Cultivar 443: Pilot

Pilot is an Americana plum selected from the northern plains seedling tradition, not from a recorded cross. M. E. Hinkley of Marquis, Iowa, originated it in 1874 from seed gathered along the Little Sioux River in Cherokee County in northwestern Iowa. The bulletin presents it as a regional plum of the Americana group with clear market interest.[S1]

The fruit is described as quite large, egg shaped, and very dark red, measuring about one and three-eighths by seven-eighths inches. Its quality is rated very good, and it keeps well after picking, which added to its value as a market plum. A contemporary note from A. Norby in 1902 adds some tension to that picture: he reported a good crop and large fruit, but said it sometimes failed to color well and had a thick, bitter skin.[S1]

Pilot ripened on September 12 in 1903 and September 16 in 1904, so the station considered it rather late for that locality. Even so, it was still described as a very attractive market variety. Its large size, good quality, and keeping ability help explain why it stood out despite its late season.[S1]

The tree is described as large, open, somewhat weeping, and heavily foliaged. It was also noted as productive. The page does not give a direct hardiness rating, but Pilot was evaluated in a South Dakota bulletin devoted to hardy plum material for the region, which places it in a northern plains context rather than a mild climate one.[S1]

Pilot also carries a clear story of place in its origin: a named variety traced to wild or chance seed gathered from the Little Sioux River country of northwestern Iowa. That makes it a useful example of how many Americana plums moved from local seedling selection into wider nursery and experiment station testing.[S1]

Summary source basis

• S1: Plums in South Dakota

This summary currently draws chiefly from Plums in South Dakota.

Featured source descriptions

“Quality very good.”
— ^[1]

“The tree is productive.”
— ^[1]

“Though rather late for this locality, it is described as a very attractive variety for market.”
— ^[1]

“A. Norby in 1902 reported: good crop; quite large; fails to color well and has a thick, bitter skin.”
— ^[1]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• No direct breeding_cross claim text yet.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• Pilot, Americana.Plums in South Dakota, p32
• Pilot, Americana.Plums in South Dakota, p32
• Pilot, Americana.Plums in South Dakota, p32
• Pilot, Americana.Plums in South Dakota, p32

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context