118 TRANSACTIONS OP THE ILLINOIS 



or at least so far as my observations have gone, that we have but one 

 species, true species, of native plums in the United States, but that 

 we have many distinct geographical races which completely shade 

 into each other, and which hybridize, or rather cross freely, when 

 grown near each other. Even the European plum seems to make 

 fertile crosses with our wild types, as we observe in the variety known 

 as La Oaradeuc. But I did not intend to give fully the biology of 

 our native plums, but only call attention to these new varieties. 



I was greatly interested in the fruiting of a fine round, large 

 dark crimson plum the past season, kindly sent me by Mr. (). M. 

 Lord, of Minnesota City, Minnesota. The quality of this plum is 

 very fine as grown here, and it shows great productiveness. It is 

 surely, as I see it from a very limited experience of course, a very 

 valuable acquisition here. It is very productive yearly. In quality, 

 as grown here, it is very superior, flesh firm, a little coarse, but of 

 very fine flavor for a native, resembling the European plums. This 

 plum has been carefully examined, I am told, by Prof. J. L. Budd, 

 of the Iowa Agricultural College, and found to differ materially in 

 some points from the Illinois type of wild plums. 



I will only add that seedlings of the Minor show it to be nearer 

 the Illinois type of wild plums than it is to the Chickasaw type, and 

 that but one tree among my seedlings that seems exactly similar to 

 our Illinois type of wild plums has perfected any plums, owing to 

 the insect enemies of the species, and this one has given a full and 

 perfect crop of very fine fruit each and every year for the past eight 

 years. Yet it may be from Dakota, as there were a few seeds among 

 the lot planted that I gathered in that State; but this tree has not 

 the smoother, rounder, stiffer leaf of the Dakota plums, but its leaves 

 are exactly similar, elongated, rough, and plaited, to our own natives. 



Lacon, III. D. B. WIER. 



Prof. Budd — The Bassett plum has merits I would like to call 

 attention to. It is exceedingly hardy, a good grower, and prodigi- 

 ously productive. A splendid cooking pluin and remarkably easy to 

 propagate. There is no corner on it; scions are easily obtained, and 

 any school-boy can make them grow. Attention has frequently 

 been called, by Dr. Gray, to the near identity of the trees and shrubs 

 of our northwest coast to those of Northeast Asia. The plums 

 that are indigenous to this section of the country are a very differ- 

 ent race from those found in the regions named. But the Blue 

 plum of Minneosta is much like them, and this and the DeSoto, and 

 perhaps the Weaver and other varieties, were first found near old 

 Indian encampments. May we not suppose that our aborigines in 

 their wanderings carried these from their native home and planted 



