238 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



believe that either Pruims Americana or the European species should 

 ever be thus grown. The Chickasaw and New Japanese race will 

 grow for the first few years even more vigorously on peach, but in the 

 orchard are soon overtaken by trees on plum roots, which are hardier, 

 longer lived and more productive. Prairie Flower of same type is 

 from Audrain county where the original tree has long borne good 

 crops of fruit. First brought to attention in 1884, it has since been 

 propagated. Golden Beauty is a straggling grower, but very hardy; 

 does not set much fruit while young ; ripens very late. Eed Arctic 

 is a hardy, fine growing Chickasaw ; bears notably early, and is 

 really wonderful in productiveness ; fruit one inch in diameter 

 and when fully ripe of superior flavor, second only to the Dam- 

 son for culinary purposes ; becomes colored a long time in advance 

 of ripening, and hence is apt to be condemned prematurely. Were we 

 required to produce the most bushels of fruit in the least possible 

 time, should not hesitate a moment to choose this variety for the ex- 

 periment. Frait hangs on till frost. Missouri Apricot Plum, a native 

 of Pike county, has borne uncommonly full crops for many years, 

 looking, as the owner says, "like grapes, and hang on so firmly that 

 they must be beaten off with poles." Fruit about one inch in diameter,^ 

 skin thick, golden yellow, flesh firm and of best quality. Judge Miller, 

 to whom specimens were sent in October last, was well pleased with 

 the fruit. Kelsey Japan, is a very strong grower, inclined to grow until 

 frost, of about the same degree of hardiness as W. (xoose, the latter, 

 after severe cold, showing even more discoloration of young wood. 

 If it will even remotely approximate, in Missouri, such fruit as we saw 

 it producing in California in summer 1885, it will create a sensation. A 

 box of them on the fruit stands might easily, at a glance, be mistaken for 

 average Missouri Janeton apples. Dull purplish red, on yellow ground, 

 with bloom, flesh firm, greenish yellow, sweetish, lacking character; 

 was ripening in August, about two weeks ahead of Coe's Golden Drop. 

 The Marianna we have now been growing four years. Fruited it 

 the past season on trees grafted in spring of 1882. After having care- 

 fully noted its various characteristics of tree and fruit, we are planting 

 it largely in nursery and orchard. It ripened at least 95 per cent, of 

 the plums set. Trees so young of Wild Goose and most other varie- 

 ties would have cast their fruit before maturity. Yet our two little 

 Marianna trees ripened 75 or 80 plums each, although they had been 

 cut very closely for buds each season, and were almost surrounded 

 and overshadowed by older trees of Wild Goose, Lombard, DeSoto, 

 Miner and Bassett. The DeSoto trees several years older ripened 



