88 



ANHALS OF HORTICULTURE, 



appear to be modified greatly in shape by the different climates, 

 although there is a tendency for the Pacific fruits to develop a 

 very prominent or even prolonged tip. Other fruits from the 

 Pacific slope showed this tendency to elongate in a very marked 

 degree. This was true also of the plums. The preponderance 

 of rounded and soft-fleshed plums was observable in all the 

 collections from the East, and even so far west as Colorado, but 

 once over the mountains into Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and 

 California, the long and hard prune-like types appeared. The 

 Eastern fruits excelled in table qualities, but they lacked the 

 size and shipping qualities of those from the West. In the 

 collections from the Eastern States, the plates from Oceana 

 county, in the Michigan exhibit, were most interesting. They 

 came from one of the newest and most promising fruit regions 

 of the East, and, contrary to general experience in plum cul- 

 ture, they thrive upon gravelly soils. It is evident, from a 

 general study of the plum exhibits, that Lombard is more com- 

 monly grown in the East than any other variety. Considering 

 the poor quality of this plum, this popularity is to be regret- 

 ted ; and although the tree bears well, the fruit is very liable 

 to rot. 



One of the novel features of the late plum exhibit was 

 the large variety of native plums shown by the States of the 

 upper Mississippi basin. As one sees these plums beside the 

 varieties of Prunus domestica grown in the same regions, he is 

 ready to confess that these natives are destined to play a very 

 important part in the pomological development of much of our 

 interior country. Something like fifty varieties were shown, 

 mostly of the Prunus Americana type, although the Miner, or 

 northern type of Prunus hortulana, was well represented. Iowa 

 had a large collection, among which the leading varieties were 

 Wolf, Miner, Wyant, Hawkeye, Pottawattamie, and Galena. 

 In the Minnesota section many varieties were shown, all con- 

 spicuous for the beauty of their coloring. Here leading sorts 

 were Forest Garden, Early Sweet, De Soto, Harrison's Peach. 

 South Dakota had a large and varied collection, among which 

 Barnsbeck, a new seedling Americana, was conspicuous. 



The Japanese plums made some impression upon the fruit 

 displays, especially the Kelsey, which was shown in enormous 

 specimens from California. Ogon and Abundance were sent 

 from several localities earlier in the season, and a few other 

 varieties appeared. Prunus Simonii was sent in from a wide 

 range of country — from Canada to Oregon. Although this 

 fruit is often very bitter and acerb, most of the specimens on 

 exhibition were nearly free from these qualities, and enormous 

 and bright colored samples from Oregon were positively deli- 



