10 Linn County Nursery 
Hybrid Varieties 
F^om this time on this will be the most important group of plums. Plant breeders 
have developed the desirable characters or qualities of the other groups to the limit, 
and they cannot create new ones, so their hope for the future lies in combining the 
good qualities of the different groups or species. The Hybrid Group is made up of 
varieties with such combinations of characters and therefore differ from the older 
varieties of plums. 
Except the Gold, Compass and Omaha, they were all originated by Prof. Hansen, 
of Brookings, South Dakota, one of the most scientific plant breeders, whose work 
is of immense value to the North and Northwest. All require thinning to get the 
largest size. 
Gold (Robinson and Botan) — Large to very 
large, golden yellow with some red; 
juicy, sweet and good. Very productive, 
fairly hardy and vigorous. 
Omaha — Large to very large, coral red. 
Flesh yellow, firm, juicy and highly 
flavored. Seed small. Thrifty and pro- 
ductive. 
Waneta — A cross of the large Japanese 
plum "Apple" and the largest of our 
plums, "Terry." The following is from 
Prof. Hansen's description: "Size at 
Brookings in 1912 two inches in diam- 
eter, weight two ounces. Good red color, 
skin free from acerbity, flavor delicious." 
We have one-year trees only. Write for 
sizes and prices. 
CHERRY PLUMS. 
All hybrids of Western Sand Cherry and 
cultivated plums. Like the sand cherry 
parent they all bear very young, often at 
one year old, and are almost completely 
covered with fruit which hangs to the 
tree until pulled off. Size and quality of 
the fruit resembles the plum parent. All 
are very thrifty and vigorous but grow 
more or less crooked and one-sided. 
Compass — The first of the cherry plums to 
be produced. A cross of Miner plum and 
Sand cherry. Small, purplish-red with 
large pit and yellow flesh; very good for 
cooking. 
Opata — A cross of Sand Cherry and Bur- 
bank's large Gold plum. Fruit about 1 
3-16 inches in diameter, dark purplish- 
red with blue bloom; pit very small, flesh 
green, rich and sweet. One of the 
earliest to ripen. A customer at Sidnaw, 
Michigan, to whom we sent Opata the 
spring of 1913, wrote Sept. 9, 1914: "The 
ten Opata trees all bore fruit this sum- 
mer and the fruit ripened before Sep- 
tember 1st. Please let me know at what 
price you can ship 75 early next spring. 
I enclose picture of one of the trees that 
will be of interest to you." (Photo en- 
closed of a tree set out in April, 1913, 
and bearing 93 ripe plums September 1, 
1914.) 
Sapa — A cross of the Sand Cherry and 
Burbank's large purple fleshed plum 
called Sultan. Fruit slightly larger 
than Opata. Skin, flesh and juicy very 
dark purple-red, which makes this en- 
tirely unlike any other fruit grown here. 
Sapa makes very rich purple sauce of 
splendid quality and does not cook sour. 
Everyone is delighted with it. Nearly 
every customer to whom we sold trees 
two years ago has fruited it and been 
back after more. Not as vigorous as 
Opata and two weeks later. 
Waehampa — Of the same parentage as 
Sapa. Fruit not quite as large, but uni- 
form in size; purplish with light red 
flesh and very small pit. Very sweet 
and good and ripens with Sapa. A re- 
markably vigorous and better shaped 
tree. 
Ezaptan — Also of same parentage as Sapa 
and not quite as large. Dark purple, 
flesh purple, of delicious quality, seed 
very small. The best of the cherry 
plums and one of the best of all plums 
for cooking. Entirely free from acidity 
or astringency and has a pleasant, char- 
acteristic flavor. August. 
Sansoto — A cross of Sand Cherry and De 
Soto plum. Fruit round, about the size 
of the De Soto plum, almost black when 
fully ripe. Flesh yellowish green, spright- 
ly pleasant, skin thin; pit very small, 
cling. August. 
Cheresoto — Same parentage as Sansoto and 
very much the same except In shape. 
Cheresoto is long and has a small point 
at the apex. August. 
APRICOT PLUMS. 
These are hybrids of the large, flat Chi- 
nese Apricot plum, Prunus Simoni, and our 
native plums. They are all hardy, re- 
markably vigorous and symmetrical grow- 
ers, and productive. The fruit of all these 
is well colored, distinctly flat in shape, 
very fragrant, so Arm that It will keep 
several days or stand a great deal of ship- 
ping, and of such splendid quality for 
cooking that they are sure to be in great 
demand as soon as known. 
Hanska — Large, bright red with heavy 
bloom; flesh yellow, very Arm and fra- 
grant, pit very small, semi-cling. The 
apricot flavor is brought out to perfec- 
tion in cooking. August. 
Kaga — Very similar to Hanska in every 
respect but ten to flfteen days earlier. 
Inkpa — Also similar to Hanska In fruit, 
but earlier. The tree is more spreading 
than any others of the group. 
Toka — We consider this the best of the 
Apricot plums. The fruit is slightly 
larger than Hanska, the flesh a deeper 
yellow and richer flavor. "The Toka 
plums you sent me I was more than 
pleased with; their rich mahogany color 
should make them a great seller on the 
market, and we cooked some of them 
as you suggested and found them the 
flnest thing I ever saw in the plum 
line." F. L. Colby, Enfleld, New Hamp- 
shire. 
"Highest quality of any plum ever 
fruited at this station. Seemingly a great 
acquisition." Supt. Montevideo Trial Sta- 
tion, Minn. Horticultural Report, 1913. 
