THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 283 



his friends, one of whom, a Mr. Townsend, propagated the variety rather 

 extensively. At Galena, from the circumstances just noted, the variety 

 was called " Hinckley " and " Townsend." Meanwhile, the trees which 

 the first Mr. Dodd had taken to Springfield came into bearing and the 

 variety was propagated and distributed in the neighborhood as " William 

 Dodd " and " Chicasaw Chief." A relative of the Townsends, at Galena, 

 took trees of this plum to Lancaster, Wisconsin, where they were propa- 

 gated by a man named Joel Barber. Barber named the plum after his 

 father-in-law, a Mr. Miner, and this name, out of the dozen or more that 

 have been given it, is the one under which the plum is now universally 

 known. During the process of dissemination the variety received several 

 other local names as Isabel, Gillett, Robinson and Parsons. 



Tree large, vigorous, spreading, hardy at Geneva, unproductive unless cross-pol- 

 linized; branches smooth, reddish-brown, thorny; branchlets slender, long, with long 

 internodes, greenish-red, changing to brownish-red, glossy, glabrous, with numerous, 

 small, grayish lenticels; leaf -buds small, short, obtuse, appressed. 



Leaves falling late, long-oval or obovate, peach-like, one and five-eighths inches 

 wide, four inches long, thick; upper surface roughish, glabrous except for a few hairs 

 on the narrowly grooved midrib; lower surface very thinly pubescent; apex acuminate, 

 base abrupt and nearly acute, margin serrate, with small glands; petiole five-eighths 

 inch long, pubescent on the upper surface, often tinged red, with from two to four reni- 

 form or globose, dark amber glands usually on the stalk. 



Flowers late, often self-sterile, medium to large. 



Fruit somewhat late; medium in size, roundish-ovate or roundish-oblong; cavity 

 shallow, narrow, regular; suture indistinct ; apex pointed; color dull, dark red, appearing 

 some time before maturity, covered with thin bloom; dots numerous, minute, yellowish, 

 conspicuous at first, becoming duller; stem slender, long, adhering strongly to the 

 fruit; skin thick, tough, somewhat astringent; flesh pale amber yellow, juicy, nearly 

 tender, mild, aromatic; good in quality; stone adhering, small to medium, roundish- 

 oval, flattened, pointed at the base and apex, with nearly smooth surfaces. 



MIRABELLE 



Prunus insititia 



i. Merlet Abrege des bans fruits 1675. 2. Rea Flora 207. 1676. 3. Quintinye Com. Card. 68, 70. 

 1699. 4. Langley Pomona 93, PI. XXIII fig. VIII. 1729. 5. Miller Card. Diet. 3:1754. 6. Du- 

 hamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:95, PI. XIV. 1768. 7. Knoop Fructologie 2:52, 58. 1771. 8. Land. Hort. 

 Soc. Cat. 149. 1831. 9. Prince Pom. Man. 2:76. 1832. 10. Poiteau Pom. Franc. 1:1846. n. 

 Downing Fr. Trees Am. 282 fig. no. 1845. 12. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 330. 1849. 13. Thomp 

 son Card. Ass't 518. 1859. U- Hogg Fruit Man. 371. 1866. 15. Jour. Hort. N. S. 15:339- 1868. 

 16. Pom. France 7:No. 14. 1871. 17. Mas Le Verger 6:13, fig. 7. 1866-73. 18. Oberdieck Deut. 

 Obst. Son. 425. 1881. 19. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 431, 432. 1889. 20. Gaucher Pom. Prak. Obst. 



