Cultivar 420: Mankato

Taxon ID:

Usage Facet: class=edible; edible_score=1.0; ornamental_score=0.0; inferred_from_taxon=no

Relationships: 0 | Linked Entities (visible): 0 | Evidence claims: 17 | History events: 0 | Catalog issue offerings: 0

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Evidence Badge: emerging | claims=17 | sources=1 | contradictions=0

Claim Types: anecdote_snippet:3, description_snippet:2, breeder_reference:1, flavor_profile:1, fruit_color:1, fruit_size:1, growth_habit:1, productivity:1, recommendation_context:1, release_year_reference:1, taxon_context:1 | Open evidence summary JSON | Open citation drawer JSON

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Wiki Draft

Mankato is an Americana plum from Mankato, Minnesota. S. D. Richardson of Winnebago City, Minnesota, introduced it in 1890. Early accounts said it was a seedling of German Prune crossed with a native plum. The South Dakota bulletin says the tree and fruit show no evidence of that ancestry and treats it as a pure Americana. It was important enough to appear among native plums in the station's 1902 and 1904 plates. The Minnesota State Horticultural Society later listed it as one of the plums most promising for trial in Minnesota. [S1]

The fruit was described as above medium to large, roundish, slightly oblique, and somewhat irregular. It had a slight depression at the apex and a wide, deep cavity. The skin was dark, dull red with a heavy light lilac bloom and many pale dots. The flesh was deep yellow and firm. The skin was sour but not strongly astringent, and the flavor was sweet. Overall quality was rated very good. The pit was semi free, roundish, and rather thick. [S1]

At the South Dakota station, Mankato ripened in early September. Recorded dates were September 4 in 1902, September 3 in 1903, and September 5 in 1904. Reports from other places put it earlier, from about August 15 to 28, depending on site and year. It was fairly productive, but the fruit was repeatedly said to rot on the tree and keep poorly. That limited its value despite its size and sweetness. [S1]

The trees grew very strongly and became large, with abundant dark green foliage. Station trees from the introducer, planted in 1898, were fairly productive. Norby later called the tree quite hardy, but he also reported that the fruit was much subject to rot and, in one year, of no special value. A Manitoba correspondence list includes Mankato among northern plantings, though the bulletin does not clearly show whether it ranked among the hardiest sorts there. [S1]

Historically, Mankato belongs to the group of prairie tested native plums judged as much by ripening season and reliability as by flavor. Its record is mixed: a handsome, sweet, fairly large Americana plum on a vigorous tree, but with its usefulness reduced by rot and short keeping quality. Its supposed German Prune parentage remains unsubstantiated in the source used here. [S1]

Summary source basis

This summary currently draws chiefly from Plums in South Dakota.

Featured source descriptions

“Fruit described as roundish, slightly oblique, somewhat irregular, with a slight depression at the apex and a wide, deep cavity.”
[1]
“Pit semi-free, roundish, rather thick.”
[1]
“There is some tendency to fruit rotting on the trees, and it is a rather poor keeper; the entry notes that it needs a longer trial.”
[1]
“Skin medium thick, sour but fairly free from astringency; flesh deep yellow and firm; flavor sweet; quality very good.”
[1]

Parentage

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Cold Hardiness

Zone assertions are structured rows. Hardiness claim text appears in evidence claims and page-linked citations.

Zone MinZone MaxZone TextAssertion TypeOutcomeLocationConfidence
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Citation Drawer (Top Supporting Sources)

DocumentTitle/URLRightsClaimsRelationshipsHistory EventsPagesSnippets
17Plums in South Dakotaunknown1700p24The variety was considered subject to rot and of uncertain value despite good size and sweetness.; A. Norby reported in 1904 that it was a pure Americana, tree quite hardy and fairly productive, with large dark red sweet

Citation Evidence (Page-Linked Quotes)

