PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 43 



its pollen at the time when the Wild Goose blossom is ready to receive 

 it. I would name, as one variety, Miner; but after you have experi- 

 mented you would better save one tree, to get a little fun out of it, and 

 plant something else for market. 



MICHIGAN PLUM CULTURE. 



BY MR. JAMES M. HAIGHT OF HART. 



Mr. Haight prefaced his paper by saying: '^I wish to say that I come 

 before you with diffidence. I am well aware that many men here have 

 been growing plums longer than I, and are abundantly able to teach me. 

 I want to say a word about the capabilities of Oceana county for grow- 

 ing plums, though almost every one knows it. Mr. Willard of Geneva 

 made a statement at Shelby, that he had traveled over the Pacific coast, 

 from one end to the other, and observed all their fruit there, and seen it 

 under all conditions, and that he never saw finer prunes than Oceana 

 count}' produces; and he said, ^If I were a young man again, I should 

 immediately go to Oceana county and go into the business.' This is a 

 good deal, coming from such a man as Mr. Willard. We have been grow- 

 ing plums about ten years only. We have about 2,000 trees, four or five 

 hundred of them in the prime of life. We have twenty-six or twenty- 

 eight varieties only. There are very many of the older varieties; the 

 new ones we have not, to any great extent, and there are some I think we 

 do not want." 



Were I to begin at the foundation of plum-growing, I would look well 

 to the soil. It is true that Lombard will do well on sand, but even that 

 variety' will do better on heavier land. I "consider a rather heavy clay 

 loam the best. 



The next matter to look after is to determine what the varieties shall 

 be. Having settled this question, we naturally wish to find a nursery- 

 man who will deal honestlv with us. But the best wav is either to grow 

 your own trees or buy from a nursery near at home, of a man you are 

 acquainted with, and where you can see the trees before they are dug. 

 Honest men are in the nursery business in nearly all parts of our country, 

 and I am sorry to say dishonest ones are. too, and it is almost useless to 

 expect straight goods from the best of them; for, when their stock is 

 exhausted, they buy of other dealers to fill their orders. So you know 

 nothing of where 3'our trees come from. 



I bought three or four hundred trees last spring of Hammond & Wil- 

 lard. They pride themselves on having black-knot conquered, but I have 

 cut quite a number of knots from those trees. Therefore, I say, grow 

 your own trees. Then you will be sure you have the varieties desired. 



I advise budding on peach stock, if the land be dry on which you intend 

 to plant your trees. It is true that some kinds of plum can not be made 

 to grow on peach, will not unite; or, if they do, will soon die. This has 

 been said to be the case with Damsons, but by grafting it can be done, 

 as I have Damson trees so grafted. 



