THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 343 



can be seen through the flesh. Despite the flavor, the plum is pleasant 

 to eat and may be ranked as good in quality. Those who have had ex- 

 perience say that the variety ships very weU if not fully mature but quickly 

 goes down after ripening; the plums are also quite susceptible to brown- 

 rot. The trees of this variety at Geneva are quite as vigorous, hardy, 

 and productive as any of the sorts which Mr. Burbank gives as progenitors 

 of Shiro and wiU generally, it is believed, surpass any of them in these 

 respects. It may here be remarked that of the four species from which 

 Shiro is supposed to have come, it most resembles Prunus triflora in both 

 tree and fruit though the leaves have some resemblance to those of Prunus 

 cerasifera. Shiro is still, so far as New York is concerned, in the list of 

 plums deserving trial but with the chances against its becoming of great 

 value either for home or commercial plantations. 



This is another of Burbank's plums and is said to be a descendant of Rob- 

 inson, (Prunus munsoniana,) Myrobalan, {Prunus cerasifera), and Wickson, 

 (a cross of Prunus triflora and Prunus simonii) from seed of Wickson. 

 Burbank in his catalog for 1889 says that the tree resembles a Myrobalan 

 in foliage, growth and general appearance. But as the variety grows at 

 this Station it has all the appearances of a Triflora. Shiro was described 

 in the California State Board of Horticulture Report for 1898 and the 

 following year it was introduced by the originator. 



Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, tender to cold, productive; branches 

 smooth, somewhat thorny, dull ash-gray, with few, small lenticels; branchlets slender, 

 above medium in length, with short intemodes, greenish-red changing to brownish- 

 drab, glabrous, with inconspicuous, scattering, small lenticels; leaf -buds small, very 

 short, obtuse, strongly appressed. 



Leaves folded upward, obovate, one and five-sixteenths inches wide, two and three- 

 quarters inches long, leathery; upper surface faintly rugose, glabrous, with a grooved 

 midrib; lower surface lightly pubescent along the midrib and larger veins; apex acutely 

 pointed, base rather acute, margin finely crenate, with small, dark glands; petiole 

 three-eighths inch long, pubescent along one side, greenish-red, glandless or with one 

 or two small, globose, yellowish glands on the stalk. 



Blooming season early and of medium length; flowers appearing before the leaves, 

 white; borne in clusters on lateral buds and spurs; pedicels short, glabrous, greenish; 

 calyx-tube green, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes obtuse, glandular-serrate, glabrous 

 on the outer side, sparingly pubescent within, with a pink margin, erect; petals roundish, 

 entire, tapering to short, abrupt claws; anthers yellow with a reddish tinge; filaments 

 below medium in length; pistil glabrous, longer than the stamens. 



Fruit very early, season short; one and one-half inches in diameter, roundish- 

 conic, with halves equal; cavity intermediate in depth and width, flaring, regular; 



