39 



THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



much recognition from pomologists. Downing described it in 1845 

 neither Manning nor Kenrick in their excellent books on fruits mention 

 this plum. The American Pomological Society in 1852 listed it with the 

 varieties of plums promising well and in 1856 placed it on the list of those 

 worthy of general cultivation. 



Tree very large and vigorous, spreading, dense-topped, hardy, productive; trunk 

 roughish; branches dark ash-gray, smooth except for the numerous, raised lenticels 

 of various sizes; branchlets medium to below in thickness, short, with internodes of 

 average length, greenish-red changing to brownish-red, dull, lightly pubescent, with incon- 

 spicuous, small lenticels; leaf-buds large, long, conical, free; leaf-scars prominent. 



Leaves long-oval or obovate, two inches wide, four and one-quarter inches long, 

 thick, somewhat leathery; upper surface dark green, covered with fine hairs, the mid- 

 rib grooved; lower surface silvery-green, sparingly pubescent; apex and base acute, 

 margin serrate, with few small, dark glands; petiole five-eighths inch long, pubescent, 

 tinged red, with from one to three smallish, globose, greenish-yellow glands variable 

 in position. 



Blooming season intermediate in time and length ; flowers appearing after the leaves, 

 one and one-eighth inches wide, white, fragrant; borne on lateral spurs, singly or in 

 pairs; pedicels seven-eighths inch long, with short, thin pubescence, greenish; calyx- 

 tube green, enlarged at the base, campanulate, lightly pubescent; calyx-lobes narrow, 

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

 entire, tapering to short, broad claws; anthers yellow; filaments one -quarter inch 

 long; pistil glabrous, longer than the stamens. 



Fruit mid-season, ripening period of medium length; one and one-half inches 

 by one and three-eighths inches in size, oval, slightly compressed, halves nearly equal; 

 cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt; suture shallow; apex roundish or depressed; dull 

 yellow, faintly splashed and streaked with green, sometimes tinged on the sunny side 

 with light red, overspread with thin bloom; dots numerous, small, white, inconspicuous, 

 clustered about the base; stem three-quarters inch long, thinly pubescent, adhering 

 well to the fruit; skin thin, rather sour, separating readily; flesh golden-yellow, juicy, 

 firm but tender, sweet, mild, of pleasant flavor; very good; stone free, the cavity larger 

 than the pit, one inch by five-eighths inch in size, oval, turgid, roundish, abruptly 

 contracted at the base, blunt at the apex; ventral suture broad, blunt, faintly ridged; 

 dorsal suture widely and deeply grooved. 



