USPP1695P - Pltjmtree - Google Patents

Description

J, R. SALSA Plant Pat. 1,695

April 15, 1958 PLUM TREE Filed Sept. 3, 1957 M/l/E/VTOZ $178. 6M

present .hdiscovergy relates to :animn Variety qualties and to its freedom from splits so common in the Late Santa Rosa variety.

111m we res mbling immany respects t e well-kn My new variety is probably the result of cross-polination between a Late Santa Rosa blossom and an unknown pollen parent, but could be a seedling sport. a It occurred in my orchard and nursery rows located on the outskirts of Visalia, California, specifically on Walnut 'Avenue east of Giddings Avenue. I grow a number of Late Santa Rosa seedlings-each year to use as budding stock to replenish my orchards. I bud Late Santa Rosa buds on most of these seedlings. Ordinarily these result in trees and fruit identical with the parent trees, but in this one case, where the seedling was not budded, a distinctly new variety developed. This was not evident until several years had passed, since the tree itself seemed quite similar to the parent Late Santa Rosa trees. This one tree grew in a row with the other trees and under the same conditions of soil, water and climate.

When the first blossoms opened I noted that they ally, both. by grafts on older trees and by budding. The

resulting plums seem {identical in every respect with those of the parent tree. This asexual reproduction was done by me on my farm located as set forth above. 7

The accompanying illustrationsushow in full color, as nearly as the expert color photographer could reproduce them, two mature'typical plums of my new variety together with a. sectional view showing the relatively small seed. However, these illustrations do not show the grayish bloom that typically covers the ripe fruit while .on the tree. Handling soon removes this bloom except in the crease or suture where it is .still visible in the photograph. On the tree the ripered fruit covered with the grayish bloom gives a purplish or bluish color effect. This photograph was made while the plums were still in the hard-ripe stage and therefore shows little juice in the cut section although the plum when fully ripeis quite juicy. Also the color .of the cut flesh in the photograph is somewhat lighter than when fully ripened. I

.The tape measure'alongsideindicates the large size of the fruits althoughthe pictureflis' somewhat foreshortened, since the camera could not be placed directly above the fruits to be photographed.

r In the following description the technical color terms used are those of Ridgways Color Standards and Nomengrown under identic w Plant Pat. 1,695 Patented App 15, 1958 ompared with approximately five feet on grafts jmade iatthe same ;time on .Late-SantaRosatrees. lL-eaves Iheleaves are apparently-the same in.si ze,.sh ape, andcoloras thoseofLate Santa Rosa, being elongated with rather .wide .base and sharp terminal points, lightly serrat e d; also medium green rather than dark green Qincolor. v 5 a 5 ,Blos soms: Iljhe .blossoms .are .white; .open .3 to .4'days ;;earner .than the similarblossoms of ,Late .Santa Rosa nditionse I Stems: Stems are short'a nd'strong The fruit:

Size-Large, 2 /4' to 2 /2 inches in axial diameter "and-a little less in transverse diameter. Shape-Has a characteristic point at the blossom end although a small proportion of the fruits on a tree may be rounded-the usual shape of the Late Santa Rosa. With the filattened stem end and the pointed blossom end, this plum may be said to have something of an inverted bell shape.

The two sides of the fruit are only slightly unequal.

Cavity.-Quite narrow but fairly deep. Suture-Shallow and smooth. Skin.--Smooth, strong, but not tough; .has good shipping quality. The light-colored markings or pigments in the skin appear to stand out plainer than on Late Santa Rosa and to consist of short lines rather than the dots or specks usually seen i on Late Santa Rosa.

' An important feature of this new variety is its relative freedom from splitting of the skin. A principal reason that Santa Rosa is being discarded by many growers is its tendency to split. This 7 usually occurs on 5 percent or more of the fruits and often on 10 to 12 percenta heavy loss, since I no split fruits are shipped. Some seasons my new variety has shown no splits at all and during the current season, when heavy watering was followed by a few days of very hot sun, only a few slight splits occurred. 7 Fruit set habits: Another important feature of'this new I variety is the absence of June drop. With Late Santa Rosa and many other varieties the usual heavy June drop makes it necessary when thinning to allow for this late drop. of fruit. This causes part of the strength of the tree to be expended on fruits which will later drop off. With no June drop this new variety can be thinned to the desired set and all fruits compared to Late Santa Rosa. Progression of coloring: Coloring on this new variety starts with a reddish spot atthe heel of the plum and gradually spreads from this over most of theplurn as [ripening progresses. As theplum reaches the treehard-ripe stage, the red appears as a:somewhat bluish or purplish color as seen through the grayish bloor'n."

i The axial section shown in the'illustration was phott will mature; This probably accounts for the larger average size as graphed when hard-ripe? and shows little juice, but when the plum fully ripens it has an abundance of juice, sweet in flavorsomewhat sweeter than that of Late Santa Rosa. The flesh is of a slightly yellowish color.

.Color: The surfacecolor of theitree-hard-ripe'fruit ranges from Carmine (Pl. 1); inj some areas to'Ox-Blojod-Red in,others'(Pl. I), with irregular Light Greenish Yellow Ar r r 1,095

(Pl.V)areas, the'la'tter originating usually at the stem 'end and extending into the red areas, with speckled and short-lined effects where the red appears to overlay the greenish-yellow color; These greenish-yellow'areas may be in part due to shading of the ripening fruit by limbs and leaves. V,

A grayish bloom covers theentire fruit when undisturbed, but is easily rubbed off when fruit is handled.

As 'the fruit becomes soft-ripe the red colors deepen somewhat, to Ox-Blood-Red (Pl. I) over almost the entire surface, and the greenish yellow disappears. it: Pit is notably small and flat. The flesh clings to it.

"Ripening, shipping, and keeping qualities: The strong skin and firm, flesh combine to make a plum with excellent shipping qualities. It'also has superior keeping quality,

- in that it'does not shrink as easily as the Late Santa Rosa and many other varieties.

pa ama-i Slow ripening'after coloring is another feature of value to the grower. After;coloring,vtheseplumsf will hold on the tree for a long time before becoming too soft to ship. This is true of all the Santa Rosa type plums asgrown in the San Joaquin Valley. Picking and shipping may be spread out over a month of time.

However my new variety does color up four to live days earlier than LateSanta Rosa and since every grower tries to get his fruit to market first, theearly coloring is a valuable feature. I

Having thus 'disclosedmy discovery, Iclaim:

The plum tree of theLate Santa Rosa type, substantially as herein described and illustrated; characterized particularly by its vigorous growth from; grafts; its earlier bloom, ing and coloring of fruits as compared to its parent varieties; the absence of the 'June' drop usual with this type of plum, which permits earlier thinning and conseqnently larger average size of frnitsg the virtual absence of splitting of theskins of fruits; the unique progressof colorationlof fruits; and-the somewhat pointed shapeand inverted bell appearance of the fruit as compared to No references cited.

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