Cultivar 461: State Fair No 34

State Fair No. 34 is an Americana group plum seedling selected and tested at the South Dakota Experiment Station. It came from pits taken from prize plates of leading Americana varieties shown at the Iowa State Fair in September 1895 and planted in South Dakota in spring 1896.[S1] In the bulletin, it appears as one of the numbered State Fair seedlings, not as a fully named commercial cultivar.[S1]

The station's 1904 notes describe it as a heavy cropping plum with large, smooth fruit of very good quality.[S1] It was recorded ripe on September 14, 1904, and judged a little late.[S1] The same note describes the tree as very handsome and rates it as a good commercial variety.[S1]

South Dakota trial comments also place No. 34 among the State Fair seedlings that should be propagated and given thorough trial because the fruit keeps well after picking.[S1] The station saw it as a promising market plum with both appearance and keeping quality in its favor.[S1]

The broader context matters. These State Fair seedlings were raised from seed, so the exact parentage of No. 34 is not stated. The whole group came from prize Americana plum material gathered at the Iowa State Fair and tested under prairie conditions in South Dakota.[S1] A 1902 photographic plate in the same bulletin shows No. 34 among the illustrated State Fair seedling plums, confirming that it was part of the station's documented evaluation set.[S1]

It remains uncertain whether State Fair No. 34 was ever formally introduced beyond trial recommendation under this numbered designation.[S1] The surviving source supports it as a notable experimental Americana plum selection with strong orchard and commercial promise, but not a fully documented release history.[S1]

Summary source basis

• S1: Plums in South Dakota

This summary currently draws chiefly from Plums in South Dakota.

Featured source descriptions

“Ripe September 14, 1904.”
— ^[1]

“Fruit smooth.”
— ^[1]

“Alittle late.”
— ^[1]

“Of very good quality.”
— ^[1]

Direct parent cultivars

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Parentage claim text

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Derived or downstream cultivar links

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Source-story quotations

• State Fair No. 34.-Ripe September 14, 1904. Aheavy crop; fruit large, smooth, of very good quality; a little late; tree very handsome: a good commercial variety.Plums in South Dakota, p39
• State Fair No. 34.-Ripe September 14, 1904. Aheavy crop; fruit large, smooth, of very good quality; a little late; tree very handsome: a good commercial variety.Plums in South Dakota, p39
• State Fair No. 34.-Ripe September 14, 1904. Aheavy crop; fruit large, smooth, of very good quality; a little late; tree very handsome: a good commercial variety.Plums in South Dakota, p39
• State Fair No. 34.-Ripe September 14, 1904. Aheavy crop; fruit large, smooth, of very good quality; a little late; tree very handsome: a good commercial variety.Plums in South Dakota, p39

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context