344 THE PLUMS OP NEW YORK. 



suture an indistinct line; apex roundish; color light yellow becoming deeper yellow 

 as the season advances, occasionally with a blush of pink, with thin bloom; dots 

 numerous, very minute, whitish, inconspicuous; stem three-eighths inch long, adhering 

 to the fruit; skin thin, tough, sour, occasionally cracking, separating readily, although 

 a thin coating of flesh is left clinging to the skin; flesh light yellow, semi-transparent, 

 the stone being faintly visible, very juicy, fibrous, somewhat melting, sweet, mild, 

 lacks character in flavor; good; stone clinging, seven-eighths inch by five-eighths inch 

 in size, broadly oval, flattened, slightly elongated at the base, with rough surfaces; 

 ventral suture faintly ridged and furrowed; dorsal suture very lightly grooved. 



SHROPSHIRE 



Prunus insititia 



i. Rea Flora 209. 1676. 2. Land. Hart. Soc. Cat. 146. 1831 3. Prince Pom. Man. 2:90. 

 1832. 4. Loudon Enc. Card. 921. 1834. 5. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 297. 1845. 6. Floy-Lindley 

 Guide Orch. Card. 282, 383. 1846. 7. Thompson Card. Ass't 520. 1859. 8. Hogg Fruit Man. 

 377. 1866. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 36. 1875. 10. Hogg Fruit Man. 695. 1884. u. Mich. Hart. 

 Soc. Rpt. 289. 1889. 12. Am. Card. 14:146 fig., 147, 148. 1893. 13. Cornell Sta. Bui. 131:192 

 fig. 46. 1897. 14. Garden 53:265. 1898. 15, Mich. Sta. Bui. 169:243, 247. 1899. 16. Waugh 

 Plum Cult. 130 fig. 1901. 17. Va. Sta. Bui. 134:44. 1902. 18. Ga. Sta. Bui. 67:281 fig. 1904. 



Cheshire 14. Damascene 8, 10, 14. Damson Plum 3. Long Damson 2. Long Damson 7, 8, 

 10. Pruine Damson? i. Prune Damson 2, 4, 5, 7, 14. Prune Damson 6, 8. Prune 10. Shrop- 

 shire Damson ?6, 8, 10, 15, 16, 17. Shropshire Damson 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, u, 12, 13, 18. 



In America, Shropshire is probably the best known of the Damsons, 

 being found not only in nearly all commercial plantations but in the smallest 

 home collections as well. The qualities which make it so generally a 

 favorite are for most part those of the tree, the French surpassing it in size 

 and in quality of the fruit. The trees of the variety under notice are not 

 surpassed by any other Insititia in size, vigor, hardiness and health nor 

 are they, except in size, by any other European plum. Shropshire is 

 enormously productive, bearing its load of fruit year after year until it 

 is a standard among fruits for productivity and reliability in bearing. 

 The trees have but one defect, unless sprayed the foliage falls prey to 

 fungi and drops early. The trees are comparatively easy to manage in 

 such orchard operations as pruning, spraying and harvesting as they are 

 not so thick -topped, twiggy and spiny as other Damsons. The fruit is of 

 very good size and while in no sense a dessert plum may be eaten out of 

 hand with relish when fully ripe or after a light frost a point worth con- 

 sidering where only Damsons can be grown. It is one of the best of its 

 kind for culinary purposes. This old variety is still to be recommended 

 for both home and market. 



