l62 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



ever, is siirpassed by many other Insititias and has little value other than 

 to show the steps between wild and highly cultivated frtiits. 



Black BuUace is one of the oldest of cultivated plums and all data 

 in regard to its origin have been lost. It resembles the wild forms of its 

 species very closely and it may have been selected from the wild. Park- 

 inson, writing in 1629, (References, i) gives a short description of this 

 variety; and Gerard, in 1636, (References, 2) says: "The BuUesse and 

 the Sloe tree are wilde kindes of Plums, which do vary in their kind, even 

 as the greater and manured Plums do. Of BuUesse, some are of greater 

 and of better taste than others. Sloes are some of one taste, and some of 

 others, more sharp; some greater and others lesser; the which to distinguish 

 with long descriptions were to small purpose, considering they be aU and 

 every of them known even to the simplest; therefore this shall suffice for 

 their several descriptions." Black Bullace has long been known in Eng- 

 land and was among the first European varieties cultivated in this country. 

 Deane in The New England Farmer, 1797, describes this variety briefly as 

 imder cultivation at that time but it did not prove popular in North Amer- 

 ica and after Prince, 1832, it seems to have dropped from American pltrni 

 literature. 



Tree of medium size and vigor, upright or slightly spreading, dense-topped, hardy, 

 very productive; branches smooth except for the numerous, small, raised lenticels, 

 dark, ash-gray; branchlets long, with short intemodes, green changing to dark brownish- 

 drab, thickly pubescent, with numerous, inconspicuous, small lenticels; leaf-buds small 

 short, obtuse, free. 



Leaves oval, one and one-half inches wide, three and one-quarter inches long; 

 upper surface dark green, rugose, hairy, with grooved midrib; lower surface silvery- 

 green, heavily pubescent; apex abruptly pointed or acute, base acute, margin serrate 

 or crenate, with a few, smallish, dark glands; petiole three-quarters inch long, green, 

 thickly pubescent, glandless or with one or two small, globose, greenish-brown glands 

 on the stalk or at the base of the leaf. 



Blooming season intermediate in time and length; flowers appearing with the 

 leaves, seven-eighths inch across, white; borne on lateral buds and spurs, singly or 

 in pairs; pedicels three-eighths inch long, pubescent, greenish; calyx-tube green, 

 campanulate, pubescent only at the base; calyx-lobes narrow, obtuse, pubescent 

 at margin and base, with few glands, reflexed; petals oval, entire, tapering abruptly 

 to short claws; anthers yellowish; filaments three-eighths inch in length; pistil 

 glabrous, shorter than the stamens. 



Fruit late, season long; one and one-eighth inches by seven-eighths inch in size, 

 distinctly oval, necked, not compressed, halves equal; cavity small, shallow, narrow, 

 flaring; suture lacking; apex roundish, with stigma usually adhering; color purplish- 

 black, covered with thick bloom; dots numerous, small, brown, inconspicuous; stem 



