174 Bulletin 131. 



upon which to grow plums and it seems to be gaining favor in the 

 north. It is undoubtedly a very excellent stock for sandy lands, 

 and, in fact, is probably more preferable for such lands than the 

 myrobalan itself. Some varieties — of which the Lombard and 

 French Damson are examples — do not take well upon the peach. 

 The Japanese plums are commonly worked upon the peach stock 

 and they seem to make an excellent union with it and to give 

 every promise of being hardy and durable. The Marianna stock, 

 which is much recommended in the south, has not found great 

 favor in New York. 



Many of the varieties of plums are such slow and crooked grow- 

 ers in the nurseries that it is advisable to graft them or bud them 

 upon some strong and straight stock. The Lombard is no doubt 

 the best stock for this purpose which is now grown by nursery- 

 men. The old Union Purple is one of the very best of stocks, 

 but it is not grown much at the present time. All such varieties 

 as Reine Claude, German Prune, Copper, etc., are probably best 

 when top- worked upon some such stock. 



Plum trees are usually planted when two years old from the 

 bud, although some of the strong-growing kinds may be planted 

 at a year old with the very best results. As a rule, plum trees 

 are planted about as far apart as peaches are, that is, from 15 to 

 18 feet apart each way. Many growers prefer to plant them 

 closer one way than the other and eventually to stop cultivation 

 in one direction. If this system is used, they may be placed i& 

 or 20 feet apart one way, and from 10 to 12 feet the other way. 

 The trees are pruned in essentially the same way that apple trees 

 are, when planted. It is generally advisable to start tops as low 

 as possible and yet allow of the working of the curculio catcher 

 below them. This means that the limbs should start out from 

 three or four feet above the ground. With the modern imple- 

 ments and methods of tillage, there is no inconvenience in work- 

 ing the land if tops are started as low as this. 



The subsequent pruning of the plum tree has no special difficul- 

 ties. About four or five main limbs are allowed to form the 

 framework of the top, and in most varieties, especially those 

 which are not very tall growers, the central trunk or leader may 

 be allowed to remain. There is constant demand for information 



