LARGE ENGLISH
Prunus domestica
1. Oberdieck Deut. Obst. Sort. 443. 1881. 2. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 429, 433. 1889.
Englische Zwetsche 2. Grosse Englische Zwetsche 2. Grosse Englische Zwetsche 1, 2. Grosse Englische Pflaumen Zwetsche 2. Grosse Zwetsche? 2. Schweizer Zwetsche 2 incor.
This appears to be a most excellent plum closely resembling the Italian Prune and surpassing that well-known variety in some respects. As compared with Italian Prune, the fruit of Large English runs larger, is slightly more conical, having the ventral swelling near the base, thus giving it more of a shoulder. The flavor is sweeter and richer than that of the Italian Prune. There appear to be practically no differences between the trees, the foliage and the flowers of the two kinds. Wherever the Italian is successfully grown it may be well worth while to try the Large English. The relation the word English has to this prune is unknown. Oberdieck, in 1881, wrote that this variety resembled the Italian Prune in fruit, but differed in that it had a noticeably broader leaf; he adds “it has been incorrectly called the Swiss Prune and is much spread in Germany under the name of Italian Prune.” E. R. Lake, of the United States Department of Agriculture, brought it to America, in 1901, from the Pomological Institute, Reutlingen, Wurtemburg, Germany. Lake’s stock was tested at this Station and the variety agrees with Oberdieck’s description.
Tree of average size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, productive; branchlets with, long internodes; leaf-scars enlarged; leaves folded upward, oval or obovate, nearly one and three-quarters inches wide, three and one-half inches long, thick, rugose; margin crenate or almost serrate, eglandular or with small dark glands; petiole pubescent, tinged red, with from two to four globose glands; blooming season intermediate in time, short; flowers appearing after the leaves, one inch across; petals long, narrow, white, in the buds tipped with yellow; borne singly or in pairs; stamens tend to become petals.
Fruit late, season of medium length; one and three-quarters inches by one and one-half inches in size, long-ovate, purplish-black, with thick bloom; dots numerous, conspicuous; flesh yellowish with a trace of red at full maturity at both skin and stone, juicy, very sweet, aromatic, with a pleasant flavor; very good to best; stone free, the cavity larger than the pit, often brownish-red, one inch by five-eighths inch in size, irregular-oval, flattened, with an oblique apex; ventral suture prominent, usually with a distinct wing; dorsal suture with a wide, deep groove.
LATE MIRABELLE
Prunus insititia
1. Lond. Hort. Soc. Cat. 150. 1831. 2. Barry Fr. Garden 339. 1851. 3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 388. 1857. 4. Hogg Fruit Man. 353. 1866. 5. Downing Fr. Trees. Am. 901. 1869. 6. Pom. France 7: No. 20. 1871. 7. Mas Le Verger 6:7. 1866-73. 8. Cat. Cong. Pom. France 352. 1887. 9. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 442, 449. 1889. 10. Guide Prat. 162, 360. 1895. 11. Baltet Cult. Fr. 493. 1908.