240 STATE HORTICULiTURAL SOCIETY. 



The climate of Michigan is suitable for growing most of the native 

 plums, in any part of the state except, perhaps, in the central and northern 

 portions of the upper peninsula. In the north, especially where it is at all 

 frosty, it is well not to plant trees on a southern exposure where the buds 

 may start and be nipped by a late frost. 



It is easy to produce an overgrowth in the native plums; if they run too 

 much to heavy tops and foliage they are not so productive of fruit, the 

 wind easily breaks them down, and they do not bear so early. Such over- 

 growths are caused by a soil too strong or by the use of nitrogenous 

 manures in large quantities. 



CHAEAOTERISTICS OF NATIVE PLUMS. 



There are over 150 named varieties of native plum scattered throughout 

 the country; experimenters are annually introducing seedlings, and since 

 any very promising wild plum tree may be the beginning of a new variety 

 there is still abundant material to draw from. There are several groups of 

 the plums, the distinctivt^ lines of which have been drawn with considerable 

 accuracy. But the rapid multiplication of varieties from seed, many the 

 product of natural crosses, has made intermediate forms so numerous, and 

 complicated the classification so much, that it is a difficult matter to assign 

 varieties to their true positions. Because of this, and since a scientific classi- 

 fication is not strictly necessary for commercial purposes, a brief description 

 of the varieties must take the place of a detailed classification. 



It is not easy to give even the general characteristics of the native plums. 

 There are, even in varieties of the same group, manifold variations in the 

 character of the trees, flowers, and fruits. Following the classification given 

 in Bulletin lO'S, there are five groups of interest to Michigan growers. 



Clinton. — Fruit medium to large, round, oblong or elliptical; skin thick, 

 mottled with dark red; flesh firm, flavor sweet and pleasant; stone clinging, 

 circular, smooth; leaves large, serrate, pointed, with glandular stalks; trees 

 vigorous and very prolific; season early to medium, from August ltol5. 



De Soto.— Fruit large, round, somewhat oblong; skin thick, dark red, and 

 with a heavy bloom; stone large, roughish, rather broad; stem f inch long, 

 slender; cavity broad and shallow; suture a line; flesh firm, flavor sweet 

 and good; leaves oblong oval, medium size, acute, serrate, stalks glandular; 

 season early, last of July and first of August. One of the best of the 

 American plums. 



Forest Rose. — Fruit large, round, a little oblong, and sometimes 

 pointed; skin thin, red or purple; flesh firm, quality good; stone clinging, 

 broad, smooth, flat; leaves obovate, pointed, finely serrate, stalks glandular; 

 trees with spreading, open heads and thorny branches; not prolific on the 

 station grounds; season medium, August. 



Odrfield. — Fruit small to medium, oblong oval; skin rather thick, very 

 dark red; cavity small and shallow; fruit stems long and slender; suture a 

 dark red line; flesh firm, juicy, yellowish, flavor acid, pleasant; leaves large, 

 ovate- lanceolate, finely serrate, stalk glandular; trees weak in growth and 

 unproductive; season very late, September and October. 



Itaska. — Fruit small, oblong oval; skin dark red, thick, and tough; flesh 

 firm, stringy, quality poor; leaves large and thick with glandular stalks; 

 trees dwarf in habit with massed foliage of a peculiar pinkish tint; charac- 

 teristics of the tree very prominent; season medium to late; of little if any 

 value. 



