TRANSACTIONS OF HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILL. 



309 



slender grower, but so far as I see perfectly hardy in tree and fruit- 

 bud. It ripens its yellowish-red fruit from the middle of August to Sep- 

 tember first, or a little over a month later than the Wild Goose, and just 

 before the Miner. It is a beautiful tree in flower, leaf and fruit; the 

 fruit is about two-thirds that of the size of the Wild Goose, and like it 

 oblong. In quality it is superior to all others of the species Chickasaw 

 that I have fruited, and I have fruited all of this species that have been 

 named. The Newman and the Wild Goose are all the plums that I can 

 recommend. The Wild Goose failed the past season in giving a good 

 crop — the first failure during ten years here. There are too many of the 

 Miner plum ; that is, in all this region there were a great many varieties 

 sent out as "Miner; " the trees look almost exactly alike, but the fruit 

 differs ; some of the varieties are quite good, but they are mostly very 

 poor, and I have never seen as good fruit grown here as that shown as 

 grown near Galena on the original trees. The seeds of this class come 

 up readily under the trees, and in this way when taking up supposed 

 suckers many seedlings are dug. 



In the course of trade I have a continual call for trees of the old 

 Damson type; but my experience is that these will not do to plant for 

 market. It is true that some trees of this class do remarkably well, bear 

 immense crops, but the careful observer will find that, as a rule, these 

 productive trees are growing in crowded door-yards, where all is bustle 

 and life — chickens, people and dogs, and other domestic animals, and the 

 timid plum-curculio is scared away. I have observed varieties of the 

 finer European plums giving like results under similar surroundings. 



Arthur Bryant, Jr., of Princeton, from the same committee, con- 

 tributed the following: 



PLUMS. 



The subject assigned to me to report upon is one in which I have 

 but little practical experience, especially the successful \izx\. of the matter. 

 And what does not at all relieve me in my unfortunate situation, I find 

 that my neighbors are all in the same predicament, so that I can neither 

 borrow nor steal from them to help me out. In my section of the country 

 plums have been planted more or less ever since the country was settled; 

 but for some reason we find no old trees, and but few of later-planted 

 ones, doing or even growing well. From some cause the trees in the 

 most favored localities seem to have been short-lived and quite uncertain 

 even in growth, to say nothing of fruitage. But I think that the plum, 

 on not too rich soils and with the necessary care, can be made fairly 

 remunerative. In the first place trees grafted on good hardy stocks 

 should be chosen, probably those grafted on native stocks are the best. 

 Peach or French plum stocks I consider of but little value for this lati- 

 tude ; they may answer well where the peach is hardy, but will not answer 

 here. 



Plant on good soil, but do not stimulate too rank a growth; prune 

 what is necessary to keep the trees in good shape. 



