STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 141 



show in their habit of growth and foHage traits of a common origin. They are evi- 

 dently a variety of the Pruniis Chickasa, a native of this State as far north as East St. 

 Louis. The name Miner has been oftenest used in connection with this class of Phims, 

 and evidently with no justice or propriety ; for by all pomological rules the naming of a 

 new fruit should belong to the first producer, or the person fust discovering it ; neither 

 of which would entitle Mr. Barber, of Lancaster, Wis., to name this Plum ' Miner.' The 

 facts of the history of this Plum can now be traced no farther back in time than to the 

 year 1835, °'' '" locality than to Ohio. 



"A nurseryman named Knight, from Ohio, brought a lot of fruit trees to Galena in 

 1835; all of his Plum trees were sold to Major Nathaniel Hinkley, who disseminated 

 them (gratuitously) and urged their cultivation by his neighbors. The next year (1836) 

 Knight brought out a new stock of Plum and other fruit trees, and established a nur- 

 sery in the Townsend settlement, eastern Jo Daviess county. From this stock the Miner 

 originated. No doubt many seedlings have been planted since 1836, for to-day more 

 than fifty varieties are scattered over the Northwest, and called by various names, but all 

 showing plain Chickasaw characteristics. The great point in favor of the Chickasaw i> 

 their general immunity from injury by the curculio ; for some reason the egg fails to 

 hatch, so the damage from this cause is never serious. The plum gouger also preys 

 upon it, but does but little injury. As a Plum for profit in our district, which is poorly 

 adapted to the finer tame Plums, the best Chickasaws stand second to none, if fruitful- 

 ness and ease of production Ije taken into account. No healthier Plum tree grows ; and 

 their general and extensive cultivation is Jiereby recommended. In view of the facts 

 above stated, the majority of your committee would recommend that the Plums derived 

 from Knight's stock (except seedlings) be known hereafter as the IIlNKl.KY Pt.UM. 



«H. H. McAFEE,' ) 



" TAS. G. SOULARD, \ Committee:' 



"EDW. H. BEEBE, j 



The report of the comiiiittee was adopted. 



The true Hinkley, as well as many varieties of seedlings tinder vari- 

 ous names, are scattered over the counties of Jo Daviess, in Illinois, and 

 in La Fayette and Grant, in Wisconsin, generally in small orchards of 

 a few trees for family use. Genuine stock can be procured from the 

 nurserymen at (kilena, 111., and at Platteville and Lancaster, in Wiscon- 

 sin. A number of the plum trees ])lanted 1S35-36 can be found in Jo 

 Daviess county. They are at the lownsend farm, near Warren, and at 

 the Soulard and Hinkley farms, near Galena. On this last form there are 

 now ten to thirteen trees planted by Major Hinkley thirty-eight years 

 ago. D. Wilmot Scott, who visited this orchard in 1870, says: 



"One day la.st October, we took a walk out to the original Plum orchard of Mr. 

 Hinkley, about one and one-half miles from the city, for the purpose of examining the 

 parent trees of this variety of Plums. At a short distance, the trees looked like large 

 sized Apple trees, in shape, height, and general contour, but on a nearer aj^proach, the 

 fact of their being Plum trees was readily distinguished. The trees have evidently stood 

 where they now stand, thirty-five or forty years, but are of good vigor, and bear large- 

 crops of fruit, though standing in the grass. The trees were ])Ianted thirty feet apart eacli 

 way, the tops now covering the whole space, and in some instances interlocking." 



In the winter of 1S71 we visited this orchard and accurately meas- 

 ured five of the Hinkley plum trees, as follows : 



No. I — To crotch, four feet; circumference at crotch, three feet two 

 inches; two liinbs, circumference twenty-six and twenty-eight inches. 



