ON THE PLUMCOT 



cots would revert to the type of plum or of apricot, 

 but they do not. The combination is complete and 

 permanent. Among the many thousands of seed- 

 lings which have been grown, not one has pro- 

 duced either true plum or true apricot. All are 

 plumcots. It is therefore plain that the new fruit 

 is fixed as a species. 



Of course it is not expected to fix any of the 

 varieties so that they will come true to seed, any 

 more than any variety of plum or apple or pear 

 will come true to seed. 



Nevertheless, the mixed heritage of the new 

 fruit is not altogether obscured. The tendency to 

 segregation of plum factors and apricot factors in 

 the second and succeeding generation is variously 

 manifested. It would probably be feasible to se- 

 lect specimens that by inbreeding and selection 

 could be made to develop races fairly duplicating 

 each of the parental stocks. Such an experiment 

 would have scientific interest rather than practical 

 value. 



The plumcots are still new; they have not been 

 introduced to the general trade long enough to be 

 fully tested in many parts of the world. It was 

 hoped from the outset that among the new varie- 

 ties some would be found bearing fruits equal to 

 or better than the apricot in flavor, on trees at 

 least as hardy as the standard varieties of plums. 



[295] 



