24 State Horticultural Society. 



to waste on them. Well, if I count the cost of boxhig, pay the express- 

 charges and a little commission, the transaction would be even with the 

 income, and my work would be for nothing. 



The Wild Goose is of too poor quality for me. While on this Wild 

 Goose subject, let me state that there must be two varieties, and perhaps 

 more, as we frequently see it stated that to have them bear well, it is 

 necessary to have two or more varieties growing near them to pollenize 

 the blossoms. My stock was from headquarters and is genuine. Trees 

 of it in two different places bear abundantly almost every year, yet there 

 is no other plum tree within loo yards of either. 



When the Marianna was first introduced I was offered thousands 

 of cuttings (it grows freely from cuttings), with the control of Missouri. 

 My reply to the offer was, that if the originator would send me some 

 grafts to set on bearing trees, and the fruit proved worthy, I would con- 

 sider the matter. The grafts came. In a few years the fruit showed, 

 and was so poor that my interest in it was lost. But it is a good stock 

 on which to work better ones. Letters have come to me from different 

 parts of the State thanking me for advising them not to plant this plum. 

 One man was just about planting ten acres of it when the trees com- 

 manded a pretty fair price. 



All the money I ever received from the sale of plums would nut 

 pay my board one month. Once a firm in Minneapolis begged me to 

 send them plums, assuring me that they would sell well. If memory 

 serves me right, about ten one-third bushel boxes were sent. When the- 

 returns came in, and the express charges and commission paid, I was- 

 70 cents in their debl. This was about what the commission would be. 

 so they were informed that my >plums, boxes and work were worth more 

 than that and they might suft'cr the loss. Is it any wonder that my ques- 

 tion is, Are plums worth growing? But the question can be answered. 

 If the better varieties are planted, and the curculio and rot can be con- 

 trolled, there will be money in them. Poultry, jarring and spraying will 

 be the remedies. Spraying With Bordeaux mixture when nearly ripe 

 will be necessary. Last season my Red Junes were loaded and nearly 

 ripe, when the rot set in, and in a few days the crop was spoiled. Jtist 

 now an inferior Gage tree, eight inches in diameter at the base, has a 

 fair crop for the first time ; many of the plums are gtill unstung. From 

 this tree there was never gathered a half peck of ripe fruit'. German 

 prune trees nearly as large never gave us any return. 



