ON AN ANOMALOUS FORM OF THE PLUM. 99 



X — Remarks on an anomalous form of the Plum, observed in 

 the Gardens of 'New Brunswick, North America. By James 

 KoBB, M.D., Professor oi Natural History in King's 

 College, Fredericton, New Brunswick. 



[ With Figures.] 

 (Tab. IV.) 

 With the exception of the Siberian Crab, there are no trees 

 m the gardens of New Brunswick, which show such a profu- 

 sion of blossoms as those of the Plum tribe. Of these there 

 are three kinds to be found almost everywhere ; one bearing 

 a small black damascene plum, another a red one, (very like 

 our common plum,) and the third a smaller red plum, con- 

 taining a roundish flattened stone, somewhat like a tamarind 

 stone, and having a deep groove on one side. 



But though all these varieties flower with the utmost 

 luxuriance, few of them ever produce ripe fruit ; a crop of 

 plums is not gathered oftener perhaps than once in five 

 years ; during the last three years there have been almost 

 none, and the tree which in June is white with blossomsj 

 will be found in September with two or tliree or perhaps ten 

 good plums upon it. Owing to the recent settlement of the 

 province, our fruit-trees are mostly all young, and intro- 

 duced from the gardens of the United States; yet young as 

 they are, their stems and branches are very frequently 

 encrusted with Lichens and Mosses. 



The same remark applies to the cherry and apple-trees, 

 the latter of which especially are liable to degenerate, and 

 no mode of treatment hitherto tried will secure for any 

 length of time a fine quality of fruit. Almost all the apples 

 seen at table are imported from Boston ; those grown in 

 New Brunswick being chiefly consumed in the manufacture 

 of cyder. 



Jn the summer of 1839, I had an opportunity of watching 

 the progress of destruction among the plums, and it was as 

 follows. Before, or soon after the segments of the corolla had 

 fallen off, the ovarium had become greenish-yellow, soft and 



