THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 285 



the grooved midrib; lower surface silvery-green, pubescent; apex acute, base abrupt, 

 margin crenate, with small, black glands; petiole one-half inch long, tinged red along 

 one side, glandless or with from one to three small, globose glands usually on the stalk. 



Flowers appearing in mid-season, after the leaves, seven-eighths inch across, white 

 with a yellow tinge as the buds unfold; borne on lateral spurs and buds, in twos or 

 threes; pedicels three-quarters inch long, slender, thickly pubescent, greenish; calyx- 

 tube green, broadly obconic, glabrous except at the base; calyx-lobes of medium width, 

 obtuse, glandular-serrate, pubescent on both surfaces; reflexed; petals oval, crenate, 

 tapering to short, broad claws; anthers yellow with a tinge of red; filaments three- 

 eighths inch long; pistil glabrous, equal to the stamens in length. 



Fruit mid-season, period of ripening of medium length; seven-eighths inch in dia- 

 meter, roundish-oval, slightly necked, swollen on one si decompressed, halves equal; cav- 

 ity very shallow and narrow, abrupt; suture indistinct; apex roundish or depressed; color 

 light golden-yellow, sometimes blushed and mottled with red on the exposed cheek, 

 overspread with thick bloom; dots numerous, small, whitish, inconspicuous, clustered 

 at the apex; stem slender, three-quarters inch long, pubescent, adhering poorly to the 

 fruit; skin thin, tough, not astringent, separating readily; flesh light yellow, not very 

 juicy, firm, but tender, sweet, mild, but pleasant; good to very good; stone free, five- 

 eighths inch by three-eighths inch in size, oval, blunt, broadly ridged along one edge, 

 roughish. 



MIRACLE 



Prunus insititia X Prunus domestica 



i. Rural N. Y. 62:594. 1903. 2. W. N. Y. Hon. Soc. Rpt. 25. 1904. 3. Rural N. Y. 64:280. 

 1905. 4. Oregon Nur. Cat. 4. 1906. 5. DeVries PI. Br. 228. 1907. 



Unfortunately, so far as is known, this much-talked-of plum has not 

 been fruited in New York. About 1887, Luther Burbank imported from 

 a French nurseryman a tree of the Prunier San Noyeau or Stoneless plum 

 known as a curiosity in Europe for at least three centuries. With this 

 fruit he crossed several of the best European varieties, producing hybrids 

 which first fruited in 1893. Although there were several stoneless fruits 

 in this lot, none were of any value and it was not until 1899 that one ap- 

 peared worthy of consideration. In this seedling, developed from Agen 

 pollen, the stone is represented by a small, hard scale near the base of 

 the kernel. Burbank sold the new plum in 1903 to the Oregon Nursery 

 Company by whom it was introduced in 1906. The following description 

 is compiled: 



Tree somewhat dwarfish, producing a roundish, compact head, very productive. 

 Fruit larger than Agen, oblong, dark blue covered with thick bloom; cavity medium; 

 stem short; flesh yellow, sweet, juicy; good; stone lacking, the kernel lying naked 

 in the flesh. 



