SAPA 



215 



The fruit in California attains large size ; suture and 

 cavity deep ; skin fuzzy like an apricot, purple ; flesh 

 deep red, subacid ; quality fair ; stone large, broad-oval. 



SAPA. P. Besseyi X P- salicina. This va- 

 riety is another of the hardy plums originated 

 by N. E. Hansen of the South Dakota Ex- 

 periment Station. The originator gives its 

 parentage as a cross between the western Sand 

 cherry, P. Besseyi, and Sultan, a Japanese 

 plum. The new variety first fruited in 1907. 

 Hansen describes the tree as plum-like in 

 growth, and says that one-year-old trees in the 

 nursery bear fruit-buds. The fruit is described 

 as having a dark purple glossy skin and the 

 rich purple flesh of the Sultan. So far, the 

 variety is grown only in the northern states of 

 the Great Plains. 



SATSUMA. P. salicina. Beni Smomo. 

 Blood Plum. Honsmomo. There is a group 

 of several varieties of Japanese plums unique 

 in having deep red flesh. Of these red-fleshed 

 plums, Satsuma was the first to be introduced 

 in America, and is one of the parents of most 

 of the others. While the fruit is not so large 

 nor so handsome in color as some of its off- 

 spring, Satsuma is still one of the best va- 

 rieties for quality of fruit, and its trees are as 

 good as those of any of the other sorts. The 

 plums keep and ship well, and, if of sufficient 

 size and allowed to color properly, make a 

 good showing on the markets. The trees are 

 above the average for the species in size, habit, 

 health, hardiness, and productiveness, though 

 they bear sparingly when young. They bloom 

 early in the season and are distinguished from 

 other sorts of the same species by having many 

 spurs and short branches along the main 

 branches. Satsuma was raised from the same 

 lot of plum pits from which the Burbank 

 came; the seeds were sent to Luther Burbank 

 by a Japanese agent in 1883. 



Tree medium to large, vigorous, upright-spreading, 

 usually quite hardy, moderately productive, bearing 

 heavier crops as the tree becomes older. Leaves 

 lanceolate, 4 inches by 1% inches in size, of medium 

 thickness ; margin finely and doubly crenate, glandular ; 

 petiole % inch long, tinged red, with 1-3 reniform, 

 greenish-yellow glands. Blossoms white, borne in pairs 

 or in threes. Fruit midseason or later ; 2 inches in 

 diameter ; round-cordate, flattened at the base, com- 

 pressed, halves unequal ; cavity deep, narrow, abrupt, 

 compressed ; ' suture prominent ; apex pointed ; color 

 dark dull red, with thin bloom ; dots numerous, russet, 

 conspicuous, clustered about the apex ; stem slender, % 

 inch long, glabrous ; skin of medium thickness and 

 toughness, bitter, semi-adherent ; flesh dark purplish- 

 red, juicy, tender at the skin, tough at the center, sweet, 

 with an almond-like flavor ; of good quality ; stone 

 semi-clinging or clinging, oval, strongly pointed, rough, 

 red. 



SHIPPER. P. domestica. Shipper Pride. 

 This plum has never become an important 

 commercial variety, yet it is offered by a large 

 number of nurserymen. The variety has too 

 many faults to succeed in competition with 

 the many good plums of its color and season. 

 The fruits are dry and often shrivel on the 

 tree, characters which fit it for shipping, but 

 which, with poor quality and small size, make 

 is of little value after it reaches the market. 

 Moreover, the trees fruit sparingly under many 



conditions, and the crops ripen unevenly. The 

 plum was found by H. S. Wiley, Port Byron, 

 New York, about 1877. 



Tree large, vigorous, round-topped, hardy, productive. 

 Leaves many, oval, 1% inches wide, 3% inches long, 

 thick, leathery ; apex abruptly pointed or acute ; margin 

 serrate or crenate, eglandular or with small dark glands ; 

 petiole % inch long, thick, pubescent, with a red tinge, 

 or with 1 or 2 globose, yellowish-green glands. Flowers 

 li/4 inches across, white. Fruit late, 1% inches by 

 1% inches in size, ovate, swollen on the suture side, 

 compressed, halves equal ; cavity shallow, abrupt ; 

 suture shallow ; apex bluntly pointed ; color purplish- 

 black, overspread with thick bloom ; dots small, russet, 

 conspicuous ; stem % inch long, pubescent, adhering 

 well to the fruit ; skin thin, tender, separating readily ; 

 flesh greenish-yellow, tart, firm, sweet, mild in flavor ; 

 inferior in quality ; stone semi-clinging, with red tinge 

 near the edge, irregular roundish-ovate, turgid, rough, 

 blunt at the base and apex. 



SHIRO. P. Simonii X P- salicina. Late 

 Klondike. The fruits of Shiro are large and 

 handsome in form and color; the flesh is ten- 

 der, melting, and juicy, and so translucent that 

 the pit can be seen through the flesh; the 

 plums are pleasant to eat and may be ranked 

 as good in quality; they ship well if not fully 

 mature, but quickly go down after ripening; 

 fruit and tree are susceptible to brown-rot. 

 The trees are vigorous, hardy, and productive. 

 This is one of Burbank's plums, introduced in 

 1889. 



Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, tender to cold, 

 productive. Leaves obovate, 1 -fg inches wide, 2 % 

 inches long, leathery ; apex acutely pointed ; base acute ; 

 margin finely crenate, with small, dark glands ; petiole 

 % inch long, pubescent along one side, greenish-red, 

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

 white. Fruit very early ; 1 y 2 inches in diameter, round- 

 conic,' with halves equal ; cavity flaring, regular ; suture 

 an indistinct line ; apex roundish ; color light yellow 

 becoming deeper as the season advances, occasionally 

 with a blush, with thin bloom ; dots numerous, very 

 minute, white, inconspicuous ; stem % inch long, ad- 

 hering to the fruit ; skin thin, tough, sour, occasionally 

 cracking, separating readily, although a thin coating 

 of flesh is left clinging to the skin ; flesh light yellow, 

 semi-transparent, the stone being faintly visible, very 

 juicy, fibrous, melting, sweet, mild, lacks character in 

 flavor ; good ; stone clinging, broadly oval, flattened, 

 slightly elongated at the base, with rough surfaces. 



SHROPSHIRE. 



Fig. 206. P. insititia. 

 Damascene. Damson 

 Plum. Shropshire Dam- 

 son. Shropshire is the 

 best known of the 

 Damsons, found not 

 only in nearly all com- 

 mercial plantations, but 

 in the smallest home 

 collections as well. The 

 qualities which make it 

 so generally a favorite 

 are for most part those 

 of the tree, which is not 

 surpassed by any other 

 Insititia in size, vigor, 

 hardiness, and health. 

 The tree is enormously 

 productive, bearing its 

 load of fruit year after 

 year until it is a stand- 

 ard among fruits for 



206. Shropshire. 

 (XD 



