Prunus nigra
1. Minn. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 426. 1896. 2. Wis. Sta. Bul. 63:24, 27, 28 fig. 11, 43. 1897. 3. Jewell Nur. Cat. 1899-1906. 4. Waugh Plum Cult. 169. 1901. 5. Can. Exp. Farm Bul. 43:29. 1903. 6. Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 227. 1904.
Aitken 4. Beatty 6 incor. Itasca 1 incor.
Aitkin is very favorably mentioned in the references given above and undoubtedly has value for the Northwest. It was listed in the catalog of the American Pomological Society in 1899. The variety was found growing wild in Aitkin County, Minnesota, by D. C. Hazelton on land adjoining his farm. It seemed to possess merit and was introduced in 1896 by the Jewell Nursery Company of Lake City, Minnesota. Because of having originated near Itasca Lake, it has been confused with the Itasca plum, which preceded it by nearly ten years. The following description is a compilation:
Tree vigorous, productive, ripening its wood very early; fruit earliest in season of its group; large for its class, oval, deep red, with no bloom; skin thin, not astringent; flesh yellow, juicy, sweet and rich; good; stone large, oval, flattened, clinging.
ALHAMBRA
[Prunus triflora × Prunus cerasifera × Prunus domestica] × [(Prunus simonii × Prunus triflora) × (Prunus americana × Prunus nigra)]
1. Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:5. 1898. 2. De Vries Plant Breeding 213. 1907.
Although it is over a decade since Alhambra was offered to fruit-growers, it has made little headway in popularity and is chiefly of interest because of its breeding. It is not often that we can trace the pedigree of a plant for more than one or at the most two generations, but in Alhambra we are particularly fortunate. Luther Burbank, the originator, began by crossing Kelsey and Pissardi, and the offspring from this cross was fertilized with Agen pollen. This tri-hybrid was in turn fertilized with pollen from a complex hybrid of a cross of Prunus simonii and Prunus triflora pollinated by a cross of Prunus americana and Prunus nigra. As might be expected, the offspring of this final cross was extremely variable and from it was selected the Alhambra. The variety was named by the originator in 1898.