158 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



the origin of the variety, nothing is known although it is generally believed 

 to have originated in Belgium prior to 1850. 



Tree large, vigorous, round and dense-topped, not always hardy, very productive; 

 branchlets numerous, thick, pubescent throughout the season; leaf -scars prominent; 

 leaves flattened or folded upward, oval, one and five-eighths inches wide, three and 

 one-half inches long; margin serrate or crenate; petiole five-eighths inch long, gland- 

 less or with from one to two small glands usually at the base of the leaf; flowers nearly 

 one inch across, white, with a peculiar greenish and creamy tinge near the apex of the 

 petals and often splashed with pink towards the base; borne on lateral buds and spurs; 

 calyx-tube thickly pubescent. 



Fruit mid-season; medium to below in size, roundish-oval, purplish-black, over- 

 spread with thick bloom; flesh rich, golden-yellow, medium juicy, firm, sweet, mild; 

 fair to good; stone nearly free, of medium size, oval, flattened, often with a distinct 

 wing. 



BELLE 



Primus domestica 



i. Horticulturist 10:71. 1855. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 394. 1857. 3. Flor. & Pom. 144, 

 PI. 1863. 4. Hogg Fruit Man. 351, 384. 1866. 5. Mas Le Verger 6:27, fig. 14. 1866-73. 6. Le 

 Bon Jard. 341. 1882. 7. Barry Fr. Garden 410. 1883. 8. Decaisne & Naudin Man. Am. dcs 

 Jard. 4: 382. 9. Mathieu Norn. Pom. 449, 451. 1889. 10. Garden 50:295. 1896. ir. Rivers Cat. 

 33. 1898. 12. Fish Hardy-Fr. Bk. 2:55. 13. Thompson Card. Ass't 4:156. 1901. 14. Waugh 

 Plum Cult. 96. 1901. 



Autumn Beauty n. Autumn Beauty 9. Belle de Septembre 9, n, 14. Belle de Septembre 

 i, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13. Gros Rouge de Septembre 3, 4, 9. Lawrence Early 9. Regina nova 6. Reine- 

 Claude Rouge 9. Reins-Claude Rouge de Septembre 5, 9. Reine-Claude Rouge of September 2 

 Reine-Claude Rouge de Van Mons 5, 6, 8. Reine-Claude Rouge de Van Mons 9. Reine-Claude Rouge 

 Van Mons 4, 9. Reine Nova (Berre) 9. Reina Nova 2, 3, 4, 9. Rote Claude 9. Reine Nova 9. 

 Schb'ne September Konigspflaume 9. Van Mons Konigspflaume 9. Van Mons Konigspflaume 5. Van 

 Mons Red 9. Van Mons' Red 4. Van Mons Red Gage 5, 9. 



Belle is an unusually large, handsome plum but unfortunately is not 

 of very high quality. It is much like Pond but is brighter red, a 

 little smaller, less necked, the stem is shorter, the apex more blunt and 

 it is more of a clingstone. European authorities say that Belle is second 

 to none for culinary purposes and its handsome appearance gives it value 

 across the seas as a dessert plum. As Belle grows on the grounds of this 

 Station it seems not to be found elsewhere in New York the tree-char- 

 acters are quite above those in the average variety of plums and when 

 considered with the fine, late fruits, indicate that the variety might be 

 grown with profit for market purposes. It well deserves to be tried by 

 commercial plum-growers. 



Belle came from Brussels, Belgium, and was propagated by the famous 

 horticulturist, Van Mons. Nothing further is known of its origin. 



