended 

 upon to bear satisfactory crops regularly. Oc- 

 tober might be sparingly planted to the pleas- 

 ure of the amateur, and to the profit of the 

 commercial fruit-grower who has a good local 

 market. It was first fruited by Luther Bur- 

 bank in 1892. 



Tree variable in size and vigor, upright-spreading, 

 open-topped. Leaves falling early, sparse, obovate, 1% 

 inches wide, 3 *4 inches long, thin, leathery ; apex and 

 base acute ; margin glandular, doubly serrate or crenate ; 

 petiole ^ inch long, with 1-3 small, globose, yellowish 



