Small Reine Claude, an old variety of unknown origin, is now probably obsolete. Thomas and Downing described it as an English Yellow Gage but it cannot be found that it is ever so called in Europe. Since the variety was known in France and Austria in the latter part of the Eighteenth Century it is quite certain that it originated on the continent. From its name and close resemblance to the Reine Claude it is safe to state that it is a seedling of that sort. It is described as follows:
Tree of normal vigor; branches smooth; flowers small; fruit medium in size, nearly spherical, truncated on the stem side and slightly on the apex; suture wide and distinct, thus differing from the Reine Claude; stem medium in length; cavity shallow; skin tender, yellowish-green, often splashed with red on the sunny side; flesh greenish-yellow, fine, a little firm, sweet, rich and pleasant; freestone; ripens earlier than the Reine Claude.
SMITH ORLEANS
SMITH ORLEANS
Prunus domestica
1. Prince Treat. Hort. 27. 1828. 2. Prince Pom. Man. 2:68. 1832. 3. Mag. Hort. 9:410. 1843. 4. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 304, 305 fig. 125. 1845. 5. Mag. Hort. 14:152, 153 fig. 16. 1848. 6. Cole Am. Fr. Book 214 fig. 1849. 7. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 343. 1849. 8. Elliott Fr. Book 424. 1854. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 210. 1856. 10. Hooper W. Fr. Book 252. 1857. 11. Hogg Fruit Man. 382. 1866. 12. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 450. 1889. 13. Ont. Fr. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 52. 1895. 14. Cornell Sta. Bul. 131:192. 1897.
Cooper’s 5. Cooper’s Large 5. Cooper’s Large Red 5. Cooper’s Red 6. Duane’s Purple 3 incor. La Delicieuse 8. Large Orleans 3. Large Purple 3 incor. Monsieur de Smith 12. Purple Magnum Bonum 3. Red Magnum Bonum incor. 3, 4, 5, 6, 12. Smith’s large Orleans 2. Smith’s Orleans 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14. Smith’s Orleans 5, 12. Smith’s Orleans Pflaume 12. Smith’s Herrn Pflaume 12. Violet Perdrigon incor. 3, 4, 5, 6, 12. Violetter Perdrigon 12 incor.
In the middle of the last century, Smith Orleans was considered about the best plum of its color in America. But the fruit is not high in quality, the texture of the flesh is coarse and it ripens at a time when fruits are plentiful, for which reasons it has ceased to be regarded with favor by either the amateur or the professional fruit-grower. The trees, however, seem to have some remarkably desirable characters and it may be that the variety should be retained for some locations and purposes and to breed from, at least. If the older pomologists have written truly few plums are adapted to a greater range of climates and soils than this one; so, too, the trees are usually spoken of as of large size, vigorous, healthy, of great productiveness and as holding the crop well. The trees in the soil and climate of this Station are quite as the older writers describe them and were the fruit only better in quality and somewhat more attractive in appearance, the variety could be highly recommended for a market plum and as a fruit for culinary purposes in the home orchard.