398 Neiv Seedling Plum. 



of information, and, in the mean time, we would urge ama- 

 teurs, as well as practical men, to give us the results of ex- 

 periments with the pear on the quince, in the manner Mr. 

 Humrickhouse has done with the apple. — Ed. 



Art. III. Notice of a New Seedling Plum., called How^s Am- 

 ber, loith an engraving and description of the fruit. By 

 the Editor. 



In our last number, (p. 342,) we gave a brief account of 

 this new plum. Our attention was first called to it, in the 

 fall of 1845, when Mr. How first exhibited a few very fine 

 specimens before the Mass. Horticultural Society. The ap- 

 pearance of the plum was very prepossessing, having a rich 

 amber-colored skin, beautifully mottled with pale rose. Mr. 

 How gave us a few specimens, and upon trial we found its 

 eating qualities of sufficient merit to recommend the variety 

 for cultivation. Wishing, however, to give it the full trial of 

 two seasons, we reserved our notice of it till the present year, 

 when, by invitation of Mr. How, we visited his garden, and 

 examined the tree when in fruit, but not quite ripe ; subse- 

 quently we received several fine specimens, and we hesitate 

 not to class it among our best plums. 



The tree is nearly the only one, out of three or four hun- 

 dred seedlings raised about eight years ago, from trees 

 brought by Mrs. How. from Portsmouth, N. H., and collected 

 while on a visit there, that possesses any particular merit, so 

 far as yet ascertained ; two other trees have produced one or 

 two good sized plums each, but they dropped off before ripe. 

 The greater portion of the trees have produced a small, 

 round, blue plum, quite worthless. The trees all stand 

 crowded together just as they were planted, in rows about 

 two feet apart. 



The tree of How's Amber is about twelve feet high, and 

 two inches through at the stem ; of vigorous and liandsome 

 growth. It first produced two or three plums, in 1843: 

 about twice the number in 1844, when its good qualities were 

 first noticed, and in 1S4.5, it bore three or four dozen speci- 



