254 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



or hot weather. Were all of these troubles of the tree to befall the variety 

 at one time it would of necessity give way to better sorts, but happily they 

 are to be found for most part in illy adapted conditions or in certain sea- 

 sons ; the Italian Prune well cared for in locations to which it is suited must 

 long remain one of the leading plums despite the faults of the trees. 



The Italian Prune originated in Italy at least a century ago and has 

 long been common in northern Italy, especially in the vicinity of Milan. 

 The London Horticultural Society catalog for 1831 first mentions it in 

 England and the following year it was described in America by Prince 

 as an excellent prune recently introduced from Europe. The American 

 Pomological Society recommended it in 1856 as worthy of further testing 

 and in 1862 it was added to the fruit catalog list of this society. The 

 origin of the name Fellenberg, a very common synonym, is explained 

 by Lauche ' who says: " It came to Germany through a Mr. Fellenberg 

 and is therefore spread under his name and also under the names Schwei- 

 zerzwetsche and Fellenberger Zwetsche." He further adds that the variety 

 " is still not known in Germany as it deserves, considering its quality, 

 size and productiveness." 



Tree of medium size, rather vigorous, spreading or upright, low-topped, hardy, 

 usually productive; branches ash-gray, smooth, with small, raised lenticels; branchlets 

 short, with internodes of medium length, greenish-red changing to brownish-drab, 

 pubescent, with small lenticels; leaf -buds of medium size and length, conical, ap- 

 pressed; leaf -scars large. 



Leaves folded upward, obovate or oval, two inches wide, four and one-half inches 

 long; upper surface dark green, pubescent; lower surface silvery-green, heavily pubes- 

 cent; apex and base acute, margin doubly crenate, with small, dark glands; petiole 

 five-eighths inch long, above medium thickness, pubescent, tinged red, with from one to 

 three globose, greenish-brown glands usually on the stalk. 



Season of bloom intermediate and short; flowers appearing after the leaves, one 

 and three-sixteenths inches across, in the buds tinged yellow, changing to white when 

 expanded; borne on lateral spurs, rarely on lateral buds, singly or in pairs; pedicels 

 three-quarters inch long, thick, pubescent, greenish; calyx-tube green, campanulate, 

 pubescent at the base; calyx-lobes long and narrow, acute or narrowly obtuse, pubes- 

 cent on both surfaces and along the glandular-serrate margin, reflexed, inclined to curl 

 at the tips; petals oval or obovate, dentate, tapering to broad claws of medium length; 

 anthers yellowish; filaments seven-sixteenths inch long; pistil pubescent at the base, 

 equal to the stamens in length. 



Fruit late, season short; one and seven-eighths inches by one and one-half inches 

 in size, long-oval, enlarged on the suture side, slightly compressed, halves unequal; 



'Lauche Devi. Pom.. No. 2. 1882. 



