Plums @ Cummins Nursery Catalog 2004

PLUMS

UPDATED SEPT. 12, 2007

At Cummins Nursery we offer Japanese Plums and European Plums, as well as the rootstocks you need for your trees. The round plums found in most supermarkets are Japanese plums, usually produced in California. European plums are the (usually) blue "prune-plums", seldom found in the store.

Our crop of both Japanese and European plums was hard-hit by our winter. Instead of our usual 95 per cent "take", many varieties have given us only 10 per cent. We've an excellent supply of the new Oushi-wase from Japan.

Several varieties are offered for trial on the new German rootstock, the dwarfing Pumiselect. We have no orchard experience yet with Pumiselect, but the German experience has been encouraging. Pumiselect comes from Prunus pumila, the Eastern sandcherry.

PLUM ROOTSTOCKS

ST.JULIEN GF 655-2 | MARIANNA GF 8-1 | MYROBOLAN | MARIANNA 4001

MYROBOLAN (MYRO) Widely used standard-size rootstock. Compatible with wide range of cultivars. It makes a strong, well anchored tree that is well adapted to a variety of soils including heavy soils. It is susceptible to oak root fungus and nematodes. Some suckering is typical, especially right at the trunk. This is our standard rootstock.

ST. JULIEN GF 655.2 Clonal rootstock for peaches and plums. Produces moderately vigorous, productive trees. Does well on heavy, wet soils. Better resistance to Phytophthora and bacterial canker than trees on peach. It has few suckers. Not available for 2008

MARIANNAGF 8-1 A vigorous stock especially well adapted to poorly drained soils. This is our basic stock for apricots; so far we have found only one apricot variety (HW 465) with which GF 8-1 is NOT compatible. We use GF 8-1 also as a plum rootstock. Not available for 2008

MARIANNA 4001 Very vigorous, early bearing and very productive. Not available for 2008

TORINEL® A patented Prunus hybrid that is somewhat dwarfing, well adapted to wet-feet situations.

EUROPEAN PLUM VARIETIES

CASTLETON® Early , high quality blue plum, ripening a month before Empress. Ripens 3 weeks before Stanley. Dual purpose -- a fine early dessert plum, but also an excellent processing variety. Fruit medium size, freestone; pit does not shatter or split. Self-fruitful. Productive. Tree spreading, medium vigor. Valor x Iroquois; released in 1993. Plant Patent #9638. Cornell Royalty $1.00 per tree. On myro for 2008. (On myro for 2009)

BLUEBYRD. Recent introduction from USDA breeding program, tested as B69158. Bright blue skin, amber-yellow flesh. Excellent flavor; good sugar-acid balance. Typically 2 inches long, not quite as wide. Ripens 10 days before Stanley. Erect growth habit; spur fruiting. Self-infertile; requires pollenizer such as Stanley or Green Gage. Well adapted to Mid-Atlantic region. SOLD OUT FOR 2008 (On myro for 2009).

EMPRESS Very large, high quality, dark blue fruit. Ripens late in the season -- next to the latest variety we have in our list. President x Emily. Productive. A must for the farmstand. . On myro and the dwarfing Pumiselect for 2008 (On myro for 2009)

GENEVA MIRABELLE Just introduced by Cornell's Geneva Experiment Station. Very similar to the French Mirabellier -- small fruit with very small pit; often a slight pink blush; very sweet. One fruit makes a bite. Very productive. On myro and Pumiselect for 2008. Patent applied for; royalty $1.25. (On myro for 2009)

GREEN GAGE One of the grand old "English" varieties (actually French) brought to America about 1770. Not attractive at all -- fruits are dull green, often with surface freckles, fairly small (about 1"). But the flavor is outstanding -- so much so that it's still around after 300 years. On myro for 2008 (On myro for 2009)

