338 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



agent in 1883. In 1887 Btirbank's tree was the only bearing one in America 

 but since then it has been tested in all of the large plum regions, having 

 been introduced by Burbank in 1889. In 1897 it was added to the fruit 

 catalog list of the American Pomological Society. Even though this plum 

 is very distinct, with its solid red flesh, it is much confused with other 

 sorts. A Japanese in a letter ' to L. A. Berckmans says " Beni-Smomo 

 comprises a group of red-fieshed plums. In Satsuma, my native home, 

 Hon-smomo and Yone-smomo are the most noted and familiar fruits of 

 this group, the first is the smallest in size and deepest in color, while 

 the second is the largest and most highly esteemed. In some districts, 

 plums in this group are called Uchi-Beni, which means red inside." 

 Hon-smomo or Blood Plum No. 4 was separated from the Satsuma or 

 Yonemomo by the Georgia Horticxilt-ural Society but Bailey found them 

 indistinguishable . 



Tree medium to large, vigorous, upright-spreading, usually quite hardy, moderately 

 productive, bearing heavier crops as the tree becomes older; branches grayish-brown; 

 branchlets medium to above in thickness and length, with short intemodes, dark chest- 

 nut-red, glabrous, with slightly raised lenticels of medium number and size; leaf-buds 

 small, short, conical, appressed. 



Leaves somewhat lanceolate, four inches by one and one-half inches in size, of 

 medium thickness; upper surface dark green, with a shallow, grooved midrib; lower 

 surface light green, glabrous; margin finely and doubly crenate, glandular; petiole 

 three-quarters inch long, tinged red, with from one to three reniform, greenish-yellow 

 glands variable in size, usually at the base of the blade. 



Blossoms white; borne in pairs or in threes; pedicels nine-sixteenths inch long, 

 slender, glabrous, greenish; calyx-tube green, obconic, glabrous; calyx-lobes medium 

 in width, acute, somewhat serrate, with dark colored glands, glabrous, erect; petals 

 tapering below to claws of medium length, reddish at the base. 



Fruit mid-season or later; one and seven-eighths inches by two inches in size, 

 variable in shape, ranging from roundish-cordate to somewhat oblate, flattened at 

 the base, compressed, halves unequal; cavity deep, narrow, abrupt, compressed; suture 

 variable in depth, prominent; apex pointed or roundish; color dark dull red, with thin 

 bloom; dots numerous, of medium size, russet, somewhat conspicuous, clustered about 

 the apex; stem slender, three-eighths inch long, glabrous; skin of medium thickness 

 and toughness, bitter, semi-adherent; flesh dark purplish-red, juicy, tender at the 

 skin, becoming tough at the center, sweet, with an almond-like flavor; of good quality; 

 stone semi-clinging or clinging, seven-eighths inch by five-eighths inch in size, oval, 

 strongly pointed, rough, tinged red; ventral suture narrow, winged; dorsal suture 

 grooved. 



^ Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 105. 1891. 



