THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 227 



and introduced it in 1874. In 1886, Stark Brothers, of Missouri, introduced 

 the Missouri Apricot, the Honey Drop of some, which they claimed was 

 found wild in Missouri. Several pomologists have noted the close similarity 

 of this variety to Golden Beauty and as tested at this Station they are 

 identical in all respects and are therefore placed under the older name. 

 In 1897 the American Pomological Society placed this plum on its fruit 

 catalog list. 



Tree above medium in size, vigorous, somewhat irregular in habit, usually spread- 

 ing, low, dense and flat-topped, hardy, variable in productiveness, somewhat subject 

 to attacks of shot-holo fungus; trunk rough, shaggy; branches roughish, thorny, zig- 

 zag, dark ash-gray, with numerous lenticels of medium size; branchlets long, slender, 

 twiggy, with short intemodes, green changing to greenish-brown, shining, glabrous,, 

 with numerous, conspicuous, large, raised lenticels; leaf -buds small, very short, obtuse,, 

 plump, appressed. 



Leaves folded upward, narrowly oval, one and seven-eighths inches wide, four 

 inches long, thin; upper surface smooth, glabrous, with a grooved midrib; lower surface 

 light green, sparingly pubescent along the midrib and larger veins; apex acuminate, 

 base abrupt, margin irregularly and doubly crenate, with small, dark brown glands;- 

 petiole seven-eighths inch long, slender, green, thinly pubescent along one side, gland- 

 less or with from one to eight very small, globose, blackish glands scattered mostly below 

 the base of the leaf. 



Blooming season late and of medium length; flowers appearing after the leaves,, 

 seven-eighths inch across, white; borne in clusters on lateral buds and spurs, with from 

 four to six flowers in each umbel; pedicels nine-sixteenths inch in length, slender, 

 glabrous, greenish; calyx-tube green, obconic, glabrous; calyx-lobes acute, erect, 

 thinly pubescent within, glandular-serrate, the glands reddish; petals ovate or 

 roundish-oval, erose, tapering below into long, narrow, pubescent claws; anthers, 

 light yellow; filaments five-sixteenths inch in length; pistil glabrous, shorter than the 

 stamens. 



Fruit very late, season of medium length ; one inch in diameter, roundish to roundish- 

 oval, somewhat compressed, halves equal; cavity shallow, narrow, slightly flaring; 

 suture very shallow or a line; apex roundish or pointed; color orange-yellow, 

 mottled, overspread with thin bloom; dots characteristic, numerous, large and small, 

 yellowish, decidedly conspicuous producing a somewhat mottled appearance, clustered 

 about the apex; stem very slender, five-eighths inch in length, glabrous, adhering- 

 poorly to the fruit; skin thick, tough, adhering to the pulp; flesh golden-yellow, juicy, 

 coarse, fibrous, tender, mildly sweet, with a faint apricot flavor, somewhat acid when 

 cooked; fair in quality; stone adhering, five-eighths inch by one-half inch in size, 

 turgid, oval, abruptly pointed at the base and apex, smooth and with a coating of 

 yellowish-brown, cottony substance; ventral suture broad, lightly furrowed; dorsal, 

 suture acute or with a shallow furrow. 



