PLUM VARIETIES 285 



acteristics of both sorts. It looks something 

 like a very large and fine Wild Goose plum, but 

 excels that variety in many respects. In 

 our orchards the trees have withstood a tem- 

 perature of twenty-five degrees below zero, 

 and in 1919 bore a crop of fruit after going 

 through a temperature of twenty-four when the 

 trees were in full bloom. I think it is as near 

 frost-proof as a plum can be and it is very 

 resistant to rot and other fungous troubles. 

 The fruit is excellent for cooking, but it is not 

 to be compared with many other sorts for eat- 

 ing from the tree. However, this season we 

 left a part of one tree to ripen fully. I wanted 

 to see just how the fruit would be when it was 

 "dead ripe" on the tree. I managed to get two 

 plums in that condition and they were better 

 than I had expected them to be. The rest of 

 the crop left to ripen had a very uncanny way 

 of walking off the place after dark so I presume 

 the fruit was entirely satisfactory to the neigh- 

 bors. I have meant to interview them on the 

 subject, but the psychological moment has not 

 yet arrived. This variety should not be con- 

 fused with the American, a native sort of but 

 little promise, or with American Eagle, another 

 native sort that I have never seen but that ifl 

 said to be good. 



