THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 187 



sive trial than it has yet had. The following history of the variety is given 

 by its originator: In 1884, P. P. Dawson of Payette, Idaho, planted a 

 lot of Italian prune pits. In 1891 one of the seedlings produced fruit which 

 was so distinct as to size that Mr. Dawson deemed it worthy of propaga- 

 tion. The variety was introduced by Mr. Dawson and A. F. Hitt, Weiser, 

 Idaho, about 1898. 



Tree above medium in size, vigorous, round and dense-topped, productive; branch- 

 lets thick, short, twiggy, marked with scarf-skin; leaf -scars prominent; leaves flattened, 

 oval, two and one-quarter inches wide, four inches long, dark green, rugose; margin 

 doubly crenate, eglandular or with small dark glands; petiole pubescent, glandless or 

 with one or two small glands usually at the base of the leaf; blooming season late, short; 

 flowers appearing with the leaves, white with yellowish tinge; petals fringed at the apex. 



Fruit mid-season, ripening period short; medium in size, strongly obovate, distinctly 

 necked, dark reddish-purple, overspread with medium thick bloom; flesh light but 

 dull yellow, tinged red near the surface, dry, firm, medium sweet, mild but pleasant; 

 of good quality; stone clinging, above medium in size, long-oval or ovate, flattened, 

 distinctly necked, with roughened surfaces; ventral suture broad, blunt. 



DECAISNE 



Prunus domestica 



i. Card. Chron. 23:461. 1863. 2. Mas Perm. Gen. 2:43. 1873. 3. Cat. Cong. Pont. France 

 411. 1887. 4. Guide Prat. 159. 1895. 



Decaisnes Pflaume 2. Prune Decaisne i, 2. 



Though a supposed seedling of Golden Drop this variety has all of 

 the ear -marks of one of the Reine Claude group. It is inferior to several 

 other plums of the last named group and is not worth recommendation. 

 Decaisne was originated about 1846 by Jamin and Durand, nurserymen, 

 at Bourg la-Reine, near Paris, France, from seed of Golden Drop. In 

 the United States, it has been mainly distributed by Ellwanger & Barry 

 of Rochester, New York, and by the California Nursery Company of 

 Niles, California. 



Tree intermediate in size and vigor, upright-spreading, rather open-topped, pro- 

 ductive; trunk rough; leaves two inches wide, four inches long, oval, thick, leathery; 

 upper surface rugose; lower surface thinly pubescent; petiole with from two to three 

 large, globose or reniform glands. 



Fruit mid-season or later; one and seven-eighths inches by one and five-eighths 

 inches in size, oblong-oval, greenish-yellow, overspread with thin bloom; skin sour; 

 flesh greenish-yellow, tender, mild; good; stone clinging, one inch by seven-eighths 

 inch in size, broad-oval, with pitted surf aces ; ventral suture rather prominent, heavily 

 grooved, with a short but distinct wing; dorsal suture wide, deep. 



