13 



Drain it, and fertilize and cultivate it and the plums will respond as readil} as any 

 other fruit. Plant them under the best conditions possible in your particular cir- 

 cumstances. 



Propagation. 



Plum trees used in the commercial orchards of Ontario are grown almost 

 entirely by the local nursery firms. A few are imported from the United States, 

 but a large percentage are home-grown. 



Seedling stocks (Myrobolan) are obtained from France in the winter and 

 planted in the nursery rows the following spring. At one time St. Julien stocks 

 (prunus insititta) a species of Damson were used almost entirely by the nursery- 

 men of the Eastern United ^States, but they have given way for the Myrobolan. It 

 is generally admitted, however, that domestica and Damson plums make better 

 trees, thrive better and live longer on St. Julien than Myrobolan, and there are to-day 

 many orchards on this stock in the State of New York. 



The nurserymen, however, prefer the Myrobolan stock, because it gives a larger 

 and thriftier tree in one year, and is easier to bud successfully. Also it is less 

 subject to disease, and it costs less than St. Julien, Naturally, then, under these 

 conditions the nurseryman is going to use the stock that gives the best growth while 

 in the nursery and makes the most money for him. 



The seedling stocks planted in spring are budded the summer immediately fol- 

 lowing (August), and sold a year from the following spring as yearling trees, or sold 

 two years from the spring following the bud, as first or second class trees of standard 

 sizes according to grade. 



The stock may either be dug from the nursery row in the fall and heeled in a 

 dry place near the buildings, or what is more generally the practice, and is the best 

 practice, tied in bundles and piled in the storage houses, where they are held at a 

 low temperature to prevent any starting of the bulbs. Heeling in is also practiced 

 sometimes in the storage cellars, but requires a vast amount of space. In a few 

 oases trees are left all winter in the nursery row, but such a practice cannot be 

 recommended for spring delivery. 



In winter the trees in the storage are sorted into sizes or grades and with 

 the opening of spring are packed for delivery. 



The larger trees are in greatest demand, but smaller sizes, and especially the 

 good grades of clean straight stock of one and two year old trees are to be preferred. 

 One year old stock of the rapid growing Japanese varieties is recommended. The 

 Reine Claudes and similar types are slower growers, and are much smaller than the 

 Japanese varieties at one 3^ear. Two years are required for them to attain their size. 



Site. 



The site for the plum orchard is generally largely determined by the soil 

 factor. Two other factors are, however, worthy of consideration. Plums when 

 banging heavily on the trees rot very easily if the weather is at all warm and damp. 

 Brown Rot is especially adapted to warm, humid conditions, and the application of 

 spray materials is much more effective when aided by air circulation and sun- 

 light. The rot spores cannot thrive under dry conditions, and the freer the air 

 circulation the less rot there will be. Do not hide the trees- behind a woods or thick 

 hedge where air currents cannot reach them. 



