The Cultivated Native Plums and Cherries. lOY 



of the fruit ai*e likely to meet with, discouragement. The Choke 

 Cherry is generally distributed east of the Eocky INIountains. 



6. I*runus demissa, the Western Choke Cherry, was introduced 

 in 1881 as an ornamental plant by Edward Gillett, Southwick, 

 Mass. Its merits as a cultivated plant are not yet well known. 

 It is much like the Choke Cherry, but more variable in stature and 

 apjjarently in botanical characters. It occurs from Nebraska to 

 the Pacific coast, extending the length of California and Oregon. 



7. Prunus ilicifolia, the " Islay " of southern California and wait- 

 em Arizona, was 'introduced to cultivation last year by C. E. 

 Orcutt, of San Diego, California. It is a pleasing ornamental 

 plant with holly-lilie evergreen leaves (whence the name ilicifolia), 

 and a small astringent reddish fruit. In its wild state It reaches 

 a height of ten or fifteen feet. Itis merits for cultivation in eastern 

 la^ns are yet to be determined. 



8. Prunus Caroliniana, the Cherry Laurel, Wild Orange, Mock 

 Orange, or Wild Peach of the southern States, is in cultivation in 

 the south as a small ornamental tree and as a hedge plant. The 

 leaves are long, thick an.d glossy, and are evergreen. The white 

 flowers are borne in small racemes which are shortei' than the 

 leaves. The small black fruit soon becomes dry and is not edible. 

 The species gro^^s wild along rivers from North Carolina to Florida 

 and Texas. 



EEVIEW. 



I. Plums. 



1. The native plum industry dates from the dissemination of the 

 Wild Goose some forty years ago. It is only within the last 

 decade, however, that this industry has assumed great importance. 



2. Five species and one botanical variety of native plums are 

 now in cultivation for their fruits. One hundred and forty named 

 varieties are described in the preceding pages, veiy many of which 

 are wild varieties transferred to cultivation. 



3. Nearly all the commercial varieties belong to three species — 

 I'runus Ajnericania, P. hortulana and P. angustifolia. These 

 species grow wild in regions east of the Eocky Mountains. 



