216 • STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



north as Manitoba and as far south as Texas and even northern Mexico. 

 Notwithstanding its wide range, most of its cultivated varieties have come 

 from its northwestern limits, as northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, 

 Iowa, and Kansas. This fact is indication that the western plum may be a 

 distinct species from the eastern and southwestern types, and I should not 

 be surprised if we ultimately find this to be true. I have looked in vain, how- 

 ever, for characters with which to separate them. Professor Sargent is 

 of the opinion that the Prwms nigra of Aiton should be revived to designate 

 those forms which are characterized by very flat and smooth stones, very 

 broad leaves, glandular leaf-stalks and calyx lobes, and large flowers. To 

 this species he would refer the Weaver, the stones of which, as shown in 

 Fig. 1, are very large, flat, and smooth. After the most careful study, how- 

 ever, I am unable to find any constancy in these characters, especially in 

 cultivated varieties. Even in wild specimens, the flat stone of P. nigra 

 is often associated with the glandless leaf-stalks of P. Americana and vice 

 versa; and there appears to be equal inconstancy in the characters of 

 calyx lobes and sizes of flowers. In fact, the same cultivated variety, 

 when grown in different places, has been referred to both species. I am 

 obliged, therefore, for the purposes of this paper, to unite Pruniis nigra 

 with P. Americana. This I regret the more because it is undoubtedly true 

 that there are two well marked wild varieties — possibly species — passing as 

 P. Americana, and growing together in the east. One is a twiggy, virgate 

 grower, with large and mostly earlier flowers; the other is a stout and stiff 

 grower with small flowers. So far as I have been able to determine, the 

 fruits and stones of these two forms, save possibly in time of ripening, are 

 not characteristically distinct. These forms are certainly common in cen- 

 tral New York and in Michigan, where I have often observed them. 

 Dudley records them in Cayuga Flora. Some of these differences are 

 detailed in the following letter from Professor Charles A. Davis of Alma, 

 Michigan, accompanying specimens of the trees mentioned. The specimens 

 were referred to Professor Sargent, who places the first or large-flowered 

 form with P. nigra and the small-flowered form with P. Americana. "The 

 large-flowered form is the more common and blooms about a week or, even 

 ten days before the other, and usually before the leaves begin to appear. 

 The small-flowered form I have never found until this spring, when I came 

 upon a clump of it in full bloom, and at once became interested in it because 

 of its decided differences from the other and common form. The trees 

 were larger, more spreading, and with a much rougher bark than the large- 

 flowered form; and a number of the trees bore flowers with a decidedly yel- 

 lowish tint, which wa? very noticeable from a short distance. The fruit was 

 late, maturing the middle of September, and was reddish, almost purple in 

 very ripe specimens, with a whitish bloom, small and rather palatable." It 

 is easy to place too great confidence in the seasons of blooming and ripen- 

 ing, for these characters are variable. This is well illustrated in the case 

 of the Late Rollingstone plum, which is a seedling from the Rolling- 

 stone — itself a wildling — but which is three weeks later in ripening than 

 its ijarent. 



The fruits of wild forms of Primus Americana vary widely in season, 

 size, shape, flavor, and character of stone. Trees in the same clump often 

 vary two weeks in season of ripening of fruit, which may vary from dull 

 deep red to yellow. It should be said, however, that there is no true clear 

 yelltjw fruit in this species. The yellow of P. Americana is always a more 

 or less ill-defined under color, over which are laid blotches of red. The 



