About the only characters that will hold for this large and variable group are those of the fruits as given above, though to these may be added for most of the varieties included in the division, thick skin and firm flesh, clinging stones and poor quality. The trees vary much but are usually hardy, thrifty and productive, making the members of the group prime favorites with commercial fruit-growers.
The Lombard Plums.—Just as the blue plums have been thrown in the last named group, so we may roughly classify a number of red or reddish or mottled varieties in one group. If the oldest name applicable to this group were given it should be called after the Diaper plums, well-known and much cultivated French sorts of two and three centuries ago. Since they are no longer cultivated, and as the Lombard seems to be a direct offspring of them and is fairly typical of the division, the name chosen is as applicable as any. These plums differ but little from those of the preceding group, except in color and in having a more obovate shape, a more marked suture, smaller size and possibly even greater hardiness and productiveness, and if anything, even poorer quality, though to this last statement there are several marked exceptions. In this group are no doubt many varieties which are crosses between some of the old red plums and varieties of the other groups given.
The following sorts may be named as belonging here:—Lombard, Bradshaw, Victoria, Pond, Duane, Autumn Compote, Belle, Middleburg and Field.
2. PRUNUS INSITITIA Linnaeus
PRUNUS INSITITIA
1. Linnaeus Amoen. Acad. 4:273. 1755. 2. Seringe DC. Prodr. 2:532. 1825. 3. Hooker Brit. Fl. 220. 1830. 4. Loudon Arb. Fr. Brit. 2:687. 1844. 5. Koch, K. Dend. 1:95. 1869. 6. Ibid. Deut. Obst. 144. 1876. 7. De Candolle Or. Cult. Pl. 211. 1885. 8. Emerson Trees of Mass. Ed. 4:512. 1887. 9. Schwarz Forst. Bot. 339. 1892. 10. Koch, W. Syn. Deut. und Schw. Fl. 1:726. 1892. 11. Koehne Deut. Dend. 316. 1893. 12. Dippel Handb. Laubh. 3:639. 1893. 13. Lucas. Handb. Obst. 429. 1893. 14. Beck von Managetta Nied. Oester. 819. 1893.
P. communis (in part). 15. Hudson Fl. Anglic. 212. 1778. 16. Bentham Handb. Brit. Fl. 1:236. 1865.
P. domestica insititia. 17. Schneider Handb. Laubh. 1:630. 1892. 18. Waugh Bot. Gaz. 27:478. 1899.