58 TEANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Wild Goose time one dollar and fifty cents per case o£ twenty-four 

 quarts was the price grocers paid. In the time of the Chickasaws 

 the market was overstocked by large quantites being shipped in from 

 Missouri and other points, grocers paid seventy-five to one hun- 

 dred cents per bushel; Damsons, three dollars per bushel. There are 

 two peculiarities about the red plums to mention : First, if the sum- 

 mer heat in ripening time gets over ninety degrees in the shade, the 

 plums will sun-burn. Second, too much moist or rainy weather in 

 ripening time causes them to burst. 



The Wild Goose is the best for all purposes, I think, especially 

 for eating out of hand. The late varieties are sour and harder flesh, 

 but keep longer, perhaps because it is cooler. The bright, lively tart 

 or sour of our red plums seems to be relished by most people after 

 the season of strawberries and raspberries, but it is certainly quite 

 expensive. The sugar bill gets larger right away. Just why the 

 little Damson should command a better price in the market J can't 

 tell, unless on account of color and scarcity. 



I have just set out a variety imported from Canada, called 

 " Sugar Plum," — or, perhaps, the proper name is Sweet Damson, — 

 said to be less sour than the ordinary Damson. The tree is a better 

 grower than the Damson, indeed grows almost as lively as the Wild 

 Goose; what it will amount to I don't know, of course. 



But the fact is that the man who succeeds in getting a large, 

 blue plum adapted to this section will be one good big one ahead. 

 In my experience I find that the plum should have plenty of room. 

 You can't get plums where each way trees are full size, sixteen feet 

 apart. A plum patch near the timber will not do, too many insects, 

 too much shade ; plums small, scabby and specked. 



To set plum trees along a road fence, or other stationary fence, 

 in good soil, cultivating on one side, and keeping weeds and grass 

 mowed, is just as good a plan as any ; and always bear in mind that 

 the roots of the plum tree grow close to the surface. I have plum 

 trees which have not been cultivated that bore good crops this year. 



The cherry, canned or dried, is certainly one of the most palat- 

 able of fruits to a good, healthy person, and yet, for profit or 

 market, it is almost entirely discarded in our part uf the country. 

 The great trouble seems to be that the birds love cherries too. A 

 few cherry trees will not do, because the birds take them away even 

 before they get ripe. 



To plant largely for market, there are so many failures, and, 

 when a crop is obtained, the cost of picking and boxing, etc., and 

 selling for about four to five cents per quart, leaves for the grower 

 little profit, Indeed, with us, it is hard work to get boys and girls 

 that will climb the ladders so high to pick the fruit. 



To add to my report a little, I stepped into Flaiz Bros, grocery 



