88 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK 



scurely pointed at the apex or sometimes slightly obtuse, truncate or obliquely truncate 

 at the base, grooved on the dorsal edge, ventral edge with a narrow, thickened and 

 slightly grooved wing, the surfaces irregularly roughened. 



Yellow Transparent may be considered a typical variety. Type spec- 

 imens in the Economic Collection of the Department of Agriculture were 

 collected at the Eastern Shore Nurseries of J. W. Kerr, Denton, Maryland, 

 (flowers) I. Tidestrom, April, 1910; (foliage and fruit) P. L. Ricker No. 

 2933, June 29, 1909. 



In the wild, Prunus angusttfolia varians forms dense thickets, the 

 larger specimens attaining a height of ten or twelve feet. When budded 

 and grown in the orchard it assumes the form of a small tree with well 

 defined trunk and spreading branches, sometimes armed with rather 

 slender spinescent branchlets. It is distinguished from the species by 

 its usually more robust habit, by its having the young twigs less reddish 

 and approaching a chestnut -brown in color, rather longer leaves, longer 

 pediceled flowers, and by the stone in most cases being more pointed at the 

 apex. Usually in more fertile soil than the species, it occurs locally from 

 southern Oklahoma through eastern Texas southward possibly to the 

 Colorado River, and probably westward to the Panhandle region. As yet, 

 however, its distribution is not well defined. 



Nearly all of the early ripening horticultural varieties previously 

 referred to Prunus angustifolia belong to Prunus angustifolia varians. The 

 fruit of the sub-species appears to be superior to that of the species though 

 scarcely equal to that of the other southern plums now cultivated. Hybrids 

 between this form and Prunus munsoniana undoubtedly occur freely 

 both in the wild state and under cultivation. The varieties Eagle and El 

 Paso have probably originated in this way. Nearly all of the plums belong- 

 ing to this species, some twenty in all, are tender to cold, none, so far as is 

 known, succeeding in the North. African, Cluck, Jennie Lucas and Yellow 

 Transparent may be named as representative varieties. 



19. PRUNUS MUNSONIANA 1 Wight and Hedrick 



Prunus angustifolia. i. Bailey Cornell Sta. Bui. 38:58. 1892 (in part). 2. Ibid. Ev. Nat. 

 Fr. 191-194. 1898 (in part). 3. Waugh Vt. Sta. An. Rpt. 10:99, 105. 1897 (in part). 



Prunus hortulana. 4. Bailey Cornell Sta. Bui. 38:48. 1892 (in part). 5. Waugh Vt. Sta. 

 An. Rft. 10:99, I0 3- I0 5- 1896-97 (in part). 



Tree medium to large, from twenty to thirty feet in height; trunk six to ten inches 

 in diameter; bark grayish-brown, shaggy, furrowed; branches spreading, rather slender, 



1 Thomas Volney Munson, after whom it has been a pleasure to name this species, though best 

 known as a viticulturist, has also rendered invaluable service to plum-culture. A sketch of his 

 life appeared in The Grapes of New York (page 122) in which his services to viticulture were briefly 



