[Illustration: GRAND DUKE] _Prunus domestica_ =1.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 703. 1884. =2.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 432, 434. 1889. =3.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ =39=:100. 1894. =4.= _Can. Hort._ =18=:117, Pl. 1895. =5.= _Cornell Sta. Bul._ =131=:186, fig. 40 IV. 1896. =6.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ =42=:83. 1897. =7.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 25. 1897. =8.= _Mich. Sta. Bul._ =169=:245. 1899. =9.= _Ohio Sta. Bul._ =113=:159, Pl. XVI. 1899. =10.= _Can. Exp. Farm Bul._ 2nd Ser. =3=:52. 1900. =11.= _Waugh Plum Cult._ 106 fig. 1901. _12._ _Ohio Sta. Bul._ =162=:243 fig., 244, 254, 255. 1905. Grossherzog’s Pflaume 2. _Grand-Duc_ 2. _Grand Duke_ 2. Grand Duke, now probably the favorite late shipping plum in this region, is, as stated in the history given below, a comparatively new plum in America. Its great popularity, gained in less than a quarter of a century, is due to much advertising by nurserymen coupled with such intrinsic qualities as large size, the true prune shape which seems most pleasing in some markets, handsome plum-purple and more than all else a firm, meaty flesh which fits the variety excellently for shipping. The flavor, as seems most often to be the case with these large blue plums, is not pleasant and the plum is not more than a second rate dessert fruit though it is very good in whatever way cooked for the table. The trees grow poorly in the nursery and even in the orchard are seldom large and vigorous enough to be called first class, though usually hardy. Some years ago plum-growers were advised to top-work this and other weak-growing plums on stronger stocks, but those who have tried such top-working usually condemn it because it is expensive and ineffective and because it so often gives a malformed tree. The trees come in bearing slowly but bear regularly and abundantly and hold the crop well, the plums being unusually free from rot and hanging in good condition a long time. Grand Duke deserves its popularity as a market plum and probably no better variety can be selected in New York for the last of the season. Grand Duke is another of the many valuable plums produced by Thomas Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, England. It was grown from an Autumn Compote stone and was sent out in 1876. When it was first introduced into America is not known, but in 1888 cions of it were distributed by Ellwanger and Barry[216] of Rochester, New York. In 1897, the American Pomological Society added this variety to its fruit catalog list and recommended it for this State and neighboring regions with similar climatic conditions.