242 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



sufficient to ensure good drainage. Too positive an inclination to the sun, at 

 mid-day, might to some extent create a predisposition to the " roi"' of the fruit, 

 as heretofore described. 



PKOPAGATIOX OF THE TEEE. 



In the nursery, the plum is sometimes propagated by grafting in the early 

 spring upon seedlings, and occasionally by root-grafting; but the more com- 

 mon method is by budding upon seedling plums, in the nursery rows; and 

 the trees are usually offered for sale at two and three years from the bud. 

 A few varieties are found to grow well upon peach stocks; but such trees 

 are hardly to be recommended, except for planting upon light soils, such as 

 are not properly adapted to the plum on its own stock. 



ORCHARD PLAKTIXG. 



In orchard planting sixteen and a half feet in the rows each way is a 

 very good average distance for the trees, although in extensive plantations 

 it may be found desirable, for the convenience of gathering the fruit, and to 

 facilitate the reaching of all parts of the plantation with a team and convey- 

 ance, especially while the trees are laden with fruit, to leave, after every fourth 

 or sixth row, an increased width of perhaps twenty or twenty-five feet, as well 

 as one or more such wider spaces in the transverse direction. The distance of the 

 trees apart, however, should be determined with more or less reference to the 

 habits of growth of the varieties to be planted. Some sorts (and among them 

 may be named the Frost Gage and the entire class of Damsons) are compara- 

 tively upright and dwarfish in their growth, and would, perhaps, on most 

 soils, find sufficient room at even twelve feet apart. These might (as, indeed, 

 for the convenience of gathering the fruit, should all other sorts), be placed in 

 a block by themselves, and at a distance apart adapted to their habits of growth. 

 The dwarfish growth of such as those before mentioned, results of course in a 

 small and compact head, requiring little pruning beyond the thinning out of 

 the weaker shoots, if the top shall become crowded, and possibly the occasional 

 shortening of a leading one that may be overgrowing its fellows. Many of the 

 finer varieties, however, have the habit of throwing outa few strong and length- 

 ened shoots, with a few if any side growths, and hence of forming open and. 

 irregular heads, if left altogether to themselves; and in addition to this, these 

 better sorts very generally manifest a decided tendency to overbear. As an 

 effectual remedy for both these difficulties, we would recommend the practice, 

 with varieties of such habit, of annually " shortening in"' at least the leading 

 shoots. If this practice shall be instituted, and continued while the tree is 

 developing its head, not only will the exhaustion and possible disease of the 

 tree, from overbearing, be in a great measure avoided, but it will at the same 

 time be kept within such limits that the distance of one rod apart will afford 

 it ample room even when fully grown. 



LOW-BRANCHED TREES. 



We are thoroughly in favor of low-branched trees, as a rule ; and we would 

 by no means make the plum an exception to such rule. Our recommendation, 

 therefore, would be to branch the trees, not more than one foot above the 

 ground, for the reasons, among others, that alow head is less exposed to injury 

 from high winds, which occasionally, in exposed positions, will otherwise loosen 

 the roots and incline, or sometimes even almost uproot the tree. The Avhole 

 head is also more accessible for the gathering of the fruit and similar opera- 



