40 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, X. Y. 



natives. The latter classes were already well established a quarter 

 century ago, when the Japanese sorts first came into the country, 

 and their value is not lessened by the introduction of the Japanese 

 type. Wherever the common domestica plums will succeed, they 

 are still the most valuable types, but some of the Japanese sorts 

 can be added for variety with profit. The Japanese type is 

 adapted to a much wider range of our country than the domestica 

 plums are, and they introduce certain features which are invaluable 

 everywhere. The peculiarly desirable features presented by many 

 of the Japanese plums, in various degrees, are earliness, great pro- 

 ductiveness, almost complete freedom, so far, from black-knot and 

 leaf-blight, long-keeping qualities and beauty of fruit. In quality 

 they are generally inferior to the domesticas, although several of 

 them compare favorably in this respect with the Lombard. The 

 only other foreign species of fruit which has been lately introduced 

 into this country and which approaches the Japanese plums in im- 

 portance, is the kaki or Japanese persimmon ; but this fruit is con- 

 fined to the fig belt, whilst the plum thrives from Canada to the 

 Gulf. A third Japanese fruit — introduced over a quarter century 

 ago — the Japanese pear, is also important, and a report on it may 

 be expected from this station within the present year. 



It is yet too early, in my judgment, to recommend the extensive 

 planting of the Japanese plums in this State, yet such varieties as 

 Ked June, Abundance, Burbank, and Chase seem to be safe to 

 plant : and to this lot may no doubt be added, as a second-choice 

 list, Georgeson, Maru, Chabot, Ogon, Berckmans, Satsuma. For 

 very early, we might add Berger and Yosebe, and AVillard. The 

 first two are very small, and the last is very poor in quality. The 

 experiences of one or two more seasons may modify this list con- 

 siderably, but it represents the best information which I possess at 

 the present moment, for New York. 



Those who desire a fuller exposition of the history and char- 

 acteristics of the Japanese plums, may consult our Bulletin 62.* 



♦The following additional historical notes may be added: D. E. Hough, 

 who first received the Japanese plums in this counti-y, had a small nursery 

 in Vacaville, California, about 1870 to 1875. Professor Wicksou writes: 

 " Mr. Hough was a very expert budder and budded stock for others as 

 well as on his own account. He was quite given to roving from place lo 