LONGJOHN A wonderful plum named after the late Geneva plum breeder, John Watson. This is a large, long, teardrop-shaped, attractive blue plum with fruits that are freestone and very high quality. Ripens with Stanley. Iroquois type. The tree is upright, spreading and somewhat willowy in growth. In taste tests this has been my favorite. Partially self-fruitful, but heavier cropping with good pollenizers such as Polly and Victory. Iroquois x Cal.4A33L; released in 1993. On myro and Pumiselect for 2008. (On myro for 2009)

MIRABELLIER Famous French plum, very high sugar content; fairly dry. Very crisp. Fruits small -- just about sweet cherry size and appearance. Very small pit. On myro for 2008 (On myro for 2009)

MOUNT ROYAL Earned the reputation of being the hardiest of the European Prunus domestica varieties. Medium-sized, dark blue, freestone. Early midseason. Genetic semi-dwarf. Not budded this year.

ERSINGER Old German variety. Medium-small blue plum, really elegant flavor, ripening just before Castleton. Not big enough for packing, but excellent for home use and PYO. Not budded this year. (On myro for 2009)

GRAND PRIZE A Luther Burbank introduction from the 1930s. Very large; high quality purple fruit. Ripens late midseason. Moderate vigor. Not budded this year.

HERRENHAUSEN MIRABELLE Very small blue fruits, ripening with Castleton. Elegant flavor. Old German variety. Not budded this year.

SENECA The largest plum yet introduced by the Geneva station. Fellenberg x Prinlew. Seneca ripens about a week before Stanley. Wonderful eating -- very sweet and dangerously juicy!! Too tender for shipping, but a must for home garden and farm market. Crack-resistant. Not budded this year.

POLLY Good for fresh market, an ideal pollinizer for European plums. Fruits are purple, long-oblate, large and freestone with a fresh mild taste. The tree is upright-spreading, medium vigor. Ripens with Stanley. Regular cropper and Self-fertile. On myro for 2008. (On myro for 2009)

PRESIDENT Very last of the European plums to mature -- third week of September here. Very large blue fruit. High quality. Vigorous, productive. Some resistance to black knot. Not budded this year.

OULLINS A Gage-type yellow plum, ripening about a week before Stanley. A real gourmet variety -- one of the best I've ever tasted. Fruit medium to medium-large. Tree vigorous, productive. On Myro for 2008 (On myro for 2009)

*NY #9 (NY58.900.9) This is an attractive, bright blue plum of very high quality for both processed and fresh markets. The tree is upright and spreading; good vigor. Fruit is medium-large, freestone; good pitter . Ripens with Stanley. Pollinated by NY#6 and Polly and probably other European varieties. . Research Support Contribution $1.00. For testing only; Not budded this year.

NY 1456 Soon to be named by Cornell's Geneva station. High quality yellow plum for fresh market. Not budded this year.

STANLEY The standard plum in the East for the last 50 years. Reliable cropper. Ripens about the same time as Longjohn in Geneva -- second week in September. Medium size; freestone. Tree hardy, but quite susceptible to black knot. On Myro for 2008

VALOR Ripens late, in Fellenburg (Italian Prune) season, but much larger and much better flavor. From the Vineland (Ontario) breeding program; Imperial Epineuse x Grand Duke. Dark purple skin, greenish-yellow flesh. Freestone when ripe; late midseason. Very sweet. Self-fertile. Susceptible to black knot. SOLD OUT for 2008 (On myro for 2009)

VICTORY From Vineland, an exciting new large blue prune-plum ripening about 3 to 5 days after Stanley. Very high quality -- Dad's favorite. Firm, good shipper. Precocious and productive. Pollinated by Italian Prune and Longjohn but not Stanley. Not budded this year.