DocumentPageClaim TypeClaimQuoteMatch
17p24recommendation_contextThe variety was considered subject to rot and of uncertain value despite good size and sweetness.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24anecdote_snippetA. Norby reported in 1904 that it was a pure Americana, tree quite hardy and fairly productive, with large dark red sweet fruit ripening August 15th to 25th and much subject to rotMankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24anecdote_snippetA. Norby reported in 1903 that he thought it a pure Americana, ripe about August 25th, not very productive but with large dark red fruit subject to rot and of no special value.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24anecdote_snippetA. Norby reported in 1902: good crop, ripe early, August 28th, dull red fruit of medium quality that rotted quite badly.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24description_snippetPit semi-free, roundish, rather thick.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24flavor_profileSkin medium thick, sour but fairly free from astringency; flesh deep yellow and firm; flavor sweet; quality very good.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24fruit_colorSurface dark solid rather dull red with very heavy light lilac bloom and large numerous whitish dots.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24description_snippetFruit described as roundish, slightly oblique, somewhat irregular, with a slight depression at the apex and a wide, deep cavity.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24fruit_sizeFruit is above medium in size, and Norby reported fruit running large, including about one and one-fourth inches and one and three-eighths inches in diameter.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24entry_hardiness_observationThere is some tendency to fruit rotting on the trees, and it is a rather poor keeper; the entry notes that it needs a longer trial.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24release_year_referenceRipening dates recorded were September 4 in 1902, September 3 in 1903, and September 5 in 1904.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24productivityThe trees were fairly productive.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24growth_habitFour trees from the introducer planted in 1898 made a very strong, vigorous growth and became large trees with abundant dark green foliage.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24breeder_referenceIntroduced by S. D. Richardson of Winnebago City, Minnesota, in 1890.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24entry_pedigreeIt was at first claimed to be a seedling of German prune crossed with some native plum, but no evidence of this appears in the tree or fruit.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24entry_locationFrom Mankato, Minnesota.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90
17p24taxon_contextMankato is classified as Americana.Mankato, Americana.page_block:0.90

Nursery Offering Timeline

YearNurseryCatalog IssueRelation
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Linked Entities

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Evidence Claims

TypeClaimConfidence
recommendation_contextThe variety was considered subject to rot and of uncertain value despite good size and sweetness.0.84
anecdote_snippetA. Norby reported in 1904 that it was a pure Americana, tree quite hardy and fairly productive, with large dark red sweet fruit ripening August 15th to 25th and much subject to rot on the tree.0.95
anecdote_snippetA. Norby reported in 1903 that he thought it a pure Americana, ripe about August 25th, not very productive but with large dark red fruit subject to rot and of no special value.0.94
anecdote_snippetA. Norby reported in 1902: good crop, ripe early, August 28th, dull red fruit of medium quality that rotted quite badly.0.94
description_snippetPit semi-free, roundish, rather thick.0.91
flavor_profileSkin medium thick, sour but fairly free from astringency; flesh deep yellow and firm; flavor sweet; quality very good.0.95
fruit_colorSurface dark solid rather dull red with very heavy light lilac bloom and large numerous whitish dots.0.96
description_snippetFruit described as roundish, slightly oblique, somewhat irregular, with a slight depression at the apex and a wide, deep cavity.0.93
fruit_sizeFruit is above medium in size, and Norby reported fruit running large, including about one and one-fourth inches and one and three-eighths inches in diameter.0.93
entry_hardiness_observationThere is some tendency to fruit rotting on the trees, and it is a rather poor keeper; the entry notes that it needs a longer trial.0.96
release_year_referenceRipening dates recorded were September 4 in 1902, September 3 in 1903, and September 5 in 1904.0.96
productivityThe trees were fairly productive.0.94
growth_habitFour trees from the introducer planted in 1898 made a very strong, vigorous growth and became large trees with abundant dark green foliage.0.97
breeder_referenceIntroduced by S. D. Richardson of Winnebago City, Minnesota, in 1890.0.98
entry_pedigreeIt was at first claimed to be a seedling of German prune crossed with some native plum, but no evidence of this appears in the tree or fruit.0.93
entry_locationFrom Mankato, Minnesota.0.98
taxon_contextMankato is classified as Americana.0.99

History Events

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No history events.