The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-01
Japanese Plumg in North Amsr.ca.


The following summary is taken from
United States bulletin No. 10:
l. Twenty-four years ago a plum was
introduced into California from Japan,
which proved to belong to a species here
tofore unknown in America. 1t was first
fruited by the late John Kelsey of Berke-
| lev, Cal, and for him it was named. 1t
began to attract wide attention about ten
years ago.
2. This plum belongs to the species
prunus tri ora, which is supposed to be
native to China, but which is unknown
in a wild state. Subsequent importa-
tions have been made from Japan, and at
the present time about thirty are more or
less known and disseminated
3. These japanese plums are distin-
guished from the common homestead
plumbs by their generally more pointed or
| heart-shaped fruit, which has a deep
groove or suture upon one side by a
| housekeeping flesh and generally a less
winged pit. In other botanical features
they diner, commonly bearing three or
more winter buds at q Joint instead of one,
in the light colored rough bark, flowers,
usually in twos or threes, leaves long
! oboyate or elliptic and finally serrate.
| They are closely allied in botanical
| characters to some types of native plums.
4 The nomenclature of the varieties is
much confused, largely because the
| japanese names are used for groups or
| classes ana not for specific varieties; and
| there is no uniformity even in the generic
| application of these names. 1t Is essential
to an exact understanding of this fruit,
therefore, that the japanese class names
| be discarded in this country.
! ). While impOrtatiOnS from Japan have
! been made freely, there are probably
many more good varieties in that country
which have not reached America but We
must look for most permanent progress i'll
the future from American offspring.
6. The japanese plums differ among
| themselves greatly in hardness. The
| KELSEY is adapted only to the states south
| of Virginia and to the warmer parts Of
/ the Pacific coast, but other varieties ere
/ fully hardy in parts OF Connecticut, on
| tario, New York and Iowa.
! :. The varieties now known to be hardy
! in the plum regions of New York are Bur-
! bank. Abundance, Willard, OgOn, Satsu-
ma. ChabOt, Yosebe and Berger, and
Others give promise of being as hardy as
! these
s. The period of ripening of the various
! kinds extends over a long season, run
ming in New York from the middle of
| Julvto the middle of September The
same variety does not always appear to
ripen at the same period in successive
wears. This is especially true OF the
| Kelsey. which sometimes varies through
a period of three months. In New York
the earliest market variety which has
been tested appears to be Willard, fol
lowed closely by Ogon, then Abundance
and Rerckmans, and Burbank still later
| Kelsey is generally the latest Of all the
varieties.
q Most Of the Japanese plums keep for
several DAYS, and some of them even for
two weeks, after they are ripe. Satsuma
is one of the best keepers known in the
! North.
10 The largest part of the varities are
red with deep yellow flesh, and the Sat
suma and a few varieties less known have
deem red flesh. There are only four we'll
known yellow varieties. There are eight
freestones as follows OgOn, Willard,
kelsey. Berger, Maru. Munson, Normand,
II The varieties which can be most
confidently recommended at the pres
emit time are Abundance, Bqrbank, WI
| lard Kerr Berckmans, Maru, hed
Nagate. Satsuma and perhaps Ogon. KEEL
| sew is recommended for the south.
IL. The chief weaknesses OF tne Japa-
nose NUNS are too early to bloom OF some
varieties and liability 20 the trmt rot Iuu1
,,us Among their advantages are partial
Immunity from black knot and leaf blight.
and often a partial freedom from curcuHo
| injury ,.....,,.,, rl,,,,,,s ,,o,,-
s,itnta tbe most important type of fruit
introduced into North America during tne
iast nuarter of a century, and they should
,,aCeire careful tests in all parts OF the
r,f s4lr