VOYAGEUR A medium-large light purple plum from the Vineland program. Ripens about with Castleton, 3 weeks before Stanley. SOLD OUT for 2008. (On myro for 2009)

YELLOW EGG Antique yellow plum from England. Medium-large. Crisp, firm flesh; good flavor. Productive. On myro for 2008

JAPANESE PLUM VARIETIES

ALDERMAN. Japanese-American hybrid. Bright red, late August ripening. High quality. Clingstone. Very winter hardy. Only plum with decent crop after harsh winters of 2004 and 2005. Precocious and productive. Attractive in the landscape -- profuse, large white flowers. From Minnesota. Not budded this year. (On Pumiselect for 2009)

CRIMSON BEAUTY (BY 8158-50) A great new red-fleshed selecton from the USDA station at Byron, Georgia. Best flavored of any red-fleshed varieties we've seen. Productive at Geneva, but only marginally winter-hardy. Not budded this year.

BYRONGOLD Recently introduced by USDA breeders at Byron, Georgia Productive at Geneva. Large yellow fruit. Not budded this year.

EARLY GOLDEN Earliest Japanese plum in production in New York. Yellow; good quality; round fruit. Ripens in mid-July. Pollenizer required. Not budded this year.

BURBANK Large, reddish-purple plum introduced nearly 100 years ago by Luther Burbank. Mid-August in Geneva. Precocious and productive. Not budded this year. (On myro for 2009)

SANTA ROSA Another Luther Burbank introduction, and still an important variety. Medium-large, bright red fruit, ripening midseason. Vigorous, precocious, productive tree. Not budded this year. (On myro for 2009)

FORTUNE This Japanese-type from the USDA breeding program at Fresno provides an alternative to the standard dark-skinned European varieties. The fruit is very large with a bright red skin on yellow background, firm-fleshed -- perhaps the very best eating of the Japanese plums. Clingstone. Does best on heavier soils. Among the most consistent croppers at Geneva. Not budded this year. (On myro for 2009)

CRIMSON Skin and flesh deep crimson. Excellent quality; clingstone. From the Auburn, Alabama breeding program, but seems to be fairly well suited to the Northeast. Considerable resistance to black knot and bacterial canker. Not budded this year.

NY 1502 An advanced selection from the Geneva breeding program; Abundance x Methley. Medium size, attractive yellow fruit with rosy-red blush. Firmer, better quality than Early Golden, with which it ripens in July. Research Support Contribution $1.00. Not budded this year.

LAVINIA. New from Lithuania. Outstanding eating quality. Survived and thrived at Geneva aftger 2 devastating winters. On myro and Pumiselect for 2008

METHLEY (On myro for 2009)

OBLINAJA A new introduction from Russia; not yet widely tested in North America. Spicy flavor, crisp texture at Geneva. Well worth a trial. Not budded this year. (On myro for 2009)

OUSHI-WASE (pronounced "wishy-washy") A new introduction from Japan. Looks very promising in early trials in Hudson Valley, NY and in Vineland, Ontario. On myro for 2008.

OZARK PREMIER Juicy, yellow flesh; clingstone, small pit. Late summer. Burbank x Methley. Rather large; reddish-purple fruit. Fruits hang well on the tree, giving extended harvest, but once picked do not store well. Precocious and consistently productive. Not budded this year. (On myro for 2009)

RUBYSWEET Another USDA introduction from Byron. Just beginning to fruit in test plots here at Geneva; so far, so good. Bright red flesh; medium-large, bronze-red fruit; good eating. Not budded this year.

SHIRO The most consistently productive Japanese plum in western New York. Medium size fruit; golden yellow, attractive. Good quality. Ripens early July in Geneva. One of the best for PYO and farmstand. SOLD OUT for 2008. (On myro for 2009)

SUPERIOR. The hardiest of the good Japanese-American hybrids. Beautiful red blush over yellow basic color. Skin slightly astringent. Clingstone. Very early bearing. Mid- to late August. Not budded this year. (On myro for 2009)

VANIER A Vineland selection from the Wickson x Burbank cross. Bright red fruit, medium to medium-small size. Midseason ripening -- about 3 weeks after Santa Rosa. Vigorous and productive. Yellow flesh; clingstone. Pollenizer required. Not budded this year.

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