LUTHER BURBANK 



longer, smoother, and larger leaves, lighter col- 

 ored wood, and longer and more slender branches. 



These hybrid seedlings are easily distinguished 

 the first season, as the Beach plum has red roots, 

 while those of the hybrid vary, most of them 

 being lighter. Beach plum seedlings, no matter 

 how young, from seeds crossed with other varie- 

 ties, show various shades between the pale yel- 

 low or brown root of the European and Asiatic 

 varieties and the red root of the wildling, and if 

 there were no other test this would be amply suf- 

 ficient to prove that the plants were hybrids. 



Such, then, was the parentage of the Giant 

 Maritima, which first bore fruit, as already noted, 

 in 1905 fruit over two inches in length. When 

 I first came across this enormous fruit on a tree 

 with the Beach plum foliage and blooming habits, 

 the branches literally hanging in ropes of gigan- 

 tic fruits, I could hardly believe my own eyes. 



The fruit begins to ripen here early in July, 

 and when ripe it is a deep crimson, covered with 

 a thin pale bloom. The flesh until fully ripe is 

 very firm and solid, but it breaks down quickly 

 when ripe. It is honey-yellow, with a pale green- 

 ish tinge. The quality is good. The fruit is fra- 

 grant, and as large as the Kelsey, Wickson, Cli- 

 max, or any other plum known in 1905. 



It is found necessary to thin the green fruit 



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